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I am interested in seeing how social ties and networks have been used to cope with (un)natural disasters. My research focus on places under disasters conditions such as Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria, in which social ties have made the difference between life and death. Furthermore, “natural” disaster has been used to approved austerity measures and unjust policies to impoverished communities like in New Orleans after Katrina. These policies were not new, as they are rooted in structures of power to preserve the status quo. Yet, people have resisted, “through a network of branches, cultures, and geographies” that has stimulated a reflective process of looking within for solutions rather than outside. As often this outside solutions are not only detached from community’s reality but can perpetuate social injustices and inequalities.

McKittrick, K., & Woods, C. A. (Eds.). (2007). Black geographies and the politics of place. South End Press.

Bullard, R. D., & Wright, B. (Eds.). (2009). Race, place, and environmental justice after Hurricane Katrina: Struggles to reclaim, rebuild, and revitalize New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Westview Press.

As I stated in the previous annotiation, their membership is mostly physicians and other health care workers, but is open to anyone that provides a resource that helps them achieve their goals.

“The Hague Street inquest featured many experts, none with the authority to effect real change. The result was a blanket of blame that covered everyone”

"Blame, memorial, and reconstruction tend to outpace technical consensus."

"Investigators had no power to protest the decision. In fact, their initial request to inspect the steel had been lost in the confusion by city officials still pressed with the responsibility of looking for bodies."

Vincanne Adams - Former director of Medical Anthropology with UC Berkeley.

Diana English - Assistant Professor at Stanford Hospital and Clinics.

Taslim van Hattum - Director of Behavioral Health Integration for the Louisiana Public Health Institute. Research focuses on public health.

This article is referenced in approximately 40 peer reviewed papers, mostly focusing on the psychological effects of post-disaster mental health.