Brieana DeGrate

Brieana DeGrate is a PhD student focused on disaster research, with a concentration in community resilience, disaster preparedness, and long-term recovery planning. Her current work explores how vulnerable populations—especially older adults in assisted living facilities—experience and respond to severe weather events, with an emphasis on improving policies and practices for preparedness and post-disaster care. She also examines managed retreat and home buyout programs, with a focus on how these initiatives unfold in historically underserved communities.

DeGrate's research sits at the intersection of policy, planning, and practice. She uses qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to document lived experiences and elevate local knowledge in disaster planning processes. Her work is grounded in the belief that equitable and effective disaster recovery must be informed by the communities most affected by hazard events.

DeGrate’s background in public administration and policy analysis guides her interest in advancing practical, locally informed solutions to systemic challenges in disaster recovery and risk reduction. She has collaborated with local governments, nonprofit organizations, and research centers to support inclusive approaches to hazard mitigation and resilience-building.

DeGrate is particularly passionate about translating research into action and helping decision-makers incorporate social vulnerability, aging, and housing considerations into their disaster planning frameworks. She plans to continue contributing to the field through applied research, community partnerships, and policy development.