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College of Arts and Sciences

Alumni

HVRI alumni hold jobs across the country in academia, emergency management, public heath, GIS, and much more!

The following graduates worked with the Hazards Vulnerability and Resilience Research Institute during their time at USC.

Graduate Degree/Year Current Position
Kevin Ash  Ph.D. 2015 Assistant Professor, University of Florida
Savannah Baker  M.S. 2023.  Regional Coordinator, South Carolina Emergency Management
Lindsey Barnes M.S. 2008 Works for enXco, a wind and solar development company in CO
Melanie Bartis M.S. 2004 Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator, Harris County, TX
Melissa (Berry) Potter M.S. 2008 Chief of Preparedness, South Carolina Emergency Management Division
Leah Blackwood M.S. 2022 Operational Planner–Hurricane, South Carolina Emergency Management Division
Kevin Borden Ph.D. 2008, M.S. 2004 Senior Director of Research and Analytics, Association of Research Libraries, Washington, DC
Bryan Boruff Ph.D. 2005 Associate Professor, School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Perth
Greg Bowser Ph.D. 2013 Senior Specialist, Data Analysis/Visualization at The Cadmus Group, Washington, DC
Bryan Bricker M.S. 2017 Data Analyst, Department of Defense, McLean, VA
Jessica Brugh M.S. 2019 Leasing Consultant, Camden Property Trust, Washington, DC
Kyle Buck Ph.D. 2014 Geographer at USEPA, Gulf Breeze, FL
Christopher Burton Ph.D. 2012, M.S. 2007 Assistant Professor, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Raelene Campbell M.S. 2018 Meteorologist, National Weather Service Medina, OH
Richard F. Collins, Jr. Ph.D. 1998 DCS Corporation, Huntsville, AL
Mark W. Corson Ph.D. 1997 Professor of Geography, Chair of Natural Sciences, Northwest Missouri State University
Eric Daley B.S. 2003 Retired Commander, U.S. Navy
Kyser Daniels-Baessler M.S. 2024 Geo Owl, St. Louis, MO
Elizabeth (Dunn) Lake M.S. 2007 General Accounting Office, Atlanta, GA
Sahar Derakhshan Ph.D. 2020 Assistant Professor, Cal Poly, Pomona, CA
Andrew Edmonds M.S. 2006 North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, Durham, NC
Chris Emrich Ph.D. 2005 Professor, University of Central Florida, Orange County, FL
Elijah Evans M.S. 2008 Risk Analyst & Data Scientist, DESE Research Inc., Huntsville, AL
Katie Field M.S. 2000 GIS Technical Manager, Michael Baker Corporation, Washington, DC
Christina Finch M.S. 2006 Deputy Branch Chief, Response Geospatial Office, FEMA, Washington DC
Melanie Gall Ph.D. 2007 Assistant Professor; Co-Director of the Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Arizona State University
Patrice Goins M.A. 2002 Director of Public Health Preparedness for Region 3 of SCDHEC
Dan Goff M.S. 2015 Meteorologist and Client Support Coordinator, AccuWeather, Wichita, KS
Robert Gottlieb M.S. 2015 GIS Analyst, Indiana State Department of Health, Indianapolis, IN
Christina (Griffin) Garrard M.A. 2009 Chief Executive Officer at Griffin LLC
Margot Habets M.S. 2022 Doctoral Student, University of South Carolina
Jennifer Haney Ph.D. 2010 Associate Professor of Geography, Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA
Arleen A. Hill Ph.D. 2002, M.S. 1998 Professor of Geography, University of Memphis
Mike Hohlfeld M.S. 2024  
Danika Holm Yeager M.S. 1994 Chief Operating Office, VP of Operations and Project Execution, Lone Star Ports, Kingwood, TX
Qian Huang Ph.D. 2022 Assistant Research Professor, Center for Rural Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
Amber Jackson B.A. 2022 Public Assistance Special Projects Coordinator, South Carolina Emergency Management Division
Sarah Jackson Ph.D. 2023 Assistant Professor, Emergency and Disaster Management Program, Western Carolina University, NC
David Jones B.A. 2022 Hazard Mitigation GIS Planner, South Carolina Emergency Management Division
Steve Jones M.S. 2003 U.S. Department of State
Bandana Kar Ph.D. 2008 Research Scientist, Urban Dynamics Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Cindy Kolomechuk M.S. 2001 Oregon Department of Forestry, Troutdale, OR
Jitka Kotelenska M.A. 2005 Critigen, Bristol, United Kingdom
Valerie Kudes Double M.S. 1998 FERC and Permitting Task Manager, AECOM, Pittsburgh, PA
Logan Lee M.S. 2021 Instructor, US Military Academy, West Point, NY
Christopher Long M.S. 2023 GIS Analyst, ESP Associates, Raleigh, NC
Yago Martín González Ph.D. 2019 Research Scientist, Department of Geography, History and Philosophy, University Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
Reggie McCarn M.S. 2005 Geospatial Analyst, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC
Ginni (Melton) Stevens M.S. 2008 Senior Project Manager, Wyoming Department of Transportation, Cheyenne, WY
Charmel Menzel M.S. 2001 GIS Solution Engineer, ESRI, Washington, DC
Jerry T. Mitchell Ph.D. 1998 Professor and Chair, Department of Geography, University of South Carolina
Jaime Mitchem Ph.D. 2004 Professor of Geography/GIS, Institute for Environmental & Spatial Analysis, University of North Georgia, Gainesville, GA
Dan Morath M.S. 2010 Senior Disaster Risk Specialist, Pacific Disaster Center, Washington, DC
Leigh Ann Morgan M.S. 1998
Stafford Mullin M.S. 2022 Analyst, Charleston County, South Carolina
Angela Nelson M.S. 2005 Senior Consultant, Change Healthcare, Portland, OR
Khai H. Nguyen M.S. 2015 Ph.D. student, Rutgers University
Jaime Easoz Painter M.S. 2002 Geographer, South Atlantic Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Suwanee, GA
Darren B. Parnell Ph.D. 2005 Professor of Geography, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD
Erika O. Pham M.S. 2018 Geospatial Analyst, Texas Community Watershed Partners, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services, Houston, TX
Ellie Davis Pierel Ph.D. 2022 Science Mission Directorate Policy Branch Management and Program Analyst, NASA, Washington, DC
Paul David Putnam M.S. 2000 District Coordinator, Michigan State University Extension, Stephenson, MI
Jake Ramthum M.S. 2020 NASA SERVIR, Technical Reporting and Communications Associate, NASA Huntsville, AL
Rachel (Reeves) McCaster M.S. 2015 Operational Planner–Risk Management, South Carolina Emergency Management Division
Matt C. Schmidtlein Ph.D 2008, M.S. 2005 Professor of Geography, Sacramento State University, Sacramento, CA
Ronnie Schumann Ph.D. 2015 Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Management and Disaster Science, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
Michael S. Scott Ph.D. 1998 Professor of Geography, Dean, Henson School of Science & Technology, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD
Michael Senn Ph.D. 2014 Visualization Engineer, IT Cadre, Ashburn, VA 
Tyler Spires M.S. 2018 State Hazard Mitigation Officer, South Carolina Emergency Management Division
Joanne Stevenson M.S. 2010 Principal Consultant, Resilient Organisations Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
Eric Tate Ph.D. 2011 Professor, School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Deborah S.K. Thomas Ph.D. 1999 Professor, Department of Geography & Earth Sciences, UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Tracy Whelen M.S. 2020 Travelers Insurance, Hartford, CT
Andrew White M.S. 2022 GIS Analyst, South Carolina Office of Resilience
Megan Wood M.S. 2016 Operational Planner–Mass Care, South Carolina Emergency Management Division
Casey Zuzak M.S. 2010  National Risk Index, FEMA Headquarters, Washington, DC

 


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