Tricia Wachtendorf
Tricia Wachtendorf
Director, Disaster Research Center
Education
- Ph.D. – University of Delaware, Newark, DE
- M.A. – University of Delaware, Newark, DE
- B.A. – University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Biography
Tricia Wachtendorf, Ph.D., is a professor of sociology at the University of Delaware and director of UD's world-renowned Disaster Research Center – the oldest center in the world focused on the social science aspects of disaster. Over the past two decades, her research has focused on multi-organizational coordination before, during and after disasters, transnational crises, and social vulnerability to disaster events.
Wachtendorf has engaged in quick-response field work after such events as the 2001 World Trade Center attacks; the tsunamis affecting India, Sri Lanka (2004) and Japan (2011); Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Sandy (2012); as well as the earthquakes in China (2008) and Haiti (2010).
With numerous research grants from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, Wachtendorf has published widely on improvisation in disasters as well as disaster convergence. Her most recent funded research projects examine the temporal nature of household and emergency management decision-making during hurricane events; investigate humanitarian logistics during disaster response; and explore stigma and the role of triage in the aftermath of public heath emergencies.
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Double disaster: Hurricane Milton terrorizes Helene-battered South
October 08, 2024 | Written by Avery Lotz, Andrew Freedman, Andrew Solender of AxiosLocal, state, and federal agencies prepare for scenarios involving back-to-back disasters, but "that doesn't make it any less challenging," says Tricia Wachtendorf, director of the University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center. -
Estimated 2.5 million people displaced by tornadoes, wildfires and other disasters in 2023 tell a story of recovery in America and who is vu
March 04, 2024 | Written by Tricia Wachtendorf and James KendraTricia Wachtendorf, professor of sociology and director of the Disaster Research Center at UD teamed up with James Kendra, professor of public policy & administration and director of the Disaster Research Center at UD, to write for the Conversation. The pair discussed the impact to those displaced by tornadoes, wildfires and other disasters. -
Teaching in the new normal
September 14, 2022 | Written by Karen B. RobertsUD undergraduate studies how educators continue to adapt amid the ongoing pandemic
