Title: “Center People in Storm Shelter and Safe Room Design”

Speakers:

• Carson MacPherson-Krutsky, IBS Research Associate: Carson is a research associate at the Natural Hazards Center and at Boise State University (part-time). She is also the co-founder of the Boise State Hazard and Climate Resilience Institute that aims to connect researchers and community partners to collaboratively address community resilience research and practical needs. In addition, MacPherson-Krutsky co-owns HazardReady, LLC, a company that provides personalized user-friendly risk and preparedness websites. She holds a bachelor’s from Western Washington University, a master’s from University of Montana, and a PhD from Boise State University.

• Mary Angelica Painter, IBS Research Associate: Mary is a research associate at the Natural Hazards Center. As a political scientist, Painter seeks to understand the development and adoption of new ways to engage with socially vulnerable communities in the context of natural hazards, while also incorporating the effects of the role of government, policy, and politics in disaster mitigation and response. Painter has particular interest in understanding individual, household, and community risk to natural hazards because of social, economic, and political systems, widely referred to as social vulnerability. Her work at the Natural Hazards Center is driven by a philosophy of collaboration, where the community, decision-makers, researchers, and everyday people are involved in identifying problems and finding solutions together for those who are in most need.

• Jessica Austin, IBS Research Associate: Jessica is a research associate at the Natural Hazards Center. She recently received her PhD from the Department of Sociology at the University of Colorado Boulder. Before returning to full-time study, Jessica held multiple policy and administration roles in state, federal, and non-profit public health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. She earned a Master of Public Administration from Western Michigan University and a Master of Science in anthrozoology from Canisius College. Her research specialties include animals and society, social psychology, and qualitative research methods.