Social Research

The social dimension of sustainability focuses on addressing disruptions in society that pose threats to the overall wellbeing of people, including inequality, social injustice, poverty, conflict and other threats to human security. The two research clusters falling under this category include the Hazards & Disaster Research to Respond to Global Crises Cluster, and the Human Security, Democracy, & Global Development Cluster. The former seeks real-world solutions to planning, response, and recovery in domestic and global disasters, while the latter addresses political violence, governance, and global poverty. Funding secured by researchers within the two clusters amounts to over $1.6 million.

disaster relief cluster Hazards and Disaster Research to Respond to Global Crises Cluster

Description:  Researchers from the College of Public Affairs & Community Service, Engineering, Business, and Arts & Sciences make up this cluster. Many departments are represented including Public Administration, Materials Science & Engineering, Marketing & Logistics, and Geography.

Focus: Providing real world solutions to the complex challenges of domestic and global disaster planning, response and recovery through research and innovative multidisciplinary collaboration. 

Members:

  • Samuel Atkinson - remote sensing analysis and modeling. Funding: $411,626 
  • Jincheng Du - structure and structural origin of properties for complex materials and systems. Funding: $391,540 
  • Miguel Acevedo - sensors and environmental modeling. Funding: $104,789
  • Linda Holloway - community rehabilitation and diversity issues in community service. Funding: $39,048
  • David McEntire - emergency management theory; vulnerability reduction; and homeland security. Funding: $7,469
  • Victor Prybutok - information systems measurement; quality control; and risk assessment. Funding: $4,500
  • Sudha Arlikatti - assessing the impact of the Indian Ocean tsunami on households and the role of Spanish language media in promoting disaster resiliency
  • Nicole Dash - evacuation; housing; long term recovery; and social impacts
  • Pingliang Dong - remote sensing and geographic information systems
  • Terry Pohlen - logistics and distribution of goods
  • Laura Siebeneck - geographic and temporal dimensions of risk perception, communication, and household behavior during the evacuation and return-entry processes for disaster events
  • Zheng Xiang - tourist behavior; information systems; and social media

Total Funding: $958,972

Possible Applications: Provides solutions to domestic and global disaster planning including evacuation planning, risk modeling, service delivery, and humanitarian logistics; reducing vulnerability to hazards and natural disasters; ensuring adequate access to emergency notification systems; increasing efficiency in disaster response; improving warning systems; strengthening resiliency in communities

globalization research Human Security, Democracy, and Global Development Cluster

Description: Researchers from the College of Arts & Sciences and Public Affairs & Community Service make up this cluster. Departments represented include Philosophy & Religion Studies, Biology, Geography, Economics, Sociology and the Office of Sustainability.

Focus: Finding evidence-based solutions to prevent political violence, improve governance, and address global poverty 

Members:

  • Paul Hensel – international conflict and conflict management. Funding: $260,330
  • Michael Greig – international conflict; peacekeeping; mediation. Funding: $173,539
  • John Ishiyama – democratization; ethnic politics; Eastern Europe. Funding: $173,539
  • Idean Salehyan – civil conflict; environmental security; refugees; Africa. Funding: $78,312
  • David Hoeinghaus - community ecology, freshwater ecosystems and advanced ecology. Funding: $59,599
  • Sean Tierney - Energy / Electricity, Clean Technology, Economic, Urban, Transportation, Airlines. Funding: $2,097
  • Marijke Breuning – foreign policy; development; foreign aid
  • Adam Briggle - environmental ethics and public policy
  • Jacqueline DeMeritt – human rights; repression; formal and quantitative methods; international advocacy groups
  • Andrew Enterline – international conflict; foreign policy; counterinsurgency
  • Gabe Ignatow - transnational environmental activism
  • Stanley Ingman - Environmental Public Policy and Sustainable Communities
  • Todd Jewell - telecommunications and regulatory policy
  • Irene Klaver - philosophy of water and the issues that affect watersheds, rivers, and other water bodies
  • Jose Martinez – Mexican migration; economic development; labor economics
  • T. David Mason – civil conflict; peace building; post-conflict transitions
  • James Meernik – transitional justice; international tribunals; human rights
  • Michael McPherson – international trade; development; Africa
  • David Molina – economic development; immigration; border economies
  • Joseph Oppong – development; public health; Africa
  • Dale Yeatts - village characteristics associated with sustainable communities including environmental, economic, political, and social characteristics of the villages
  • Brian Collins – sustainable economic growth, jurisdictional competition for resources

Total Funding: $1,427,416

Possible Applications: monitoring conflicts as they happen, evaluating the effectiveness of various policy interventions, forecasting future unrest; natural resource management and conflict; religion and conflict; ethnicity and conflict; international environmental policy; reducing vulnerability of populations in violent areas; increasing international agreement on environmental issues; sustainable economic growth in developing countries; reducing interjurisdictional conflict; improving access to clean drinking water; strengthening international efforts in human rights; the use of social media in strengthening democracy