About

I've been helping organizations manage disaster risks for twenty years. I have delivered consulting services to technology companies, government agencies, and nonprofits (including Waymo, CDC, DHS, FEMA, and the UN), including through fieldwork twelve countries. My approach combines systems thinking, social science research, stakeholder engagement, and practitioner experience. See my case studies for examples of my work. I am the author of ~100 disaster-related publications, many of which are available on my publications page.

I am currently a Social Scientist at the RAND Corporation, a Professor of Policy Analysis at the RAND Graduate School, and an Associate Editor for the Journal of Infrastructure Preservation and Resilience. I have worked at Stanford University as a critical infrastructure security researcher; at Concern Worldwide as a disaster risk reduction documentation officer; as a wildland firefighter in Oregon and Washington; and as a Hurricane Katrina recovery volunteer in New Orleans. My interest in disasters emerged out of the contrasts between fighting fires and helping New Orleans recover from Katrina — I set out to understand why disaster management succeeds in some cases and fails in others and identify strategies for improvement.

I have an MSc and PhD in Humanitarian Action. My dissertation examined community-driven disaster management in extreme risk settings.

WHY WORK WITH ME

> Bridge technical and social dimensions of risk

> 20 years experience in disaster management

> Published track record including publications in top journals

> Experience working with tech companies, governments, and NGOs

> Proven ability to translate research into action