Promoting Community Resiliency through Social Science Webinar
About the Webinar
Originally presented December 8, 2021
Hurricanes, severe storms, and flooding cause billions of dollars of losses every year. Residents impacted by flooding look to return home as quickly as possible to assess any damage that may have occurred and to get back to their daily lives. These homes may contain dangers that residents need to understand how to navigate, including lead, asbestos, mold, toxic chemicals, and bacteria from the flood water. While existing information via paper and online resources already exists, it may be difficult to find or can be filled with long verbiage that discourages education and practicality of use.
EPA researchers used social science to better understand the needs of those impacted by flood waters to develop an online interactive tool to provide outreach and education that promotes community resilience after a disaster. This webinar will discuss how researchers used social science practices from Human-Centered Design and disaster anthropology to develop a website containing short, how-to videos based on technical guidance on how members of the public can safely re-enter their home, remove contaminated materials, clean it out, and begin repairs.
About the Presenter
Dr. Keely Maxwell is a General Anthropologist with EPA’s Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. An environmental anthropologist and ecologist by training, Keely first came to EPA as a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow. Dr. Maxwell leads several research projects, including community resilience to disasters, the social dynamics of environmental cleanups, and the safe remediation of flooded homes website. She served as a chapter lead for the Built Environment, Urban Systems, and Cities chapter of the Fourth National Climate Assessment and is the coordinating lead author for the Human Social Systems chapter of the Fifth National Climate Assessment. Dr. Maxwell has a Ph.D. and M.F.S. from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a B.A. from Williams College.