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Diverse perspectives needed for security,

says PACER & START's Dr. Randy Rowel

(Sept 2007)

“Developing a culturally diverse body of researchers to address complex questions that will make the homeland safe from natural disasters, terrorism and other public health threats is imperative,” says Dr. Randy Rowel, an Assistant Professor in Morgan State University’s School of Public Health and Policy and the Director of the “Why Culture Matters” Disaster Studies Work Group.

Rowel advises students to examine the field of public health -- A crucial component to preparedness and response to disasters. It offers a wide variety of research opportunities and includes concepts such as prevention and risk reduction behaviors, risk perception, risk communication, and information on how humans behave under emergency circumstances

Rowel’s own research agenda in public health has examined the cultural implications of public health emergency preparedness, response and recovery, and specifically, the natural disaster experiences of low-income African Americans and Spanish speaking Latinos populations.

An investigator with DHS’ National Center for Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response (PACER), Rowel led two doctoral students this summer in DHS’ Summer Research Team Program. Their work at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START Center) developed ways that health departments and emergency management agencies can measure a community’s levels of knowledge, attitudes and behavior associated with appropriate preparedness, recovery and response to disasters.