Can Resilience Building Survive a Disaster? Findings From Community-Engaged Research Following Colorado’s Marshall Fire 

Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the next Nicholas Institute and UPEP Environmental Institutions Seminar Series presentation. Our speakers will be Dr. Deserai Anderson (Professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver) and Dr. Katie Dickinson (Associate Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Colorado School of Public Health). No registration required.  The Marshall Fire was the most destructive wildfire in Colorado's history. On December 30, 2021, this climate-enabled and weather-driven event destroyed 1,084 homes and damaged hundreds more in the communities of Louisville, Superior, and unincorporated Boulder County. These communities are among a growing number that face fire risk from nearby wildlands that can spread into suburban and urban areas, causing catastrophic damage. After the Marshall Fire, we saw similar events unfold in Lahaina, Hawaii and Los Angeles, California. As climate change sets the stage for increasing disasters of these types, there is an urgent need for researchers to expand our collective capacity for rapid and responsive research that will facilitate learning and support short- and long-term recovery and resilience. To advance the most rigorous, meaningful science around wildfire recovery and preparedness, research efforts must be tailored to the social, cultural, environmental, and technical realities of each community and disaster context. This talk will highlight findings and methodologies from a longitudinal Colorado-based wildfire research effort, which centers community-engaged practices. Part of the UPEP Environmental Institutions Seminar Series, organized by the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability and the University Program in Environmental Policy (UPEP), a doctoral degree program jointly offered by the Nicholas School of the Environment and Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. This is an in-person event with no virtual viewing option. Learn more and view speaker bios: duke.is/apr7upep