Plenary Sessions
Looking Back—Disasters as Turning Points
Monday, July 14, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. MDT
Disasters can be catalysts for change, prompting shifts in our worldview and inspiring innovations in research, policy, and practice. This plenary session will identify turning points that followed major disasters, including Hurricanes Andrew, Katrina, and Maria, the Northridge earthquake, 9/11 terrorist attacks, Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, and COVID-19 pandemic. Panelists will reflect on how these focusing events altered the trajectory of the field, while also considering missed opportunities for change. Through retrospection, this session will illuminate the progress made, while also drawing attention to lessons that still need to be applied.
Taking Stock—The First, Second, and Third Assessments of Natural Hazards
Tuesday, July 15, 8:20 to 9:00 a.m. MDT
Fifty years have passed since the publication of the First Assessment of Natural Hazards. It’s been 25 years since the Second Assessment, Disasters by Design, and its accompanying volumes appeared in print. Now the Third Assessment of Natural Hazards is underway. This session will recount the history of the initial assessments and update the community on the status of the third. As with previous undertakings, the current assessment will take stock of the scholarly evidence base while also charting a future for hazards and disaster research. Participants will have an opportunity to provide feedback on upcoming efforts and will learn about additional afternoon sessions that discuss specific topics in more detail.
Assessing Current Conditions—Challenges to Conventional Approaches to Emergency Management
Tuesday, July 15, 9:00 to 10:15 a.m MDT
The nation’s emergency management system, already under great strain, is now reeling from the rapid dissolution of programs, reductions in funding, staffing shortages, and other pressing challenges. These changes have further diminished the system’s capacity to help people and communities withstand disaster. Panelists in this plenary session will discuss the current context and help to identify steps that can be taken to preserve data, promote emergency management education and research, and mobilize champions for hazards mitigation and preparation.
Imagining Future Possibilities—Moving from Vision to Reality
Tuesday, July 15, 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. MDT
Please join us for this interactive plenary session that will help us to imagine future possibilities for our community while also identifying what steps must be taken to move from vision to reality. We will start with the example of disaster research pioneer Bill Anderson’s vision of a more inclusive field. The work of the Bill Anderson Fund—which was established to increase the number of underrepresented professionals in disaster research and hazards mitigation—is a testament to what we can do when we commit ourselves to imagining and cultivating the future we want to see. During this session, Bill Anderson Fund fellows, alumni, and leadership will share their ideas of where the field might go in terms of research and applications over the next 50 years. Audience members will also be asked to envision possibilities for the decades to come.