John Y. Choe, Deputy Director of the Center for Disaster Resilient Communities and Associate Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at University of Washington, was selected for the NCAR Faculty Innovator Program 2026–2028 cohort. His project, ACE‑FIRES: AI‑ and Co‑production–Enabled Fire Intelligence for Resource‑Efficient Suppression, reflects the program’s goal of supporting transformative, interdisciplinary research that advances environmental resilience. This year’s competition drew 167 initial applications, representing a remarkable breadth of expertise and ambition. From this pool, only 17 faculty members…
Center updates
Brenda Mason brings a passion for preparedness to Idaho’s South Central Public Health District
Brenda Mason joined Idaho’s South Central Public Health District in 2019, shortly before COVID hit. “It was crazy,” said Mason. “We had about six months for me to really settle in and understand my role before everything shifted,” said Mason. “It changed quickly, and I had to adapt just as fast, but it gave me a new perspective on the work and the importance of staying flexible.” Long-term care in the region was hit hard. At first patients with COVID…
Nick Solari helps lead Seattle’s planning for the FIFA World Cup
The FIFA (International Association of Federation Football) World Cup soccer games are considered the biggest sporting event on the planet. FIFA projects that five million people will watch the 2026 games live while a total of six billion tune in globally. As one of 16 North American cities to host the games, Seattle is expected to receive 750,000 visitors for the event, almost doubling Seattle’s 2022 estimated population size of 762,500. From a public health emergency preparedness perspective, that’s a…
Spring course to focus on disaster risk reduction, resilience and population health
The Center for Disaster Resilient Communities is offering ENVH 408, “Disaster Risk Reduction, Resilience and Population Health,” during spring quarter 2026. This one-credit course will be graded credit/no credit and will meet on Wednesdays from 12:30 – 1:20 p.m. in Health Sciences Education Building Room 145 on the University of Washington Seattle campus. This seminar series will examine current research, policy and practice issues related to disaster risk reduction and resilience. Through a series of guest lectures by leading experts,…
NWPHEPR works in partnership to foster disaster resilient communities
The University of Washington’s Northwest Center for Evidence‑Based Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (NWPHEPR) is working with communities across FEMA Region 10—Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and 272 Tribal nations—to strengthen disaster resilience across the Pacific Northwest. Led by UW School of Public Health faculty and funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Center brings together Tribal partners, state and local health departments, health care coalitions and researchers to bridge the gap between practice and research and…
Outstanding PhD student studies how to keep low-income renters safe during and after disasters
Amber Khan, the University of Washington 2025 Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences’ Outstanding PhD Student, focuses her studies on protecting low-income renters during and after disasters. Her research specifically addresses the intersection of the housing and climate crises, particularly how public housing residents are often overlooked in emergency planning. Khan partnered with the National Low Income Housing Coalition to assess state emergency plans and found they largely neglect the needs of low-income renters. Her dissertation offers a roadmap…
Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security creates checklist to help build trust, improve public health communication
“At the end of the day, public health requires trust to get anything done,” said Tara Kirk Sell (pictured), associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “If you want people to take protective actions, to do the permitting, have the health inspection of the restaurant, follow guidance for septic systems or other environmental hazards, you need people…
Understanding extreme heat preparedness and response across the United States
Extreme heat events (EHEs) are the deadliest weather hazards in the U.S., and local health jurisdictions (LHJs) play a critical role in responding to them. A new study from the University of Washington used focus groups with LHJ representatives to identify key factors influencing EHE preparedness and response. The research team identified four major influences: local conditions, community engagement and tailored strategies, partnerships and available resources. Participants emphasized the need for scalable resources, improved data access and stronger collaboration across…
Study abroad this summer: Learn about “Roots of Resilience” in Italy
Join us for an information session at 3 p.m. Pacific on Thursday, January 8, 2026, about the University of Washington’s “Roots of Resilience: Disasters, Community, and Sustainability in Southern Italy” (ENVH 490, 9 credits), a month-long, interdisciplinary study abroad program set in Rome and Sicily. Sicily’s dynamic blend of environmental challenges and rich cultural traditions makes it an exceptional setting for exploring disaster resilience, while immersive learning prepares students for future leadership in global environmental public health and community sustainability….
Eva Edwards understands the infrastructure of rural Alaska
Eva Edwards brings more than four decades of professional experience to her position as Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, including more than 15 years in emergency management. Everything she has done is grounded in a lifetime of service to Alaska Native organizations and communities. Before entering the emergency management field, she spent many years working in a wide range of roles supporting Alaska Native people across the state after having grown up in Alaska herself….