Virginia G Silvis

Virginia Silvis is an assistant teaching professor in the Human Development and Family Studies Department and a Scientist with the Social Science Research Institute at the Pennsylvania State University. As a human-environment geographer, her research focuses on policy implementation and science translation for climate adaptation in the US. Her recent work has centered on the impacts of hazards on opioid treatment clinics and local-level implementation of the National Flood Insurance Program by floodplain managers. Past projects include investigating informal flood resilience practices in riverine communities and how scientific information was used in state-level flood control policy. She holds a PhD in geography and environmental sustainability, focusing on natural hazards and public policy, and a Master of Science in meteorology, both from the University of Oklahoma, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in earth systems science and engineering from the University of Michigan.