To advance hazards research through originality, rigor, integrity, and diligence
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Wanyun Shao
Associate Professor, Department of Geography & the Environment
Leadership Board Fellow, College of Arts & Sciences
Dr. Shao’s primary research interests are focused on the intersection of hazards, vulnerability, and risk decision making. Specific interests include: human dimension of climate change, environmental risk perceptions, community resilience, social response to hazards, and public health. The interdisciplinary nature of her research leads her to work across traditional disciplinary lines. She has worked with scientists in a wide range of fields, including climatology, civil and environmental engineering, political science, sociology, public policy, communication, statistics, and economics. In her spare time, she loves reading books, hiking, biking, swimming, kayaking.
To learn more about her, please visit her personal website or go to the page PI’s biography.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Evan Cass
Geography Ph.D Candidate
Evan is working as a graduate research assistant on the human dimension of flood hazard. He is interested in the relationship between the environment and society and how society can better understand the powerful and changing forces of the natural world and mitigate risks imposed by natural hazards. He started working in the group as an undergraduate student by studying the relationship between people and drought, particularly in cities in Alabama. He completed a M.S. in Geography through the Accelerated Master Program (AMP) in 2021. His Master Thesis is entitled, “Do You Have What I Expect? – Understanding the Gap between Local Government’s Plans to Mitigate Coastal Hazards and Public Perceptions.”
Hemal Dey
Geography Ph.D Candidate
Hemal is pursuing PhD under Department of Geography in The University of Alabama, USA. He has been awarded the Graduate Council Fellowship at UA. He received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Geography and Environment from Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He had been nominated for the National Science and Technology (NST) fellowship in Bangladesh. His current research is focused on natural hazard risk assessment using GIS and remote sensing techniques. He is particularly interested in flood hazards mapping, assessing and monitoring using satellite imagery. In his leisure time, he likes travelling, photography, sports and reading science fictions.
Munjurual Haque
Geography Ph.D Student
Munjurul is pursuing a PhD in the Department of Geography at the University of Alabama, USA. He is working as a graduate research assistant on coastal community resilience. He received the B.Sc. and MS degrees in Geography and Environment from the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), Sylhet, Bangladesh. He has been awarded the National Science and Technology (NST) fellowship under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in the fiscal year 2018-2019. His current research is focused on natural hazards, especially flood vulnerability and resilience assessment using geospatial techniques and quantitative social science methods. In his leisure time, he loves to travel and play sports.
Fatema Tuz Johra Nourin
Geography Ph.D Student
Fatema Nourin is from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Growing up in a densely populated city, she experienced the common urban issues- traffic congestion, waterlogging, flash flooding, unemployment, crime, mismanaged waste disposal, etc. Fatema then complimented her urban experience with an undergrad degree in Urban and Regional Planning (URP) from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Since undergrad, Fatema developed an interest in using GIS as a research tool to address, visualize, estimate, and analyze urban and geographical issues. She became a GIS enthusiast during her graduate studies. Now, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Geography at The University of Alabama and assisting Dr. Shao in her Coastal Community Resilience project. She is looking forward to applying her Community engagement experience and GIScience skills in her current project.
Annyca Tabassum
Geography Ph.D Student
Annyca Tabassum, originally from Bangladesh, is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in the Department of Geography and the Environment at the University of Alabama. Prior to this, she successfully obtained both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Geography and Environment from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST). Her academic excellence led to her being awarded with a distinguished National Science and Technology (NST) fellowship by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. She focuses her research on various subjects, including the utilization of geospatial and quantitative methodologies to assess hazard vulnerability, analyzing the changes in land use and land cover, as well as evaluating land surface temperatures using geospatial techniques. Her scholarly interests also extend to the field of sustainable urban development.
Affiliated Graduate Student
Ce’Ne Harris, M.S.
Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Candidate at Jackson State University
Ce’Ne’s research interests are poverty, trauma, and resilience, specifically how the intersection of the three illustrate potential PTSD symptomatology in impoverished communities. She completed her undergraduate degree at Louisiana State University and Master of Science at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Over the past year, she has worked with Dr. Jessica Murphy and Dr. Dawn McLin at Jackson State University on the Community Resilience Project as a graduate assistant and researcher, examining preparedness and the psychology of disasters. Ce’Ne utilizes both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analyses through out her research projects. She currently serves as ORISE Fellow through the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers – Coastal Hydraulics Lab, in which she contributes her qualitative research skills.
ALUMNI
Md Musfiqur Rahman Bhuiya
M.S. Geography (2019 – 2021)
Thesis title: “Accessibility of Movement Challenged Persons to Evacuation Routes and Their Earthquake Risk Perception.“
Current position: Ph.D student at the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California Davis.