February 20, 2020
Spring undergraduate course to focus on humanitarian and disaster research
A UW team installs a solar microgrid in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
The Population Health Initiative is again offering GEN ST 297, “Disasters: Approaches to Preparation, Response and Recovery,” during spring quarter 2020. This is a one-credit, credit/no-credit seminar-style course for undergraduate students that will require completion of short, weekly quizzes and a two- to three-page final paper.
Natural and human-made disasters result in enormous human and economic costs, including immediate loss of lives, destruction of infrastructure, food shortages, disease outbreaks and displacement. The appropriate response to these disasters is complex, requiring multi-level, cross-sector coordination and input from a range of disciplines.
The course, GEN ST 297 A (SLN 14644), will offer undergraduate students an overview of the research and service-related activities at the UW that contribute to management of these types of emergencies. The course will meet Tuesdays. The speakers and topics for the quarter are:
| Date | Speaker | Topic | Unit |
| 3/31 | Meher Antia Derek Fulwiler |
Course introduction Overview of disasters |
Population Health Initiative |
| 4/7 | David Townes | Health in complex humanitarian emergencies | Emergency Medicine |
| 4/14 | Daniel Abramson | Community resilience and hazard mitigation | Urban Design & Planning |
| 4/21 | Shannon Dorsey | Trauma related to disasters | Psychology |
| 4/28 | Karin Huster | Frontlines of handling Ebola crisis: Trust | Global Health and Nursing |
| 5/5 | Peter Rabinowitz | Pandemic disease preparedness: Coronavirus | Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences |
| 5/12 | Nicole Errett | Domestic preparation for disasters | Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences |
| 5/19 | Bill Steele | Earthquake preparedness and early warning | Pacific Northwest Seismic Network |
| 5/26 | Joseph Wartman | Deployment for data gathering in a disaster aftermath | Civil & Environmental Engineering |
| 6/2 | Barry Morgan | Hands-on, practical information about preparedness | UW Emergency Management |
This course is open to all interested faculty, students, staff, alumni and members of the community, although undergraduates who wish to receive course credit must register during the course add period.