DISASTER RESEARCH 445

January 26, 2006

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. 2006 Mary Fran Myers Scholarship
  2. Scholarships Available for 100th Anniversary Earthquake Conference
  3. 2006 MCEER REU Program and REU Diversity Program
  4. AGU Congressional Science Fellowship
  5. Call for Abstracts: IAIA ‘06 Crisis, Conflict, and Disaster Session
  6. NSF Human and Social Dynamics: Competition for FY 2006
  7. Call for Papers: “Risk Analysis” Special Issue on Extreme Events
  8. Some New Web Resources
  9. Conferences and Training
  10. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

1) 2006 Mary Fran Myers Scholarship

Mary Fran Myers was codirector of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder for 16 years until her untimely death in 2004. Reducing disaster losses, both nationally and internationally, was her life’s work. During her tenure as codirector, Myers was instrumental in maintaining the Natural Hazards Center’s international reputation as a driving force in hazards research and mitigation. Her work helped to bring about a fundamental change in national and international perspectives regarding hazards and helped institute new, more farsighted, and sustainable ways of dealing with extreme environmental events.

Each summer, the Natural Hazards Center hosts an invitational Hazards Research and Applications Workshop in Boulder, Colorado. The workshop brings together over 350 members of the hazards community who are working to alleviate the pain and loss inflicted by disasters.

One of Myers’s primary concerns was ensuring that representatives of all ages, professions, and communities be represented at the workshop. She recognized that many people and organizations who could greatly benefit from and contribute to workshop activities, including local practitioners, students, and international professionals, were among the least likely to be able to afford the meeting. In 2003, members of the hazards community established the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship to fulfill Myers’s explicit request that qualified and talented individuals receive support to attend the workshop. The intent of the scholarship is to bring new and fresh perspectives and otherwise unheard voices to the workshop.

The Mary Fran Myers Scholarship provides financial support for recipients to attend and participate in the workshop to further their research or career paths. This scholarship covers transportation, hotel accommodations, meals, and workshop registration fees. It is awarded annually to at least one potential workshop participant, who is then formally invited to the workshop. Each year, the recipient or recipients are recognized at the workshop and may be asked to serve as panel discussants, where they can highlight their research or practical experiences in the hazards and disasters field.

All hazards researchers, students, and practitioners are eligible for the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship. However, preference is given to individuals with demonstrated financial need and those who have not previously attended the workshop.

Applicants must complete the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship 2006 Application Form available on the Natural Hazards Center’s Web site at http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/scholarship/. An application form can also be requested by calling the Natural Hazards Center at (303) 492-6818 or by e-mailing Lori Peek at lori.peek@colostate.edu.

Applications must be received by April 14, 2006. Four, typed copies of the completed application should be mailed to Mary Fran Myers Scholarship, c/o Lori Peek, Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado, 482 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0482.

Special Thanks: The Mary Fran Myers Scholarship was made possible by generous contributions from numerous individual donors as well as support from the Association of State Floodplain Managers, the Extension Disaster Education Network, the Public Entity Risk Institute, and the Red River, North Dakota, High School Classroom Teachers Association.

2) Scholarships Available for 100th Anniversary Earthquake Conference

The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) has signed an agreement with the Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI) to award approximately 30 scholarships to land use planners, social service providers, emergency managers, risk managers, business resumption specialists, building and public works officials, and those in related occupations to help them attend the 100th Anniversary Earthquake Conference commemorating the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The conference will be held in San Francisco, California, April 18-21, 2006.

PERI awarded this funding to EERI to provide recipients with a valuable educational experience dealing with seismic hazard risk reduction. The conference includes EERI’s 8th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering, the 100th Annual Meeting of the Seismological Society of America, and the ‘06 Disaster Resistant California Conference of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. It will bring together emergency management professionals, researchers, academicians, local and state government representatives, and private business partners to share ideas, technology, and resources for the mitigation of disasters and will provide an invaluable educational experience in all facets of earthquake risk reduction from the latest thinking by the nation’s leading scientists and engineers to current programs and policies in emergency management.

To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants should have key responsibility within their organization or agency for an area of risk or emergency management, loss reduction planning, hazards insurance, business resumption planning, social services, municipal development, land use planning, or building code enforcement and come from municipal jurisdictions or nonprofit institutions or organizations.

Each scholarship recipient will receive $1,000 in direct financial assistance, which can be applied to any conference cost, including travel, lodging, and registration fee. Recipients within the San Francisco Bay Area who do not require air transportation will receive awards of $600.

Interested applicants must complete the PERI Scholarship Application on the 100th Anniversary Conference Web site, http://www.1906eqconf.org/. Completed applications must be received by mail at EERI, 499 14th Street, Suite 320, Oakland, CA 94612 or by fax at (510) 451-5411 no later than March 1, 2006.

3) 2006 MCEER REU Program and REU Diversity Program

Undergraduate students are invited to explore new directions in earthquake studies through the National Science Foundation sponsored Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program and the REU Diversity Program at the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER).

Six positions are available in the REU Program and five in the REU Diversity Program. Each participant will have a predetermined individual research project, chosen during the selection process, which contributes to the goals of an existing MCEER research project. Participants are paired with a faculty advisor, and the student joins the faculty member’s research team. Interns are required to work 400 hours over a 10-week period from June through mid-August, although start and end dates are flexible to accommodate students on a quarter system.

Applicants will be selected from sophomore-, junior-, and senior-level students and will be evaluated based on grade point average (GPA), interest level, and willingness to participate in a team-based environment. Students will be requested to supply a written summary of their goals and interests articulating which aspects of research are intriguing to them and how they might benefit from the experience. Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

The deadline for application is April 1, 2006. For additional information on the program and application procedures, visit http://mceer.buffalo.edu/education/reu/2006orig.asp. Questions may be directed to Sabanayagam Thevanayagam, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Department of Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering, 212 Ketter Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260; (716) 645-2114 x2430; e-mail: theva@eng.buffalo.edu.

4) AGU Congressional Science Fellowship

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is accepting applications until February 1, 2006, for the 2006-2007 Congressional Science Fellowship. The fellowship provides an opportunity for a scientist to play an active part in the U.S. policy process by spending a year (September through August) on the staff of a congressional committee or in the personal office of a U.S. House or U.S. Senate member advising on a wide range of scientific issues.

Applicants should have a broad background in science and have an aptitude for working with and communicating technical information clearly to people from diverse professional backgrounds. Prior experience in public policy is not necessary, although such experience and/or a demonstrable interest in applying science to the solution of public policy problems is desired.

The fellowship carries a stipend of up to $49,000, health insurance, plus travel allowance. For further details and application instructions, visit the AGU Web site http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/policy/congress_fellows.html or contact Catherine O’Riordan at (202) 777-7509 or coriordan@agu.org.

5) Call for Abstracts: IAIA ‘06 Crisis, Conflict, and Disaster Session

A workshop on the Impact of Conflict, Disasters, and other Extreme Events Impact Assessments will be held during the International Association of Impact Assessment (IAIA) conference in Stavanger, Norway, May 23-26, 2006. The workshop organizers are looking for presentations on the pre- or postimpact assessment of any type of extreme event and specifically for presentations on disasters, conflicts, natural disasters, or other nonnormal events that discuss how assessment results could have, or actually did, minimize or avoid the impact of a disaster.

Up to $500 is available to assist in underwriting the registration cost of IAIA ‘06 when making a presentation at the Crisis, Conflict, and Disasters session. Contact Charles Kelly at 72734.2412@compuserve.com to request a portion of this fund.

The deadline to submit is January 31, 2006. Submission guidelines and registration information can be found online at http://www.iaia.org/Non_Members/Conference/IAIA06/Conf_main_page/.

6) NSF Human and Social Dynamics: Competition for FY 2006

Human and Social Dynamics (HSD) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) priority area that includes all NSF disciplines and fields. The HSD priority area fosters breakthroughs in understanding the dynamics of human action and development, as well as knowledge about organizational, cultural, and societal adaptation and change. This year’s program description has been revised to emphasize the development of tools and infrastructure as part of research projects and now includes information on the study of human and social dynamics in the wake of disasters.

The FY 2006 competition will include three emphasis areas: Agents of Change, Dynamics of Human Behavior, and Decision Making, Risk, and Uncertainty. Support will be provided for Full Research projects and for shorter-term Exploratory Research and HSD Research Community Development projects.

To view the complete program solicitation and proposal guidelines, visit http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf06509. General inquiries regarding this program should be made to Keith Crank; (703) 292-4880; e-mail: kcrank@nsf.gov or Rachelle Hollander; (703) 292-7272; e-mail: rholland@nsf.gov.

7) Call for Papers: "Risk Analysis" Special Issue on Extreme Events

The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) will devote a special issue of its journal Risk Analysis to the theme of managing risks of catastrophic and extreme events and to the roles of risk and security around the world.

Managing risks of catastrophic and extreme events is not a new challenge. The preparedness, response, and recovery from major natural hazards, such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, and major pandemics, have been on the agenda of every community in the world. Knowledge, know-how, and experience gained over the years in the risk management of natural hazards should serve well in the quest to combat catastrophic events sponsored and executed by terrorists.

In particular, the SRA’s Risk Analysis journal provides an authoritative forum for addressing the emergence of not-unlikely catastrophic terrorist attacks on civilian targets. To meet the new challenges, it is imperative to build upon the theory, methodology, and application of risk management approaches developed and deployed by natural scientists and engineers, social and behavioral scientists, health scientists, legal experts, and others.

To this end, researchers and practitioners are encouraged to submit original papers for the SRA journal’s special issue on this theme. The complete manuscripts must be submitted by February 15, 2006. For information on submitting a manuscript, visit http://www.sra.org/journal_manuscript.php.

8) Some New Web Resources

[Below are some new or updated Internet resources we've discovered. For an extensive list of useful Internet sites dealing with hazards, see http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/resources/.]

American Red Cross - Get Prepared
This Web portal from the American Red Cross offers a collection of resources on natural disasters and includes materials for teachers, schools, and children.

Ready Campus
Ready Campus is a partnership among Pennsylvania’s colleges, universities, and communities designed to strengthen preparation for and response to regional or national emergencies by using campus facilities, training campus volunteers, and providing college students with service learning opportunities to prepare them to be crisis-ready civic leaders of the future.

Public Health Preparedness Database
This Web site was recently launched by the RAND Corporation to support state and local public health emergency preparedness activities. It includes a searchable database of public health emergency preparedness exercises that have been evaluated by a team of RAND researchers.

Interactive Map of Disability and Preparedness Resources
This tool developed by the National Organization on Disability provides an interactive directory of regional, state, and local disability-related emergency management resources. The map is a work-in-progress, and as new resources are developed and discovered they will be included.

Disaster Tracking Recovery Assistance Center
In conjunction with the first anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Disaster Tracking Recovery Assistance Center of Thailand developed this Web site providing details on the status of and progress made in tsunami relief activities. It includes detailed reports from 27 aid organizations helping in the relief phase as well as maps, village names, and a list of requests for assistance from a variety of aid organizations involved in the tsunami recovery.

Through the Eyes of Children: Rebuilding Lives after the Tsunami
Save the Children produced this one-year progress report on emergency response and their strategies for the next four years for helping rebuild children’s lives after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Caught in the Storm: The Impact of Natural Disasters on Women
In this document, the Global Fund for Women shares what has been learned from direct grantmaking to women’s rights groups during and after emergency situations, including how women are disproportionately impacted by disasters throughout the world.

A Place to Stay, a Place to Live: The Oxfam Shelter Report
This report documents the challenges and successes of Oxfam’s shelter work in the first year of their 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami response in India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.

Tsunami Recovery: Taking Stock after 12 Months
This report from the United Nations’ Secretary-General Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery documents the status of the recovery efforts after 12 months.

Florida's 2005 Hurricane Season - Assisting Floridians Archive
This archive documents the activities of Florida’s American Red Cross chapters as they prepared for, responded to, and helped Floridians recover from the tropical storms and hurricanes of the 2005 hurricane season.

Public Health Response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita--Louisiana, 2005
The January 20, 2006, issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is the first in a two part series highlighting the public health response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This issue focuses on public health activities in Louisiana one to two months after Hurricane Katrina during which time local authorities reopened portions of New Orleans and the predisaster population began to return.

Legal Issues in Mutual Aid Agreements for Public Health Practice
This issue brief from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices explores strategies for sharing out-of-state resources in nonemergency situations.

Tearfund Publication on Participatory Assessment of Disaster Risk
This book available for free download on the Web site of the Tearfund International Learning Zone explores a methodology called participatory assessment of disaster risk, which can be used to reduce disaster risk at the community level.

Reports and Research on Needs of People with Disabilities in Disasters
Disability World, a bimonthly webzine on international disability news, developed this summary of recent resources regarding the inclusion of people with disabilities in planning for and responding to emergencies and disasters both natural and otherwise.

California Fire Alliance
The California Fire Alliance provides an interagency forum for coordinating member agencies’ efforts to implement wildland fire protection planning. Their Web site includes grant resources, communications plans and tools, fire planning and mapping tools, and information on community wildfire protection plans.

9) Conferences and Trainings

[Below are some recent announcements received by the Natural Hazards Center. A comprehensive list of upcoming hazards related meetings and training is available from our Web site: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/conf.html.]

Looking Back to Go Forward: Creating Interdisciplinary Ties in Disaster Recovery. Sponsors: New York Disaster Interfaith Services and Disaster Psychiatry Outreach. New York, New York: March 16, 2006. This event will focus on developing ties between disaster spiritual care and mental health providers for providing effective services for those affected by disasters. The conference will consist of a keynote presentation followed by small group discussions arranged by geographical area to foster relationship-building and resource identification, a large group review of lessons learned, and a final presentation to clarify key issues. For additional information, contact Grant Brenner, Disaster Psychiatry Outreach; (212) 721-9235 or Maggie Jarry, New York Disaster Interfaith Services, 22 Cortlandt Street, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10007; (212) 669-6105; http://www.nydis.org/resources/headlines/01-23-06.php.

GIPSC 2006: Geospatial Integration for Public Safety. Organizers: National Emergency Number Association and the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA). Nashville, Tennessee: April 10-12, 2006. This conference will bring together GIS professionals, addressing coordinators, and 911 and emergency response specialists to one place for opportunities in networking and learning. For more information, contact Christine Dionne, URISA, 1460 Renaissance Drive, Suite 305, Park Ridge, IL 60068; (847) 824-6300; e-mail: cdionne@urisa.org; http://www.urisa.org/Street_Smart_Conference/address.htm.

Norman WAS*IS: A National Weather Center Workshop on Weather and Society. Sponsors: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Oklahoma. Norman, Oklahoma: April 18-20, 2006. The purpose of this workshop is to develop a community of scientists committed to integrating the atmospheric and social sciences to exchange methodologies and inform current research practices in the societal impacts of weather and climate. Applications are due February 14, 2006. For information on past WAS*IS workshops at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, visit http://www.rap.ucar.edu/was_is/. For more information on the Norman workshop and to request an application, e-mail May Yuan at yuan0929@sooner.net.ou.edu or David Schultz at david.schultz@noaa.gov.

2006 MRC National Leadership Conference. Sponsor: Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). Dallas, Texas: April 18–21, 2006. MRC leaders are invited to participate in this networking and knowledge-sharing conference that will provide opportunities to share promising practices, ideas, and strategies. For more information, contact Samuel Schaffzin, MRC Program Office, Office of the Surgeon General, Room 18C-14 Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857; (301) 443-2134; e-mail: sschaffzin@osophs.dhhs.gov; http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/page.cfm?pageID=1414.

Science and Technology in Society: An Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference. Organizer: International Society for Policy and Social Studies of Science and Technology. Washington, DC: April 22-23, 2006. The purpose of this conference is to better acquaint current and prospective science, engineering, and technology policy professionals with the practice and opportunities of the emerging profession. It will provide a forum for graduate students from a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary programs to present their research on the policy and social studies of science and technology. Abstracts should be submitted by January 31, 2006. For more information, e-mail info@stglobal.org or visit http://www.stglobal.org/.

UCL Johnston-Lavis Conference 2006: Managing Volcanic Crises: Effective Integration of Science, Policy, and Practice. Organizers: Benfield Hazard Research Centre, University College London (UCL), and University of Sussex. London, United Kingdom: April 20-21, 2006. This conference will address practical strategies for managing volcanic crises. It invites volcanologists to discuss what they can do, decision makers to declare what they need, and both communities to identify methods of combining the two for improved responses to volcanic emergencies. For additional information, e-mail jlavis-meeting@ucl.ac.uk or contact Andrew Bell, Benfield Hazard Research Centre, Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.

International Workshop on Standardization for Emergency Preparedness. Sponsors: American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and New York University International Center for Enterprise Preparedness (INTERCEP). Florence, Italy: April 24-26, 2006. The purpose of the meeting will be to reach an international workshop agreement that will be published by the International Standards Organization for emergency preparedness and operational continuity. Organizations involved with emergency preparedness and operational continuity are welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Bill Raisch, INTERCEP, New York University, 726 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10003; (212) 998-2000; e-mail: intercep@nyu.edu or Matt Deane, ANSI, 25 West 43rd Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036; (212) 642-4992; e-mail: mdeane@ansi.org; http://www.ansi.org/iwa/.

Ready! The Emergency Preparedness and Response Conference and Exposition. Organizer: GovSec. Washington, DC: April 25-27, 2006. This conference will provide solutions to state and local officials responsible for emergency preparedness and first responders to help coordinate incident planning and management efforts. The conference will include trainings and workshops, concurrent sessions, technology showcases, and networking opportunities. For more information, contact Michele Nebel, GovSec U.S. Law and Ready!, 313 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; (800) 687-7469; e-mail: Peakemnpeake@ntpshow.com; http://www.readyusainfo.com/.

Managing Evacuation: Ripple Effects of Terrorism and Natural Disasters. Sponsor: American Public University System. Shepherdstown, West Virginia: May 3-4, 2006. While much work has been done on making cities safer in the age of terrorism, more work needs to be done on understanding the impact that an evacuation would have on the small towns and counties near large cities. This conference will include sessions, exercises, and networking opportunities and is designed to initiate a dialogue between local officials, scholars, and practitioners in the related fields of disaster management, homeland security, criminal justice, and emergency management. For further information, contact Bob Jaffin, American Public University System, 111 West Congress Street, Charles Town, WV 25414; (304) 724-3723; e-mail: bjaffin@apus.edu; http://www.apus.edu/terrorism-evacuation/.

Restoration 2006: Community and Economic Recovery after a Disaster. Sponsors: International City/County Management Association (ICMA), National League of Cities, and National Association of Counties. New Orleans, Louisiana: May 16-17, 2006. This conference is focused on long-term and sustainable community and economic recovery in the aftermath of a natural or human-caused disaster. The conference will feature recovery partnerships, leading practice case studies, and other educational sessions designed to foster new networks for local government officials, nonprofit organizations, business and industry leaders, and other community stakeholders working toward a new future. The deadline to submit abstracts is February 26, 2006. For additional information, contact Tad McGalliard, ICMA, 777 North Capitol Street NE, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20002; (202) 962-3563; e-mail: tmcgalliard@icma.org; http://www.restoration2006.org/.

NFPA World Safety 2006. Host: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Orlando, Florida: June 4-8, 2006. The featured presentation at this conference is Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned by R. David Paulison, United States Fire Administrator and acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It will also offer educational sessions and preconference seminars on the latest fire, electrical, building, and life safety requirements, technologies, and practices. For more information, contact ROC Exhibitions, 1963 University Lane, Lisle, IL 60532; (630) 271-8210; e-mail: info@rocexhibitions.com; http://www.nfpa.org/categoryListWSCE.asp?categoryID=1059.

The Second Workshop and Doctoral Seminar “Research in Risk: Public Policy and Social Dimensions.” Sponsors: Society for Risk Analysis and American Marketing Association. Los Angeles, California: June 5-8, 2006. This workshop is designed for advanced PhD students and new faculty members who have an interest in developing a research stream in the marketing and public policy/risk domain. Basic processes of risk perception and risky behavior as well as multiple approaches to researching and understanding these processes and behaviors will be considered with a focus on the relevance of these issues to marketing and public policy. Participants will develop a mini research proposal with the feedback/guidance of presenters and resident faculty scholars. Extensive preworkshop readings, as well as development of a statement of research interests, will prepare attendees to be active participants. For further information, contact David Stewart, Marketing Department, Marshall School of Business, 3660 Trousdale Parkway, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089; e-mail: david.stewart@marshall.usc.edu; http://www.csulb.edu/colleges/cba/mppc/research.html.

Geo-Environment and Landscape Evolution 2006: Second International Conference on Evolution, Monitoring, Simulation, Management, and Remediation of the Geological Environment and Landscape. Organizer: Wessex Institute of Technology. Rhodes, Greece: June 6-8, 2006. This conference aims to study the role of geosciences in environmental management and to provide a forum for the discussion of these opportunities and problems among researchers, engineers, planners, decision makers, consultants, and other professionals interested in the contribution of geosciences and geoinformation to environmental management, land preservation, remediation, and sustainable development. For additional information, contact Rachel Green, Wessex Institute of Technology, Ashurst Lodge, Ashurst, Southampton, SO40 7AA; +44 (0) 238 029 3223; e-mail: rgreen@wessex.ac.uk; http://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2006/geoenv06/.

2006 International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS `06). Sponsor: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Society on Social Implications of Technology. New York, New York: June 8-10, 2006. The theme of this year’s conference is “Disaster Preparedness and Recovery.” Conference topics will include social, economic, and ethical issues of technology and disaster preparedness and recovery; social implications of usability; impact of the changing environment of scholarly publishing; environmental, health, safety, and peace-related implications of technology; and social, economic, and ethical issues involving energy, information, and telecommunications technologies. For further information, contact Roberta Brody; (718) 997-3766; e-mail: Roberta.Brody@QC.cuny.edu; http://ieeessit.org//conferences.asp?Level2ItemID=18.

AOGS 2006: Asia Oceanic Geosciences Society (AOGS) 3rd Annual Meeting. Suntec, Singapore: July 10-14, 2006. The mission of AOGS is to promote geophysical science for the benefit of humanity in Asia and Oceania. This conference will bring together geoscientists from all over Asia, Oceania, and the rest of the world to present their works and ideas. AOGS invites all geoscientists to convene their own sessions and present their findings. For additional information, contact AOGS, Secretariat Office, Meeting Matters International, 73 Tras Street, #04-01, Singapore 079012; +65 6221 2310; e-mail: info@asiaoceania-conference.org; http://www.asiaoceania-conference.org/.

HOLIVAR2006: Natural Climate Variability and Global Warming. Host: University College of London. London, United Kingdom: June 12-15, 2006. HOLIVAR is a European Science Foundation funded project that seeks to bring together European scientists interested in climate variability during the Holocene period (the last 11,500 years). This meeting will examine how and why the natural climate system varies and assess the relative importance of natural processes and human activity in explaining global warming. For more information, contact Rick Battarbee, Environmental Change Research Centre, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP; +44 (0)20 7679 7575; e-mail: rick@holivar2006.org or e-mail: info@holivar2006.org; http://www.holivar2006.org/.

CoastGIS ‘06: The 7th International Symposium on GIS and Computer Cartography for Coastal Zone Management. Sponsors: International Cartographic Association Commission on Marine Cartography and the International Geographical Union Commission on Coastal Systems. Wollongong and Sydney, New South Wales: July 12-16, 2006. CoastGIS is directed at scientists and practitioners with an interest in the research and application of GIS to all aspects of coastal science, management, and policy. For additional information, contact Ron Furness, International Cartographic Association; e-mail: rfurness@ozemail.com.au; http://www.uow.edu.au/science/eesc/conferences/coastgis06.html.

Living with Climate Variability and Change: Understanding the Uncertainties and Managing the Risks. Sponsors: Finnish Meteorological Service, the World Meteorological Organization, and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society. Espoo, Finland: July 17-21, 2006. This conference will focus on the management of climate related risks and opportunities and provide a forum to review the progress, obstacles, and future prospects for effective policy and practice in critical sectors, such as agriculture, water resources, public health, and disasters. Attendees will include experts and practitioners in all of these areas. For further information, contact the Living with Climate Conference, Finnish Meteorological Institute Climate Service, PO Box 503, Helsinki, Finland; e-mail: wmo2006@fmi.fi; http://www.livingwithclimate.fi/.

Fourteenth Regional Training Course on Community-Based Disaster Risk Management. Organizer: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center. Bangkok, Thailand: July 17-28, 2006. This training course will provide an opportunity to acquire new tools and learn how to design and implement programs for reducing disaster risks and vulnerability and building community capacity to promote a culture of safety. Through exercises and simulations, participants will practice risk assessment and risk management planning. For additional information, contact the Training Resource Group, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, Asian Institute of Technology, PO Box 4 Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 Thailand; (66 2) 516 5900-10 x328; e-mail: tedadpc@adpc.net; http://www.adpc.net/training/brochure/CBDRM-14.pdf.

Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting. Organizer: American Geophyical Union (AGU). Beijing, China: July 24-27, 2006 . This meeting provides an opportunity for AGU members and members of the sponsoring societies in the western Pacific region to attend a meeting that serves the needs of geophysicists interested in studies in the western Pacific region. The conference will include sessions on volcanology, seismology, climate variability, hydrology, sustainable urban development, and geophysics. For further information, contact AGU Meetings Department, 2000 Florida Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; (800) 966-2481, x330; e-mail: wp-help@agu.org; http://www.agu.org/meetings/wp06/.

International Disaster Reduction Conference (IDRC) Davos 2006. Organizers: Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction; Global Disaster Information Network; United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization; and United Nations IDRC. Davos, Switzerland: August 26-September 1, 2006. A global gathering of leading experts from science, government, business, civil society, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and risk management organizations, this event will address different kinds of risks with an integrated and participatory approach. The program will include topical plenary sessions and panel debates; scientific and policy-oriented thematic sessions; special regional sessions for Africa, Asia, North and Latin America, and Europe; side events organized by different international and national organizations; and special recognition of international pioneers in risk reduction. For more information, contact IDRC Davos 2006, Flüelastrasse 11, CH-7260 Davos, Switzerland; e-mail: davos2006@slf.ch; http://www.davos2006.ch.

10) Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

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Emergency Services Director
Flagler County: Bunnell, Florida

Flagler County, Florida, seeks a professional emergency services director to carry out all management and administrative duties. Flagler County’s Emergency Services Department includes disaster preparedness, emergency medical services, fire prevention/inspection, fire rescue, and flight operations services.

This position requires any combination of training and experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in a related field and five years experience in a related field.

The position closes February 17, 2006. For more information, contact Joseph Mayer; (386) 586-2107; e-mail: jmayer@fcbcc.org; http://www.flaglercounty.org/.

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Assistant/Associate Professor of Environmental or Emergency Management
Arizona State University: Mesa, Arizona

The areas of teaching responsibilities for this position include undergraduate courses in environmental technology management and graduate-level courses in one or more of the following areas: environmental management, emergency management, or international environmental management and sustainable development. The candidate will direct student research and chair graduate student committees; serve on departmental, college, and university committees; and participate in student recruitment and administration of the Environmental Technology Management program.

Required qualifications include an earned doctoral degree in a related field, three years of directly related industrial or governmental experience, effective communication skills, dynamic and recognized research and publication record appropriate to rank, and established industry and/or professional leadership appropriate to rank in an environmental technology-related area.

Review of applications will begin March 1, 2006. To apply, submit a curriculum vita and three references to Thomas Schildgen, College of Technology and Applied Sciences, Arizona State University, Technology Center 102, 7001 East Williams Field Road, Mesa, AZ 85212. For additional information, visit http://etmonline.asu.edu/headlines/Assistant%20Professor%20Job%20Annoucement.cfm.

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Director of Domestic Disaster Response
Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD): New York, New York

The director of domestic disaster response will oversee ERD’s long-term recovery programs in Mississippi and Louisiana associated with Hurricane Katrina. The director will also be responsible for coordinating overall disaster readiness and response programs with ERD’s domestic partners in the Episcopal Church of the United States.

This position participates in strategic and long-range planning, develops and evaluates relationships with implementing partners in the United States, and oversees the financial planning and accounting for the annual budget in the Katrina-impacted areas. Annual budgets for ERD’s Hurricane Katrina Recovery Program are currently more than $4 million/year with expectation of annual expansion as new preparedness budgets are defined.

The successful candidate should have at least eight years experience in domestic disaster response, preferably with voluntary emergency medical technician, National Organization for Victim Assistance Red Cross, or Salvation Army training, and/ or with a faith-based relief and development organization; a master’s degree in divinity, public health, social work, or related fields; extensive experience in developing and managing budgets, projects, and financial systems; meticulous record keeping skills; comfort with multitasking with multimillion dollar budgeting, income, and expense reporting; and technical proficiency in an area of disaster response recovery with experience in needs assessment and critical incident stress management. Knowledge of the Episcopal Church of the United States is strongly encouraged.

To apply, submit a cover letter with salary requirements and a resume via fax to Vicki Beaman at (212) 867-6174. For a complete job description, visit http://www.episcopalchurch.org/hr_70656_ENG_HTM.htm.

Questions for the readership and contributions to this e-newsletter are encouraged. Questions and messages should be indicated as such and sent to hazctr@colorado.edu.

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