Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy Faculty & Fellows

Corey Eide serves as the director of capability development for Team Rubicon. In this role, Corey oversees the design and development of new services to offer individuals and communities affected by disasters both domestic and international. Prior to joining Team Rubicon, Corey spent over a decade with the American Red Cross in a variety of roles. Most recently he focused on modernizing its disaster recovery program including the redesign of its cash transfer programming. Prior to this, Corey led catastrophic earthquake planning efforts, partnership development and training development. At Tulane University, Corey has developed and taught a number of courses at the Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy and the Payson Graduate Program in Global Development. Most recently, this includes the development and facilitation of Leadership in Disaster: Theory and Practice, which explores one hundred years of leadership theory and the application (or lack there-of) of these theories by leaders in the disaster space. International experience includes volunteer work in Haiti, a research deployment to Chile following the earthquake in 2010 and coursework completed in Thailand, Panama, and India. Corey has a Masters of Science in International Development from Tulane.

Corey Eide serves as the director of capability development for Team Rubicon. In this role, Corey oversees the design and development of new services to offer individuals and communities affected by disasters both domestic and international. Prior to joining Team Rubicon, Corey spent over a decade with the American Red Cross in a variety of roles. Most recently he focused on modernizing its disaster recovery program including the redesign of its cash transfer programming. Prior to this, Corey led catastrophic earthquake planning efforts, partnership development and training development. At Tulane University, Corey has developed and taught a number of courses at the Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy and the Payson Graduate Program in Global Development. Most recently, this includes the development and facilitation of Leadership in Disaster: Theory and Practice, which explores one hundred years of leadership theory and the application (or lack there-of) of these theories by leaders in the disaster space. International experience includes volunteer work in Haiti, a research deployment to Chile following the earthquake in 2010 and coursework completed in Thailand, Panama, and India. Corey has a Masters of Science in International Development from Tulane.

George Haddow is a founding partner of Bullock and Haddow LLC, a disaster management consulting firm. Mr. Haddow was appointed to serve by President Bill Clinton for eight years in the Office of the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as the White House Liaison and the Deputy Chief of Staff. Mr. Haddow currently serves on the Adjunct Faculty at Tulane University's Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy (DRLA) and at Tulane's Homeland Security Studies program. He is a co-author of several university textbooks including: Introduction to Emergency Management (5th Edition), Introduction to Homeland Security (5th Edition), Disaster Communications in a Changing Media World (2nd Edition) and Living with Climate Change: How Communities are Thriving and Surviving in a Changing Climate.

George Haddow is a founding partner of Bullock and Haddow LLC, a disaster management consulting firm. Mr. Haddow was appointed to serve by President Bill Clinton for eight years in the Office of the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as the White House Liaison and the Deputy Chief of Staff. Mr. Haddow currently serves on the Adjunct Faculty at Tulane University's Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy (DRLA) and at Tulane's Homeland Security Studies program. He is a co-author of several university textbooks including: Introduction to Emergency Management (5th Edition), Introduction to Homeland Security (5th Edition), Disaster Communications in a Changing Media World (2nd Edition) and Living with Climate Change: How Communities are Thriving and Surviving in a Changing Climate.

Jeannette Gaudry Haynie, PhD, is a career Marine Corps officer and combat veteran. A New Orleans native and a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, she spent over a decade flying attack helicopters before diverting into academia. She earned her Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of New Orleans and her doctorate in International Relations from The George Washington University while serving on the Joint Staff and, eventually, in the Marine Corps Commandant’s think tank.

Having spent the first half of her Marine Corps career immersed in an operational environment, Haynie turned her attention to the study of the military and of conflict in many forms, observing how gender shapes different forms of violence. Her dissertation focused on the gender dimensions of terrorism, and she has taught courses on Gender and Conflict and International Relations. In the Marine Corps, she has used her academic work to shape policy development, advocating for deeper consideration of future threats, gender integration, and a broader perspective of what leadership means. In her final Marine Corps role, she helped create doctrine on critical thinking and learning in the warfighting context while assessing how policy and culture affect different groups, limiting diversity, readiness, and warfighting effectiveness.

Haynie has served within the leadership of the nonprofit Women In International Security, where she conducted research, wrote policy briefs, and planned and moderated a range of events featuring experts on climate change, refugee crises, trafficking, and extremism. With her husband, a Marine infantry officer, she is the creator and co-leader of the Outdoor Leadership Lab, a leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving program for youth based upon Marine Corps training and leadership principles. Haynie is a member of the Presidential Leadership Scholars’ Class of 2019, a leadership program led by four Presidential Libraries and their principals. She is a founding member of nonprofit Sisterhood of Mother B, an organization created to connect and support female graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy while challenging existing ideas about leadership and strength. She co-hosts a podcast on leadership, gender, and military service, runs marathons, and she and her husband have three children.

Jeannette Gaudry Haynie, PhD, is a career Marine Corps officer and combat veteran. A New Orleans native and a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, she spent over a decade flying attack helicopters before diverting into academia. She earned her Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of New Orleans and her doctorate in International Relations from The George Washington University while serving on the Joint Staff and, eventually, in the Marine Corps Commandant’s think tank.

Having spent the first half of her Marine Corps career immersed in an operational environment, Haynie turned her attention to the study of the military and of conflict in many forms, observing how gender shapes different forms of violence. Her dissertation focused on the gender dimensions of terrorism, and she has taught courses on Gender and Conflict and International Relations. In the Marine Corps, she has used her academic work to shape policy development, advocating for deeper consideration of future threats, gender integration, and a broader perspective of what leadership means. In her final Marine Corps role, she helped create doctrine on critical thinking and learning in the warfighting context while assessing how policy and culture affect different groups, limiting diversity, readiness, and warfighting effectiveness.

Haynie has served within the leadership of the nonprofit Women In International Security, where she conducted research, wrote policy briefs, and planned and moderated a range of events featuring experts on climate change, refugee crises, trafficking, and extremism. With her husband, a Marine infantry officer, she is the creator and co-leader of the Outdoor Leadership Lab, a leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving program for youth based upon Marine Corps training and leadership principles. Haynie is a member of the Presidential Leadership Scholars’ Class of 2019, a leadership program led by four Presidential Libraries and their principals. She is a founding member of nonprofit Sisterhood of Mother B, an organization created to connect and support female graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy while challenging existing ideas about leadership and strength. She co-hosts a podcast on leadership, gender, and military service, runs marathons, and she and her husband have three children.

Josh Human has over 19 years of experience within the disaster management and resilience fields. Since 2015, he has been helping Stantec Consulting, a company of over 22K employees, define their Resilience Business Sector and leading the hazard mitigation and resilience sector within the southeast region. Prior to arriving at Stantec, he spent 12 years helping develop the Center for Hazards Research and Policy Development at the University of Louisville into one of the University’s top research units.

His professional expertise primarily lies within mitigation and resilience planning, disaster management, grant identification/attainment, policy/regulation intelligence, system development, risk/vulnerability analysis, and program management. Josh enjoys speaking and educating others on the importance of creating resilience within their environments. He has presented across the world on the topic of hazard mitigation, disaster management, system development, sustainability and resilience. He also understands the importance of publicizing his work and has been published several times within the hazard research field. In addition, he is a member of multiple boards and advisory committees, which help promote the mission of the groups he works with and make the communities more resilient.

 

His academic career took him to the University of Kentucky to study Geography and the University of Tennessee to study Urban Planning    

Josh Human has over 19 years of experience within the disaster management and resilience fields. Since 2015, he has been helping Stantec Consulting, a company of over 22K employees, define their Resilience Business Sector and leading the hazard mitigation and resilience sector within the southeast region. Prior to arriving at Stantec, he spent 12 years helping develop the Center for Hazards Research and Policy Development at the University of Louisville into one of the University’s top research units.

His professional expertise primarily lies within mitigation and resilience planning, disaster management, grant identification/attainment, policy/regulation intelligence, system development, risk/vulnerability analysis, and program management. Josh enjoys speaking and educating others on the importance of creating resilience within their environments. He has presented across the world on the topic of hazard mitigation, disaster management, system development, sustainability and resilience. He also understands the importance of publicizing his work and has been published several times within the hazard research field. In addition, he is a member of multiple boards and advisory committees, which help promote the mission of the groups he works with and make the communities more resilient.

 

His academic career took him to the University of Kentucky to study Geography and the University of Tennessee to study Urban Planning    

Alessandra Jerolleman is an Assistant Professor in Jacksonville State University’s Emergency Management Department.  She is a community resilience specialist and applied researcher at the Lowlander Center, as well as a co-founder of Hazard Resilience, a United States based consultancy providing leadership and expertise in disaster recovery, risk reduction, and hazard policy.   She recently published a book titled: Disaster Recovery through the Lens of Justice.  Dr. Jerolleman is one of the founders of the Natural Hazard Mitigation Association (NHMA) and served as its Executive Director for its first seven years. Dr. Jerolleman is a subject matter expert in climate adaptation, hazard mitigation, disaster recovery, and resilience with a long history of working in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She is involved in various aspects of planning and policy and the national and local level, including participation in several workshops each year.  Her experience includes the following: conducting independent research on disaster risk reduction and hazard mitigation for various organizations such as the National Wildlife Foundation; working as the lead grant writer and emergency planner for the First Peoples’ Conservation Council, through her role with the Lowlander Center on coastal community resettlement; community based resilience planning across the United States; working with Save the Children USA along the Gulf Coast following hurricanes and tornadoes, on a resilience initiative around children’s needs in emergencies; hazard mitigation planning at the local, state and campus level; community education and outreach regarding mitigation measures and preparedness; development of collaborative networks and information sharing avenues among practitioners; and, delivery of training and education to various stakeholders. Dr. Jerolleman speaks on many topics including: Just Recovery; hazard mitigation and climate change; campus planning; threat, hazard and vulnerability assessments; hazard mitigation planning; protecting children in disasters; and, public/private partnerships.

Alessandra Jerolleman is an Assistant Professor in Jacksonville State University’s Emergency Management Department.  She is a community resilience specialist and applied researcher at the Lowlander Center, as well as a co-founder of Hazard Resilience, a United States based consultancy providing leadership and expertise in disaster recovery, risk reduction, and hazard policy.   She recently published a book titled: Disaster Recovery through the Lens of Justice.  Dr. Jerolleman is one of the founders of the Natural Hazard Mitigation Association (NHMA) and served as its Executive Director for its first seven years. Dr. Jerolleman is a subject matter expert in climate adaptation, hazard mitigation, disaster recovery, and resilience with a long history of working in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She is involved in various aspects of planning and policy and the national and local level, including participation in several workshops each year.  Her experience includes the following: conducting independent research on disaster risk reduction and hazard mitigation for various organizations such as the National Wildlife Foundation; working as the lead grant writer and emergency planner for the First Peoples’ Conservation Council, through her role with the Lowlander Center on coastal community resettlement; community based resilience planning across the United States; working with Save the Children USA along the Gulf Coast following hurricanes and tornadoes, on a resilience initiative around children’s needs in emergencies; hazard mitigation planning at the local, state and campus level; community education and outreach regarding mitigation measures and preparedness; development of collaborative networks and information sharing avenues among practitioners; and, delivery of training and education to various stakeholders. Dr. Jerolleman speaks on many topics including: Just Recovery; hazard mitigation and climate change; campus planning; threat, hazard and vulnerability assessments; hazard mitigation planning; protecting children in disasters; and, public/private partnerships.

Adam McAllister has engaged directly with senior political leaders and development agencies around the world to improve public safety, private sector partnerships and climate change resilience. For over 15 years, he has led international disaster preparedness and response programs, supported remote community evacuations, coordinated viral disease containment operations and established business continuity programs for organizations with over $1 billion of assets under management. Adam holds a Master’s degree in Disaster and Emergency Management and was the recipient of one of Canada’s highest public service awards for his role in government contingency planning. He has guest lectured on disaster management at York University, Ryerson University and Trent University and has appeared on live national television and radio. He was awarded the Commander’s Medallion from the Canadian Armed Forces for his leadership in disaster exercise planning. Adam is the former lead of the World Bank’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Global Advisory Team and is currently the CEO of McAllister & Craig Disaster Management Inc. where he advocates and advises on systemic approaches to build disaster resilience. He speaks English, moderate French, and enough Dzonghka to politely order black tea. 

Adam McAllister has engaged directly with senior political leaders and development agencies around the world to improve public safety, private sector partnerships and climate change resilience. For over 15 years, he has led international disaster preparedness and response programs, supported remote community evacuations, coordinated viral disease containment operations and established business continuity programs for organizations with over $1 billion of assets under management. Adam holds a Master’s degree in Disaster and Emergency Management and was the recipient of one of Canada’s highest public service awards for his role in government contingency planning. He has guest lectured on disaster management at York University, Ryerson University and Trent University and has appeared on live national television and radio. He was awarded the Commander’s Medallion from the Canadian Armed Forces for his leadership in disaster exercise planning. Adam is the former lead of the World Bank’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Global Advisory Team and is currently the CEO of McAllister & Craig Disaster Management Inc. where he advocates and advises on systemic approaches to build disaster resilience. He speaks English, moderate French, and enough Dzonghka to politely order black tea. 

Apollo M. Nkwake is a International Technical Advisor on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). He previously served as associate research professor for M&E at The George Washington University and at Tulane University, at the Institutes for Disaster and Fragility Resilience. He has worked for international agencies across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. He holds a PhD from the University of Cape Town and is a designated Credentialed Evaluator. Dr. Nkwake is a recipient of American Evaluation Association’s 2017 Marcia Guttentag Promising New Evaluator Award. He has authored four books, several journal papers/book chapters and has guest edited several special journal volumes. He is the author of: Credibility, Validity, and Assumptions in Program Evaluation Methodology (2015, Springer), and Working with Assumptions in International Development Program Evaluation (2013, Springer, 2 editions). He guest edited the special issue on Working with assumptions. Existing and emerging approaches for improved program design, monitoring and evaluation, for the Program Planning and Evaluation Journal, Volume 59 (December 2016).

His notable publications include:

• Nkwake, A. 2015. Credibility and Assumptions in Program Evaluation Methodology. New York, Springer Publishing (Book).
• Nkwake, A and Morrow, M (2016) (eds) Working with assumptions. Existing and emerging approaches for improved program design, monitoring and evaluation, Special issue in the Evaluation and program planning journal.
• Nkwake, A, Kamau-Rutenberg W and Mentz M (2017): Catalyzing and measuring women’s leadership and empowerment in African agricultural research and development (eds), Special issue for the Journal of Gender, Agriculture and Food Security.
• Luu, K, Nkwake, A. Morris, M. and Peschi, L. 2015. A Networked Approach to Strengthening Emergency Response Capacity: Disaster Resilience Group/Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy.
• Luu, K, Nkwake, A. Morris, M. and Peschi, L. 2014. Lessons from an Evaluation of the Emergency Capacity Building (ECB) Project.
• Nkwake, A. Magistro, J and Horjus, P. 2014. Adapting to the Sahel's Changing Climate: Local Approaches. An Economic and Technical Feasibility Analysis of Adaptation Techniques in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. Catholic Relief Services/DFID.
• Nkwake, A. Magistro, J and Horjus, P. 2014. Building Livelihoods on the Frontline of Climate Change: Identifying Market Opportunities and Agricultural Value Chains in the Sahel Regions of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. Catholic Relief Services/DFID.
• Nkwake, A. 2012. Working with assumptions in international development program evaluation (with a forward by Michael Bamberger). New York, Springer Publishing (Book).
   

Apollo M. Nkwake is a International Technical Advisor on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). He previously served as associate research professor for M&E at The George Washington University and at Tulane University, at the Institutes for Disaster and Fragility Resilience. He has worked for international agencies across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. He holds a PhD from the University of Cape Town and is a designated Credentialed Evaluator. Dr. Nkwake is a recipient of American Evaluation Association’s 2017 Marcia Guttentag Promising New Evaluator Award. He has authored four books, several journal papers/book chapters and has guest edited several special journal volumes. He is the author of: Credibility, Validity, and Assumptions in Program Evaluation Methodology (2015, Springer), and Working with Assumptions in International Development Program Evaluation (2013, Springer, 2 editions). He guest edited the special issue on Working with assumptions. Existing and emerging approaches for improved program design, monitoring and evaluation, for the Program Planning and Evaluation Journal, Volume 59 (December 2016).

His notable publications include:

• Nkwake, A. 2015. Credibility and Assumptions in Program Evaluation Methodology. New York, Springer Publishing (Book).
• Nkwake, A and Morrow, M (2016) (eds) Working with assumptions. Existing and emerging approaches for improved program design, monitoring and evaluation, Special issue in the Evaluation and program planning journal.
• Nkwake, A, Kamau-Rutenberg W and Mentz M (2017): Catalyzing and measuring women’s leadership and empowerment in African agricultural research and development (eds), Special issue for the Journal of Gender, Agriculture and Food Security.
• Luu, K, Nkwake, A. Morris, M. and Peschi, L. 2015. A Networked Approach to Strengthening Emergency Response Capacity: Disaster Resilience Group/Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy.
• Luu, K, Nkwake, A. Morris, M. and Peschi, L. 2014. Lessons from an Evaluation of the Emergency Capacity Building (ECB) Project.
• Nkwake, A. Magistro, J and Horjus, P. 2014. Adapting to the Sahel's Changing Climate: Local Approaches. An Economic and Technical Feasibility Analysis of Adaptation Techniques in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. Catholic Relief Services/DFID.
• Nkwake, A. Magistro, J and Horjus, P. 2014. Building Livelihoods on the Frontline of Climate Change: Identifying Market Opportunities and Agricultural Value Chains in the Sahel Regions of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. Catholic Relief Services/DFID.
• Nkwake, A. 2012. Working with assumptions in international development program evaluation (with a forward by Michael Bamberger). New York, Springer Publishing (Book).
   

Megha Patel, PhD works as a consultant on international and domestic research and evaluation projects in areas that include: child welfare and protection; family strengthening; gender equality; and disaster resilience. She first joined Tulane University in 2010, where she led Tulane’s social workforce strengthening programs in Rwanda in the areas of health and child protection. In 2014, she moved to New Orleans to join Tulane’s City, Culture, and Community, interdisciplinary doctoral program. She now serves as an adjunct professor with Tulane’s Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. As a social work practitioner, educator, and researcher, Dr. Patel has dedicated her career to ensuring children are able to meet their developmental potential and that they are not limited by the inequalities that often exist within communities. Dr. Patel received her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the Pennsylvania State University, and MSW from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Megha Patel, PhD works as a consultant on international and domestic research and evaluation projects in areas that include: child welfare and protection; family strengthening; gender equality; and disaster resilience. She first joined Tulane University in 2010, where she led Tulane’s social workforce strengthening programs in Rwanda in the areas of health and child protection. In 2014, she moved to New Orleans to join Tulane’s City, Culture, and Community, interdisciplinary doctoral program. She now serves as an adjunct professor with Tulane’s Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. As a social work practitioner, educator, and researcher, Dr. Patel has dedicated her career to ensuring children are able to meet their developmental potential and that they are not limited by the inequalities that often exist within communities. Dr. Patel received her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the Pennsylvania State University, and MSW from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Mark Rogers serves as an Associate Designer of capability research, design, and development for Team Rubicon. In this role, Mark facilitates decision-making amongst internal and external stakeholders to develop meaningful and impactful services for individuals and communities affected by disasters. Before joining Team Rubicon, Mark graduated from the Tulane School of Social Work & Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. While at TSSW and DRLA, Mark served as a case manager for the Disaster Assistance Response Team at the American Red Cross Southeast Louisiana Regional Chapter, providing psychosocial assessments, advocacy, and referrals to services for victim-survivors of violent crime in New Orleans. While at TSSW, Mark also functioned as the liaison to the Graduate and Professional School Association (GAPSA) as the representative for TSSW, conducted research on disaster resilience assessments and their application as well as on torture trauma treatments and treatment approaches, and was awarded the Thomas H. Simmons Memorial Scholarship for exhibiting leadership. Before attending Tulane, Mark was a middle school Physical Education Teacher in Dallas, TX, and a Campaign Volunteer Director, who oversaw all phone banking and canvassing operations for multiple Kansas state and local political campaigns in 2010 and 2012. Mark received his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in African & African American Studies.

Mark Rogers serves as an Associate Designer of capability research, design, and development for Team Rubicon. In this role, Mark facilitates decision-making amongst internal and external stakeholders to develop meaningful and impactful services for individuals and communities affected by disasters. Before joining Team Rubicon, Mark graduated from the Tulane School of Social Work & Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. While at TSSW and DRLA, Mark served as a case manager for the Disaster Assistance Response Team at the American Red Cross Southeast Louisiana Regional Chapter, providing psychosocial assessments, advocacy, and referrals to services for victim-survivors of violent crime in New Orleans. While at TSSW, Mark also functioned as the liaison to the Graduate and Professional School Association (GAPSA) as the representative for TSSW, conducted research on disaster resilience assessments and their application as well as on torture trauma treatments and treatment approaches, and was awarded the Thomas H. Simmons Memorial Scholarship for exhibiting leadership. Before attending Tulane, Mark was a middle school Physical Education Teacher in Dallas, TX, and a Campaign Volunteer Director, who oversaw all phone banking and canvassing operations for multiple Kansas state and local political campaigns in 2010 and 2012. Mark received his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in African & African American Studies.

Monica Sanders is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware. She teaches Law, Policy and Society and a class on Long-Term Disaster Recovery. Her research interests include technology and vulnerable groups and legal constructs for just recovery. Previously, she created and taught a course on disaster law and policy at the Washington and Lee University School of Law. She also has faculty affiliations with the Georgetown University Law Center and Emergency and Disaster Management Program.

Professor Sanders also served Senior Legal Advisor for International Response and Programs at the American Red Cross, focusing on international disaster response and humanitarian assistance principles. Previously, she was a Senior Committee Counsel for both the House of Representatives and Senate Committees on Homeland Security. 

She sits on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Topics in Applied Research Committee and serves on a number of advisory boards, including the Institute for Building Technology and Safety. Professor Sanders is also a frequent collaborator with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on issues of equity and vulnerability with respect to disasters and climate change. Professor Sanders received her degrees from the University of Miami (B.S.), the Catholic University of America (JD), Harvard Law School Project on Negotiation (Cert.) and University College London (LL.M).
 

Monica Sanders is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware. She teaches Law, Policy and Society and a class on Long-Term Disaster Recovery. Her research interests include technology and vulnerable groups and legal constructs for just recovery. Previously, she created and taught a course on disaster law and policy at the Washington and Lee University School of Law. She also has faculty affiliations with the Georgetown University Law Center and Emergency and Disaster Management Program.

Professor Sanders also served Senior Legal Advisor for International Response and Programs at the American Red Cross, focusing on international disaster response and humanitarian assistance principles. Previously, she was a Senior Committee Counsel for both the House of Representatives and Senate Committees on Homeland Security. 

She sits on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Topics in Applied Research Committee and serves on a number of advisory boards, including the Institute for Building Technology and Safety. Professor Sanders is also a frequent collaborator with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on issues of equity and vulnerability with respect to disasters and climate change. Professor Sanders received her degrees from the University of Miami (B.S.), the Catholic University of America (JD), Harvard Law School Project on Negotiation (Cert.) and University College London (LL.M).
 

Joel, CEO of SPIN Global, is a mission-driven consultant and serial entrepreneur focused on emergency management, disaster risk management, and homeland security. He has supported design and implementation of regional, national and multinational emergency management, humanitarian and faith-based initiatives in 40+ countries and in 46 states. He served as an urban campus first responder in Washington D.C., and has participated in numerous domestic and international response and recovery operations (i.e. Hurricane Maria, Thailand/Indonesia Tsunami, Deepwater Horizon, 2010 Haiti Earthquake, et al). 

Furthermore, he has invented disruptive technologies in use around the world, including Planet Ready and ResponderCQ. He is passionate about private-public partnerships, the intersection of economic development and emergency management, and disaster resilience assessments. He is married, has four children, and is an active volunteer in his local church. 
 

Joel, CEO of SPIN Global, is a mission-driven consultant and serial entrepreneur focused on emergency management, disaster risk management, and homeland security. He has supported design and implementation of regional, national and multinational emergency management, humanitarian and faith-based initiatives in 40+ countries and in 46 states. He served as an urban campus first responder in Washington D.C., and has participated in numerous domestic and international response and recovery operations (i.e. Hurricane Maria, Thailand/Indonesia Tsunami, Deepwater Horizon, 2010 Haiti Earthquake, et al). 

Furthermore, he has invented disruptive technologies in use around the world, including Planet Ready and ResponderCQ. He is passionate about private-public partnerships, the intersection of economic development and emergency management, and disaster resilience assessments. He is married, has four children, and is an active volunteer in his local church. 
 

Robert R.M. Verchick holds the Gauthier-St. Martin Endowed Chair in Environmental Law at Loyola University New Orleans. He is also a Senior Fellow in Disaster Resilience at Tulane University and President of the Center for Progressive Reform, a national policy institute focused on public health and environmental protection. He is one of the nation’s leading scholars in disaster law and the law of climate change adaptation. He has taught as a visiting professor at Yale University, Peking University, and Aarhus University in Denmark.

In 2009 and 2010, Professor Verchick served in the Obama administration as Deputy Associate Administrator for Policy at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In that role, he helped develop climate adaptation policy for the EPA and served on President Obama's Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force. In the fall of 2012, he researched climate adaptation policies in India as a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi, supported by a Fulbright Award.

Professor Verchick’s writing focuses on climate change adaptation, catastrophic hazards, and environmental regulation. He is an author of three books, including the awardwinning, Facing Catastrophe: Environmental Action for a Post-Katrina World (Harvard University Press 2010) and Disaster Law and Policy (Aspen Press, 3rd ed. 2015) (with Daniel A. Farber, James Ming Chen, & Lisa Grow Sun). His work has appeared in many venues, including the California Law Review, the Southern California Law Review, and the environmental law reviews at Harvard, Stanford, and Berkeley. An enthusiastic speaker, Professor Verchick has presented his research at many schools, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, Oxford, the Panthéon-Sorbonne, Peking University, and the National University of Singapore. Professor Verchick holds an A.B. degree with distinction and honors from Stanford University and a J.D. degree cum laude from Harvard University.

Media Mentions and Interviews, August 2018 - August 2019 

• Host, CPR’S CONNECT THE DOTS WITH ROB VERCHICK (podcast produced by the Center for Progressive Reform), May 2018-present,  available on Apple Podcasts and at http://www.progressivereform.org/dotsconnected.cfm. 
• Featured in Richard Paul, LISTENING TO THE ARCTIC (PRX June, 2019) (audio documentary)
• Quoted in Dana Drugman, Louisiana Lawsuit Wins Jurisdictional Tug-of-War vs. Oil Industry, Sent to State Court, CLIMATE LIABILITY NEWS (June 3, 2019)
• Interviewed in Tegan Wendland, Coastal News Roundup: Nine-Year Anniversary of The BP Spill, WWNO NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC RADIO (April 19, 2019)
• Quoted in Carrie Bradon, “Coastal Destruction Is the Real Job Killer,” Loyola University Law Professor Says, LOUISIANA RECORD (May 13, 2019)
• Interviewed in Tegan Wendland, Coastal News Roundup: Nine-Year Anniversary of The BP Spill, WWNO NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC RADIO (April 19, 2019)
• Quoted in Greta Moran, Should a Future President Declare Climate Change a National Emergency?, GRIST (Jan. 22, 2019)
• Quoted in Benjamin Hulac, Litigation lags science decades after first climate suit, ClimateWire (Jan. 7, 2019)
• Dave Reynolds, CPR Seeks OSHA Standards to Protect Workers During Disaster Cleanups, INSIDE OSHA (Oct. 5, 2018)
• Nicholas Kusnetz, Pipeline Protest Arrests Raise Questions about Controversial Louisiana Law, INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS (Aug. 24, 2018)

Robert R.M. Verchick holds the Gauthier-St. Martin Endowed Chair in Environmental Law at Loyola University New Orleans. He is also a Senior Fellow in Disaster Resilience at Tulane University and President of the Center for Progressive Reform, a national policy institute focused on public health and environmental protection. He is one of the nation’s leading scholars in disaster law and the law of climate change adaptation. He has taught as a visiting professor at Yale University, Peking University, and Aarhus University in Denmark.

In 2009 and 2010, Professor Verchick served in the Obama administration as Deputy Associate Administrator for Policy at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In that role, he helped develop climate adaptation policy for the EPA and served on President Obama's Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force. In the fall of 2012, he researched climate adaptation policies in India as a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi, supported by a Fulbright Award.

Professor Verchick’s writing focuses on climate change adaptation, catastrophic hazards, and environmental regulation. He is an author of three books, including the awardwinning, Facing Catastrophe: Environmental Action for a Post-Katrina World (Harvard University Press 2010) and Disaster Law and Policy (Aspen Press, 3rd ed. 2015) (with Daniel A. Farber, James Ming Chen, & Lisa Grow Sun). His work has appeared in many venues, including the California Law Review, the Southern California Law Review, and the environmental law reviews at Harvard, Stanford, and Berkeley. An enthusiastic speaker, Professor Verchick has presented his research at many schools, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, Oxford, the Panthéon-Sorbonne, Peking University, and the National University of Singapore. Professor Verchick holds an A.B. degree with distinction and honors from Stanford University and a J.D. degree cum laude from Harvard University.

Media Mentions and Interviews, August 2018 - August 2019 

• Host, CPR’S CONNECT THE DOTS WITH ROB VERCHICK (podcast produced by the Center for Progressive Reform), May 2018-present,  available on Apple Podcasts and at http://www.progressivereform.org/dotsconnected.cfm. 
• Featured in Richard Paul, LISTENING TO THE ARCTIC (PRX June, 2019) (audio documentary)
• Quoted in Dana Drugman, Louisiana Lawsuit Wins Jurisdictional Tug-of-War vs. Oil Industry, Sent to State Court, CLIMATE LIABILITY NEWS (June 3, 2019)
• Interviewed in Tegan Wendland, Coastal News Roundup: Nine-Year Anniversary of The BP Spill, WWNO NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC RADIO (April 19, 2019)
• Quoted in Carrie Bradon, “Coastal Destruction Is the Real Job Killer,” Loyola University Law Professor Says, LOUISIANA RECORD (May 13, 2019)
• Interviewed in Tegan Wendland, Coastal News Roundup: Nine-Year Anniversary of The BP Spill, WWNO NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC RADIO (April 19, 2019)
• Quoted in Greta Moran, Should a Future President Declare Climate Change a National Emergency?, GRIST (Jan. 22, 2019)
• Quoted in Benjamin Hulac, Litigation lags science decades after first climate suit, ClimateWire (Jan. 7, 2019)
• Dave Reynolds, CPR Seeks OSHA Standards to Protect Workers During Disaster Cleanups, INSIDE OSHA (Oct. 5, 2018)
• Nicholas Kusnetz, Pipeline Protest Arrests Raise Questions about Controversial Louisiana Law, INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS (Aug. 24, 2018)