Building Bridges Between Research and Practice in Disaster Risk Reduction

From June 14-17, 2026, PhD candidate Clara Medina had the privilege of participating in the 51st Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop in Broomfield, Colorado. The event brought together federal, state, and local emergency management officials, nonprofit representatives, hazards researchers, and others dedicated to alleviating the impacts of disasters.

Clara presented her research on flood emergency communication in New Orleans in the Information Ecosystems session, exploring how established informal community networks can strengthen disaster preparedness and response. She shared findings on the critical role that understanding vulnerable groups' information system dynamics plays in helping governments create community-centered solutions and effectively disseminate emergency information.

Events like this one remind us why community-engaged research matters & why partnerships between researchers and practitioners are essential to building the resilient, equitable communities we all hope to see. A special thanks to our incredible partners, Dr. Sabine Loos at the University of Michigan, and Eliza McDermott at Emergency Legal Responders for their support at this conference!