Disaster Response Experts Available to Discuss Aftermath of Hurricane Helene

Newswise — ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 1, 2024) — More than 100 people have died across six states since Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida as Category 4 storm, tore through the Southeast and left millions stranded without water, power or cell service. 

President Biden has approved major disaster declarations for areas of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, allowing disaster survivors to begin their recovery process by applying for federal assistance through FEMA. 

University at Albany experts at the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity are available to discuss the emergency response to Helene, along with ongoing recovery efforts. 

• DeeDee Bennett Gayle, associate professor, Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. Bennett Gayle’s research examines the integration of advanced technologies in emergency management and for use by vulnerable populations. She is currently leading an NSF-funded project to study the use of VR to improve disaster preparedness among older adults.  

• Abdullah Canbaz, assistant professor, Department of Information Sciences and Technology. Canbaz runs the AI and Complex Systems, which is focused on the use of artificial intelligence and other emerging tech in emergency response and recovery. Among his current research is testing the use of AI-powered systems to rapidly analyze social media posts and help emergency managers make decisions at speeds beyond human capacity. 

• Alex Greer, associate professor, Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. Greer’s research focuses on a number of topics related to disaster science, including hazard adjustments and relocation decision-making. He is currently leading a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded project that explores residential adjustments following recent California and Hawaii wildfires.  

• Samantha Penta, associate professor, Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. Penta examines health and medical care in crises, decision-making in preparedness and response and disaster donations. Her most recent work has looked at the relationship between information seek and risk perception on protective action.  

• Amber Silver, assistant professor, Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. Silver’s research interests focus on how individuals and groups make decisions before, during and after extreme weather events. Her most recent research has examined the ways that new technologies, including social media, influence how individuals obtain, interpret and respond to official and unofficial warning information. 

• Jeannette Sutton, associate professor, Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, specializes in disaster and risk with a primary focus on informal online communication, and public alerts and warning messages. She recently published an NSF-funded paper that examined post-alert messaging following a false early-warning earthquake alert issued to residents in Ridgecrest, Calif. in May 2020. 

About the University at Albany:  

The University at Albany is one of the most diverse public research institutions in the nation and a national leader in educational equity and social mobility. As a Carnegie-classified R1 institution, UAlbany and its faculty and students are creating critical new knowledge in fields such as artificial intelligence, atmospheric and environmental sciences, business, education, public health, social sciences, criminal justice, emergency preparedness, engineering, informatics, public administration and social welfare. Our courses are taught by an accomplished roster of faculty experts with student success at the center of everything we do. Through our parallel commitments to academic excellence, scientific discovery and service to community, UAlbany molds bright, curious and engaged leaders and launches great careers.  

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