Alyssa L. Provencio is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Central Oklahoma. She serves as faculty in the Master of Public Administration program and coordinates the Disaster Management Certificate program. Provencio’s expertise is in teaching and researching emergency and disaster management, focusing on underrepresented communities, representation in the decision-making and policy process, and building resilience to address environmental justice issues. Her secondary interests include faculty development in the areas of mentorship and creating welcoming learning environments.
Professionally, she has worked for several non-profit organizations, including the Clinton Foundation, and attributes her passion for emergency management to the time she spent in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
Provencio’s hometown is Derby, Kansas, and she is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, and Kansas State University. Provencio enjoys swimming, cycling/spinning, running, baking, scuba diving, and exploring the outdoors in her free time. She lives in rural Oklahoma with her better half, Tom, their cat, Lou, and dog, Biggs.