About
My research interests are located at the intersection of the theoretical and empirical study of development and disasters. Specifically, I have employed both international development theories (e.g. capabilities approach, neoliberalism) and social capital framework to explore questions in three areas: (1) impact of disaster planning and policy on equity and affordability during housing recovery; (2) community resilience systems for mitigation, response, and recovery; (3) urbanization, development and disaster links. My research has an international comparative perspective, constrasting disaster policies, community resilience strategies, and the links between urban development and disasters in India, Haiti, Japan and the United States.
My research and teaching seek to advance an understanding of the challenges of disaster recovery and hazard mitigation amid conflicts, tensions, and struggles over rapid global urbanization and urban development. My goal is to identify and share policy lessons on how to achieve sustainable development through mitigation strategies and disaster recovery approaches that are socially equitable, economically feasible, and environmentally critical. To this end, I employ a comparative analysis framework, to contrast policy tools, governance mechanisms, financial instruments, and social networks at urban and regional scales in the United States and internationally.
My research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, and I have received fellowships from the Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado at Boulder and the American Association of University Women (AAUW)
I hold a PhD in Architecture and Urban Planning from the University of California at Berkeley and a Masters in Architecture from Texas A&M University. My dissertation "Negotiating Housing Recovery in Post-Earthquake Urban Kutch, India" received Special Recognition for the Gill-Chin Lim Award For Best Dissertation in International Planning 2009 by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP), and an Honorable Mention for the Samuel H. Prince Dissertation Award by the International Sociological Association’s Research Committee on Disasters.
For more details, please see my curriculum vitae (CV) and descriptions of my research and teaching.