Town and Gown: Partnering with Academic Organizations to Leverage Additional Resources

Elizabeth A. Dunn, MPH, CPH is an Instructor at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Public Health where she has taught courses in global disaster management, humanitarian relief, and homeland security since joining the college in 2012. She serves as a Co-Lead for the FEMA Higher Education Special Interest Group for Service-Learning and Leadership, Tampa Bay Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Urban Area Working Group Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Sub-Committee Chair, and the Public Health Track Lead for the Annual National Homeland Security Conference.

Rebecca Morgenstern Brenner, MPA is a Lecturer at the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, Cornell University. She teaches several courses on disaster policy, environmental policy, environmental justice, project management, environmental rules and regulations, design thinking, and consulting. Rebecca’s recent research projects include projects on just adaptation to flooding, equity in managed retreat, bridging policy with science, climate change education, and building disaster resilience with vulnerable communities. At Cornell, Rebecca holds additional roles as an Atkinson Sustainable Future Faculty Fellow, an Engaged Cornell Faculty Fellow, and a Maurio Einaudi Faculty Associate. In addition to her teaching and research, Rebecca has extensive experience as an environmental consultant in New York and California, working with community organizations, government agencies, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. For FEMA, Rebecca serves as co-lead for the FEMA Higher Education Service-Learning and Leadership Special Interest Group. More about Rebecca here

Dr. John T. Schultz, a sworn-member of the Florida Highway Patrol, serves as a Master Corporal assigned to the Florida Highway Patrol’s Traffic Homicide Advanced Investigation & Reconstruction Team. Dr. Schultz has been a Trooper for nearly 28 years and has served in many leadership roles during his career as a Florida State Trooper including Aide de Camp to Florida’s Lieutenant Governor, United States Secret Service Task Force member, Quick Reactionary Force member, fraud investigator, mutual aid liaison, traffic incident management instructor, certified high liability instructor, and as a current advisory Board Member to the Southwest Florida chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. In his current role, Dr. Schultz and his fellow investigators apply sound investigative practice to include the use of scientific advancements in policing to ensure proper dispositions of investigations for both victims and their families, and to assure individual accountability within the criminal justice system.