Brandi Gilbert
Brandi Gilbert is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Colorado Boudler and a research assistant at the Natural Hazards Center, where she explores topics concerning the societal dimensions of disasters. Gilbert's research considers disaster impacts on local communities, specifically focusing on the effects of disasters on youth. Her past work has included research on adolescent coping strategies in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, disaster preparedness among community-based organizations that serve vulnerable populations in the San Francisco Bay Area, and housing recovery efforts following the Haiti earthquake.
Most recently, she is conducting dissertation research focusing on the impacts of the BP Oil Spill on youth whose parents have ties to the commercial seafood and shipbuilding industries. While many studies have focused on the ecological, economic, and social effects of technological disasters such as the BP oil spill, few have specifically investigated the impacts of such events on youth. This work examines how family dynamics, social ties, and recreational and educational activities may have shifted in the aftermath of the spill; the ways in which youth make sense of the disaster and its implications for themselves and their families; and how they cope with the disaster impacts.
