Regardt J. Ferreira interview with American Psychological Association

Regardt J. Ferreira, PhD, is an assistant professor at the School of Social Work at Tulane University, with more than 15 years' experience in disaster and trauma-related work.

Background

Tell us a bit about your background: What is your area of research? What is your most recent journal-editing experience?

I am a third-generation social worker, and second-generation PhD originally from South Africa.

I completed my undergraduate degree in social work with minors in psychology and criminology from the University of the Free State in South Africa. Upon completion of my Bachelor of Social Work, I completed an interdisciplinary master's degree in Disaster Management from the University of the Free State, South Africa.

In 2009 I was selected to complete a pre-doctoral scholarship at the United National University in Germany. In the summer of 2009, I moved to Louisville, Kentucky to start a PhD in social work from the University of Louisville and University of Kentucky.

My dissertation work focused on social vulnerability with an emphasis on Hurricane Katrina and how it impacted Louisiana over a 7-year period. The study used multilevel modeling techniques and determined the level of individual social vulnerability among 34,685 Louisiana residents.

In 2012, I accepted a position at the Tulane School of Social Work (TSSW) as an assistant professor. Since joining TSSW, I have become director of the Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy based within the TSSW.

My current research interest is focused on disaster resilience. More specifically, I am interested in the intersection of post-disaster intimate partner violence and resilience.

The most recent editorial experience has been serving on two editorial boards and reviewing manuscripts for eight peer reviewed journals.

Read the full interview on the American Psychological Association website.