Qian Hu

Qian Hu is a professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. Her research focuses on enhancing communication, coordination, and collaboration in emergency management. While her earlier work concentrated on disaster response, her recent research has expanded to include resilience and emergency planning—exploring how communities and institutions can better prepare for and adapt to evolving risks. Her current projects apply machine learning algorithms to analyze large volumes of unstructured data, including social media content and government documents, to improve understanding of effective emergency communication and interorganizational coordination. Hu has published 41 refereed journal articles and two books on networks. She serves as Associate Editor of the Social Science section for Natural Hazards Review and is a member of the Executive Committee for the American Society’s Section on Emergency and Crisis Management. Before joining the Schar School, Hu was a faculty member in the School of Public Administration at the University of Central Florida from 2011 to 2023 and directed its nationally ranked graduate emergency management programs.