Mary Angelica Painter

Mary Angelica Painter is a research associate at the Natural Hazards Center. As a political scientist, Painter seeks to understand the development and adoption of new ways to engage with socially vulnerable communities in the context of natural hazards, while also incorporating the effects of the role of government, policy, and politics in disaster mitigation and response. Painter has particular interest in understanding individual, household, and community risk to natural hazards because of social, economic, and political systems, widely referred to as social vulnerability. Her work at the Natural Hazards Center is driven by a philosophy of collaboration, where the community, decision-makers, researchers, and everyday people are involved in identifying problems and finding solutions together for those who are in most need.

Painter has a background in research methodologies, specifically survey, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches, which she uses in various collaborative research projects including community-based projects in Puerto Rico, emergency alerts and warnings in Colorado, engaging with socially vulnerable communities in the Midwest, among others. She earned a PhD in political science from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and is a CONVERGE Data Ambassador.