Biography

Joseph E. Trainor serves as interim dean and professor of policy and administration in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware. Trainor is also a core faculty member of the Disaster Research Center, where he has built an international reputation in Disaster Science and Emergency Management. 

Trainor’s interdisciplinary research focuses on the human behavioral dimensions of disasters and crises and includes basic science and applied research. Recent projects have focused on disaster researcher and practitioner integration; warnings, risk perception, and protective action decision-making for hazards; household insurance and mitigation decisions; willingness to work during pandemics; and multi-organizational response systems. Findings from these efforts have led to two co-edited books, over forty-five peer-reviewed articles, and numerous book chapters and research reports. Many of these works are co-authored with students, and Trainor frequently presents research findings to academic, professional, and public audiences.

He has taught at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels across the Biden School while holding leadership roles in the Disaster Science and Management program. In addition, Trainor continues to chair and serve on numerous theses and dissertation committees at the Biden School. 

Trainor’s public service work has included partnerships with numerous agencies related to risk and emergency management, including the National Weather Service (NWS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Deleware Emergency Management Agency, and various state and local emergency management agencies.

Trainor holds a bachelor’s degree with a double major in sociology and psychology from Millersville University, a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Delaware, and a doctor of philosophy in sociology from the University of Delaware.

Degrees

• Ph.D., Philosophy in Sociology, University of Delaware (2009)
• MA, Sociology, University of Delaware (2004) 
• B.A., Double Major in Sociology and Psychology, Millersville University (2002)
  

​Research Interests

Risk, risk perception, and warnings; organizational management; justice and equity; infrastructure; community engagement and civil society; disaster science; emergency management; quantitative research; survey research; qualitative research; mixed methods; interdisciplinarity, research and practice integration; disaster mitigation and insurance; disaster risk and housing.