The Mary Fran Myers Scholarship selection committee chose three recipients to receive the 2009 Scholarship, which recognizes outstanding individuals who share the vision of former Natural Hazards Center Co-Director Mary Fran Myers. Myers, who passed away in 2004, was committed to reducing disaster losses nationally and internationally.
The Mary Fran Myers Scholarship provides financial support to recipients who otherwise would be unable to attend the Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop. This scholarship covers all or part of the costs of transportation, hotel accommodations, meals, and Workshop registration fees.
While all the applicants were outstanding, the committee chose the following individuals to receive scholarships:
Deborah Colburn is the Director of the Animal Emergency Management Program at the Colorado Veterinary Medical Foundation, co-chair of a national best-practice working group on animal preparedness, and a former New Hampshire state representative. She has held leadership positions in for-profit and non-profit organizations and advised a variety of organizations on strategic planning, program management, government affairs, employee relations, and community outreach.
Scott Cotton is a long-time disaster educator with first-hand response experience. He is constantly working toward better disaster preparedness, especially for agricultural and rural communities. With a research and education emphasis on determining the most effective training for and implementation of preparedness, Cotton has taught disaster readiness to over 3,000 people in 100 counties.
Peter Hanink is Director of Programs at the Disaster Accountability Project, a graduate of Brooklyn Law School, and currently attends the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University, where he is working on a Master’s in Public Administration. During law school, Hanink worked with the Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Division, focusing on promoting the rights of indigent defendants. He became acquainted with DAP while serving as co-president of the Brooklyn Law Student Hurricane Network.
Terri Turner is a founding member and outgoing Chair of the Georgia Association of Floodplain Management, the Association of State Floodplain Managers' No Adverse Impact Committee liaison, and Chair of the Central Savannah River Area Planners Group. She has served as the Assistant Zoning and Development Administrator of the Augusta-Richmond County Planning Commission for more than 12 years.
Visit the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship page for full bios and a list of previous winners.