Drexel University experts are available to assist the news media in the continuing coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Experts include:
Drinking Water:
Dr. Charles Haas, professor of environmental engineering and head of Drexel’s Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, is an expert in the treatment of drinking water. He can comment on the infectious diseases that can occur from the drinking water in the affected areas. (Contact Britt Faulstick)
Infrastructure:
Dr. Frank Moon, professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering, can comment on the performance of buildings, bridges and other infrastructure during the hurricane and the effects the hurricane might have had on urban infrastructure. (Contact Britt Faulstick)
Flooding:
Dr. Franco Montalto, assistant professor of civil architectural and environmental engineering, can comment on the effects of flooding and strategies for storm water mitigation in urban environments. He is a member of the Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast, a group that studies the effects of weather-related events on cities in the northeast corridor. (Contact Britt Faulstick)
Disaster communication:
Dr. Lisl Zach, associate teaching professor at the iSchool-College of Information Science and Technology, can comment on communication and information dissemination during disasters. (Contact Britt Faulstick)
Children’s Health and Rights:
Dr. Mariana Chilton, associate professor of community health and prevention, can assess the impact of hunger and food insecurity on the women and children. Her research focuses on nutritional status and human rights. (Contact Rachel Ewing)
Environmental and Occupational Health:
Dr. Arthur Frank, chair of the department of environmental and occupational health, is a commissioned officer in the United States Public Health Service with extensive international experience. Dr. Curtis Cummings, professor of environmental and occupational health, is a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Navy Medical Corps and the U.S. Public Health Service. Frank and Cummings can comment on environmental and public health safety issues. (Contact Rachel Ewing)
Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response:
Dr. Esther Chernak is a professor and director of the Center for Public Health Readiness & Communication. She previously served as the head of Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Chernak can speak on all aspects of a city and country planning for disasters, including surveillance programs, health alert networks and communications to vulnerable populations. (Contact Rachel Ewing)
Dr. Mimi Sheller, a professor of sociology and director of Drexel’s Center for Mobilities Research and Policy (mCenter), is an expert on natural disaster preparedness for developing countries. She can discuss emergency response and preparedness, the recovery process and reconstruction planning and improving hazard and risk information and decision-making. (Contact Alex McKechnie)
Disaster Planning, Prevention and Policy:
Dr. Scott Knowles, associate professor of history in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the author of The Disaster Experts: Mastering Risk in Modern America. Knowles is available to comment on American disaster policy and disaster history, as well as current natural and technological disasters. (Contact Alex McKechnie)