Emily Laidlaw

Emily Laidlaw combines degrees in statistics, journalism, and environmental studies with nearly 20 years of experience with varied government, research, and university organizations. She's used her unique skill set to conduct economic and societal research on weather and climate topics; managed technical, data-driven building energy, alternative transportation, and sustainability projects; and created and implemented scientific communications strategies across all these areas. Her professional passion is translating scientific information into understandable, usable information for the broader community to help bridge the gap between research and policy.

More specific to the hazards community, Laidlaw has conducted research on the reliability and validity of U.S. hazard loss data, the value of current and improved weather information, economic sectors' sensitivity to weather, and people's use and perceptions of outdoor warning sirens. She is currently working on a project that explores the interplay between the ways spatially explicit storm surge information is being conveyed by geophysical scientists and the interpretation and use of this information by members of the public in at-risk coastal communities. Laidlaw is also involved in efforts to publicize and make data available from the National Science Foundation-funded and Natural Hazards Center-led COVID-19 Global Research Registry for Public Health and Social Sciences.