N. Emel Ganapati

N. Emel Ganapati is a professor of public policy and administration and the director of the Laboratory for Social Science Research, International Hurricane Research Center, at Florida International University. She holds urban and regional planning degrees from the University of Southern California, the University of Pennsylvania and the Middle East Technical University. Her research is dedicated to helping communities become more resilient by studying the capabilities of those affected by disasters (e.g., social capital) and the vulnerabilities of those who serve them (e.g., burnout). Methodologically, she has been dedicated to enhancing qualitative and interdisciplinary methods in emergency management. Her work has been published in top public administration, planning, social science and disaster journals. She currently leads social science evidence collection for the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Champlain Towers South Building Collapse investigation, which is authorized by the U.S. Congress. She has served in leadership roles in several grants funded by the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Justice, among others. She received the 2021 Risk Analysis Journal Best Paper Award for her paper on interdisciplinary disaster research. Her research and related service have been recognized by such media outlets as the Washington Times, National Public Radio and the Weather Channel. She was an associate behavioral and social science editor for the Natural Hazards Review journal, one of the top disaster journals. Ganapati is also a recipient of Florida Education Fund’s statewide 2018 William R. Jones Outstanding Mentor Award.