Engaging Local Communities- Olivia Scriven, FEMA NDRS Recovery Support Crew Lead

I spoke by phone with Dr. Olivia A. Scriven at FEMA’s headquarters in Washington, DC. Dr. Scriven serves as the Academia Advisor for FEMA’s National Disaster Recovery Support (“NDRS”) cadre. Dr. Scriven has leveraged her background and experience to launch an initiative to link communities impacted by Hurricane Michael – a Category 5 storm which devastated the Florida Panhandle -- with technical expertise from colleges and universities to support long-term recovery. These efforts range from dual-use resiliency centers designed to support large-scale community gatherings during “blue skies” and serve as hardened shelters able to withstand catastrophic winds in times of disaster. Dr. Scriven continues to consult nationally, is regularly invited to serve on peer-review panels for the NSF, and her research exploring historically Black colleges and universities and pioneering African American women in the U.S. scientific enterprise has appeared in books published by Oxford University Press and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Dr. Scriven earned the master’s and doctoral degree in the history and sociological studies of science and technology from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She also holds a master’s in Educational Communication and Technology from New York University, where she also earned the bachelor’s degree. She and I spoke about this program and the role project management methods and techniques play in engaging local communities and managing expectations. More info about FEMA’s assistance in the recovery following Hurricane Michael can be found at: https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2019/10/08/hurricane-michael-one-year-later-federal-aid-panhandle-nears-19b