Welcome as we begin a new semester and the second academic year of our HATS project. We have reason for optimism. The HATS team this semester will expand to nine as a new GRA from Ghana (Issahaku Mahama), two Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows (Bella Bains and Betsy Sorensen), and an undergraduate student researcher (Jillian Owen) will join the existing team of myself and Dr. Corrie Hannah, two GRAs (Felix Ampadu and Heather Altherr), and our first undergraduate researcher (Syaffia Sahl). With this critical mass of expertise and international experience, we are growing the capacity for research in a broad spectrum of topics related to disasters and humanitarian assistance. Our agenda includes a comprehensive analysis of the meaning and measurement of recovery in the disaster risk reduction framework, a study of displacement and climate change, an analytical review of the gender, diversity, and inclusion dimensions of disasters, and a study of information networks for disaster management, particularly on the continent of Africa. There are other research challenges waiting in the wings, in such themes as global health and conflict.
Let’s remember, however, the overall objective of generating an operational research program. The larger vision is to identify and foment research opportunities through our HATS faculty network. The preliminary research agenda is applied and designed to support the international mission of disaster mitigation and humanitarian response. Our HATS faculty at the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance at USAID provide input on the research themes from their professional perspectives. But we also will disseminate this preliminary agenda among the HATS network here on campus, seeking comments and suggestions for improving the program. Our intent is to provide a stimulus for the active exchange of ideas and collaborative research initiatives among ourselves as we build our community of scholars and practitioners.
Please don’t forget the Symposium on Resilience Research for Global Development Challenges on September 30 and October 1. There is a significant amount of HATS content on the program, and we are confident that as we build our institutional capacity and international visibility in HATS-related research, we will find increasing sources of external support.
I look at the recent earthquake/storms in Haiti, the turmoil in Afghanistan, the continued human toll in areas of conflict both near and far, and my commitment to the importance of HATS is reaffirmed. Admittedly, we are a small part of the overall effort, but urgent and important nonetheless. We continue to relish the opportunities to work with and learn from each other across our HATS network.
