Mary Fran Myers Scholarship

The Mary Fran Myers Scholarship recognizes outstanding individuals who share Myers' commitment to disaster research and practice and have the potential to make a lasting contribution to reducing disaster vulnerability.

At least one scholarship recipient each year will receive financial support allowing them to attend the Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop. Scholarships can cover part or all of transportation, meals, lodging, and Workshop registration costs.

Recipients are recognized at the Workshop and will be asked to present a poster or to serve as panelists, where they can highlight their research or practical experiences with hazards and disasters.

As the longtime co-director of the Natural Hazards Center, Myers recognized that many of the people and organizations that could benefit from and contribute to the Workshop—including local practitioners, students, and international professionals—were among those least likely to afford it. The scholarship was established in 2003 to fulfill Myers’ request that qualified and talented individuals receive support to attend, ensuring that representatives of all ages, professions, and communities be represented at the Workshop.

Myers served as co-director of the Center for 16 years until her death in 2004. Reducing disaster loss was her life’s work. During her tenure, she helped to bring about fundamental changes in hazards perspectives and instituted farsighted and sustainable ways of dealing with extreme environmental events. In addition, she provided leadership, guidance, grace, and laughter and established a standard of excellence admired and emulated by her colleagues. She was an innovator, a mentor, and a creative spirit who touched many lives. Her legacy has had a lasting impact on the global hazards community.

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2025 Winners

Dana Murray is a cultural heritage professional currently working towards her PhD in information at the University of Toronto, Canada. Her research explores the social and behavioral impact of extreme weather events on gallery, library, archive, and museum (GLAM) professionals as they seek to fulfill their duty to their collections in crisis situations.

Striving to disseminate her research with GLAM associations and institutions, Murray’s goal is to model better support for gallery, library, archive, and museum practitioners in moments of crisis and establish interdisciplinary connections in the process. She advocates for emergency training within the GLAM sector through her memberships in the Coalition of Museums for Climate Justice, the National Trust for Canada’s disaster working group, and the Association of Registrars and Collection Specialists’ advocacy committee.

Murray completed her Master of Arts in religion and public life from Carleton University and her Master of Arts in museum studies from the University of Toronto. As a teaching assistant for the University of Toronto’s Master of Museum Studies program, Murray also contributes to the professional development of emerging museum practitioners.

Oluwaseun Olowoporoku is an urban development and resilience expert with the World Bank Group. Since 2022, he has been developing interdisciplinary approaches to urban planning, climate adaptation, and disaster risk management, especially in East and West African countries.

Olowoporoku’s work includes developing post-disaster and recovery building programs, assisting cities in prioritizing urban resilience investments, and developing financing and capacity building programs for urban management and disaster preparedness and response. He is currently working on projects to enhance urban livability and resilience, including managing forced displacements in Nigeria and Sierra Leone and strengthening risk-sensitive land use planning in Ethiopia.

Olowoporoku is an author of many international peer-reviewed papers on hazard and risk management and the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the World Bank Vice President Unit Award for outstanding team achievement, the World Bank African Fellowship, and the Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa Fellowship, organized by the German Academic Exchange Service.

Olowoporoku holds a PhD in urban and regional planning from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. His doctoral research examined public perceptions of environmental hazards and risks, exploring how this understanding can enhance the design of effective disaster risk reduction programs in Nigeran urban areas. His professional aspirations center around exploring conventional and alternative approaches to enhance urban resilience, manage disaster risks, and operationalize climate adaptation programs while improving public understanding and informing policy decisions in these areas.

Mohammad Newaz Sharif is pursuing a PhD in public affairs at the University of Central Florida, specializing in emergency and crisis management. His research focuses on bridging the gap between research and practice through innovative strategies for building stronger, more resilient communities. Sharif holds a bachelor’s degree in disaster management from Patuakhali Science and Technology University, a master’s in public policy from the University of Erfurt, and a second master’s in environmental economics from the University of Dhaka, providing him with a multidisciplinary foundation for his work.

Driven by a passion for education and research, Sharif strives to prepare future professionals to address real-world challenges in the field of emergency management. He is currently working on transformative projects for underserved communities, including the National Science Foundation-funded CIVIC REACH Hub initiative, developing mobile resilience hubs to provide pre- and post-disaster necessities during crisis and science education in non-emergency times. Sharif is also a researcher for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-funded initiative on green stormwater infrastructure for flood risk mitigation. Through his collaboration with the Center for Public and Nonprofit Management at the University of Central Florida, Sharif supports local nonprofits in Central Florida region to strengthen community-focused environmental sustainability and disaster resilience efforts.

Before pursuing his PhD, Sharif gained extensive professional expertise with organizations like the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, CARE Bangladesh, and the United Nations. In these roles, he contributed to developing strategic and scalable solutions to support marginalized communities during emergencies, further solidifying his commitment to humanitarian work.

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Previous Winners

To see a list of all previous winners, please visit: Scholarship Winners

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20 Year Anniversary of the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship Video

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Special Thanks

The Mary Fran Myers Scholarship is 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 Red River, North Dakota, High School Classroom Teachers Association
• The Lowlander Center
• The authors and editors of Social Vulnerability to Disasters
• The author of Disasters by Design: A Reassessment of Natural Hazards in the United States
• The author of Hazards Analysis: Reducing the Impact of Disasters

We would also like to extend additional thanks to the current Mary Fran Myers Scholarship selection committee: Co-Chairs Ray Chang and Lisa Jackson with Committee Members Betty Lai and Ponmile Olonilua.

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Request for Contributions

The Mary Fran Myers Scholarship provides financial support for recipients to attend and participate in the annual Natural Hazards Workshop to further their research or practitioner career paths. To make a gift, please visit the CU Foundation site by clicking on the link below.

Donate to the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship

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Eligibility

Hazards practitioners, students, and researchers with a strong commitment to disaster management and mitigation are encouraged to apply.

The application window for 2025 is Now Closed. Please check back again to apply in 2026.

For the 2026 competition, applicants must reside outside North America or the Caribbean. Eligibility is based on current place of residence, not citizenship. Applicants who reside within North America or the Caribbean will be eligible for the next open scholarship call. Previous in-person attendees of the Natural Hazards Workshop are not eligible. Preference is given to those who can demonstrate financial need.

The Natural Hazards Center is supportive of educational opportunities for people without documentation and welcome them to apply for this scholarship.

Questions?

For questions regarding the scholarship, please email committee co-chairs Ray Chang at ray.h.h.chang@gmail.com and Lisa Jackson at Lisa.Jackson@emv.vic.gov.au.