Regardt “Reggie” Ferreira, PhD

Education

• PhD in Social Work from University of Louisville & University of Kentucky
• Pre-PhD Scholar at Institute for Environment and Human Security, United Nations University, Germany
• MS in Disaster Management from the University of the Free State, South Africa
• BSW from University of the Free State, South Africa

Biography

Regardt (Reggie) Ferreira, PhD, is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Tulane University’s Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy and Associate Professor of Social Work at the Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He received his undergraduate degree (BSW) in Social Work and master degree in Disaster Risk Management at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa, and his Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Louisville, in Louisville, Kentucky. He joined the Tulane University faculty in 2013 where he divides his time between administration, applied research, program development, community work, and teaching activities. Currently he serves as the editor for the American Psychological Association Traumatology journal, focused on resilience practices amongst traumatized individuals, families and communities.

His main research interest is at the intersection of disaster, climate change, resilience and mental health; with work conducted in Europe, Africa, North America, the Caribbean and South Asia. Over the past two decades, he has been involved with several projects focused on disaster risk reduction and fostering resilience with projects totaling over $25 million in federal and foundation funding. His interdisciplinary work includes over 100 published journal articles, chapters, and scientific abstracts on a variety of trauma, climate change and resilience topics. Dr. Ferreira’s work in the classroom has been recognized with several teaching awards for his innovative approaches to teaching. His program development work includes assisting with the development and launch of the Tulane Doctorate of Social Work and the online version of the Tulane MS-Disaster Resilience Leadership and MSW program. His work most recently has featured in popular media outlets such as CNN, Rolling Stone, HBO/VICE, Fox, Fox News, NBC, Reuters, Medscape, NPR, Futurity, ScienceDaily and USA Today. Reggie loves the outdoors and hails originally from Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Selected Funding

GOMRI, Consortium for Resilient Gulf Communities (2015-2019)

Level of funding: $8,500,000; Role: CO-PI & Lead Research Scientist: Education and Community Practice, Tulane University (PI-Melissa Finucane)

UNICEF Rwanda: Strengthening Rwandan Social Service Workforce (2015-2016)

Level of Funding: $386,000 Role: CO-PI, Tulane University (PI- Laura Haas)

Source & Title: National Council on Aging, Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (2010-2012) Level of funding: $800,000; Role: Program Manager (PI-Carla Crane)

Source & Title: Federal Emergency Management Agency, State Hazard Mitigation Plan (2009-2011) Level of funding: $666,000; Role: Research Assistant (PIs-Dave Simpson and Josh Human)

Selected Publications

Cannon, C. Ferreira, R. Buttell, F. & First. J. (2021). COVID-19, Intimate Partner Violence, and Communication Ecologies. American Behavioral Scientist. 1:22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764221992826.

Buttell, F., Cannon, C. E. B., Rose, K., & Ferreira, R. J. (2021). COVID-19 and intimate partner violence: Prevalence of resilience and perceived stress during a pandemic. Traumatology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/trm0000296.

Ferreira, R.J., Cannon, C., & Buttell, F.B. (2020). COVID-19: Immediate Predictors of individual resilience. Sustainability. 12:16, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166495. 

Buttell, F., & Ferreira, R. J. (2020). The hidden disaster of COVID-19: Intimate partner violence. Psychological trauma: theory, research, practice and policy, 12(S1), S197–S198. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000646.

Lightfoot, E. S., Lesen, A. E., & Ferreira, R. J. (2020). Gender and resilience in Gulf Coast communities: Risk and protective factors following a technological disaster. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 50, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101716.

Ferreira, R.J., Adolph, V., Hall, M., & Buttell F. (2019). Predictors of individual resilience: Gender differences among African Americans. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work. 16:4, 347-362. https://doi.org/10.1080/26408066.2019.1604282.

Ferreira, R.J., Buttell, F., & Cannon, C. (2018). Ethical Issues in Conducting Research with Children and Families Affected by Disasters. Current Psychiatry Reports. 20:42. DOI:10.1007/s11920-018-0902-2   

Ferreira, R.J., & Buttell, F. & Elmhurst, K. (2018). The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: resilience in the aftermath of post-disaster intimate partner violence. Journal of Family Social Work. 22-44. DOI: 10.1080/10522158.2017.1402531

Ferreira, R.J., & Figley, C.F. (2018). The Resilience in the Shadows of Catastrophe: Addressing the Existence and Implications of Vulnerability in Louisiana. In Creating Katrina, Rebuilding Resilience: A decade of lessons from New Orleans on Vulnerability and Resiliency pp. 193-213.

Moon, K. L. & Ferreira, R.J., (2016). An exploratory investigation: Post disaster predictors of intimate partner violence. Clinical Social Work Journal. 10.1007/s10615-015-0572-z 1-12.

Ferreira, R.J., Buttell F. & Ferreira, S. B. (2015). Ethical considerations for conducting disaster research with vulnerable populations. Journal of Social Work Ethics and Values. 3, 379-384.

Ferreira, R.J., & Buttell, F. (2014). Can a “Psychosocial Model” help explain violence perpetrated by female batterers?” Research on Social Work Practice. 26 (4), 362-371. DOI: 10.1177/1049731514543665.

For more publications, see Dr. Ferreira's CV or his page on ResearchGate.

Selected Media Coverage

Q&A: With Climate Change-Fueled Hurricanes and Wildfire on the Horizon, a Trauma Expert Offers Ways to Protect Your Mental Health. (2021). Inside Climate News.

DRLA Announces Disaster Equity as Theme of Summer Institute. (2021). Tulane Today.

How the Covid-19 Anniversary Might Mess With Your Head. (2021). Elemental.

What’s causing psych disorders in Covid-19 patients? (2020). WGNO New Orleans.

Domestic violence homicides have doubled in Jefferson Parish. Did coronavirus pandemic contribute?. (2020). NOLA.com.

Tulane researching connection between coronavirus and intimate partner violence. (2020). WDSU-TV (NBC)

COVID-19 taking a toll on everyday lives, research suggests. (2020). Science Daily. 

Seven ways the pandemic is affecting our mental health. (2020). The Greater Good.

Public health orders up intimate partner violence risks. (2020). Futurity.

Tulane researchers track spike in domestic violence due to COVID-19 pandemic. (2020). Gambit Weekly.

Tulane researchers studying rise in intimate partner violence amid COVID-19 pandemic. (2020). Tulane News Release.

Coronavirus: How to Support the Mental Health of Your Healthcare Workers. (2020). HealthLeaders.

Generation C has nowhere to turn. (2020). The Atlantic. 

Climate change: A growing threat to children’s health. (2020). Healio.

China’s coronavirus survivors may face mental hurdles once outbreak ends. (2020). Fox News.

Coping with the loss of animals after disaster. (2020). Animal Wellness Magazine.

How the Mental Health Community is Bracing for the Impact of Climate Change. (2019). Rolling Stone.

Disasters, Ever Increasing, Take Their Toll on Mental Health. How Can We Fight Back? (2019). MedScape.

“Day Zero” looms over Cape Town. (2018). CNN/CNN International

Tulane professors propose code of ethics from studies on Hurricane Katrina victims. NOLA.COM The Times-Picayune (2015).

Community Involvement / Board Positions

• Editor, Psychology Today, Resilience in the Shadow of Catastrophe
• Editor, Traumatology Journal (American Psychological Association)
• New Orleans, Citizen Diplomat, Louisiana 
• American Red Cross, Board of Directors, Louisiana
• American Red Cross, Mission Committee Chair
• Society for Social Work Research, Member and Abstract Reviewer
• Convenor and Founder, Disaster Research Special Interest Group, Society for Social Work Research
• Council for Social Work Education, Member, Co-Chair on Disaster and Traumatic Stress, and Member of Task Force on Trauma Research