The ODU-RC team is excited to welcome the NSU research team led by Dr. Camille Okpodu and Dr. Bernadette Holmes as part of an interdisciplinary, multi-institution collaborative summer research project.  The project, titled “A Systems Approach:  Developing Cross-Site Multiple Drivers to Understand Climate Change, Sea-level Rise and Coastal Flooding for an African American Community in Portsmouth, VA” officially kicked off on May 22, 2017. The project is associated with the DHS Coastal Resilience Center of Excellence at the University of North Carolina.

Dr. Okpodu, Professor of Biology is leading the biological/ecological aspects of the project and Dr. Holmes, Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice, is leading the sociological part of the project. They will be joined on the ODU side by ODU-RC researchers Dr. Wie Yusuf (School of Public Service), Dr. Michelle Covi (Ocean, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, and Virginia Sea Grant), Dr. Joshua Behr (VMASC), Dr. Larry Atkinson (Ocean, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) and Dr. Gail Nicula (School of Public Service).  The full research team met for the first time on June 1.

The student researchers involved in the project are:

  • Raisa Barrera, Graduating Senior, Biology (NSU)
  • Mikel Johnson, Rising Senior, Sociology (NSU)
  • Bryan Clayborne, Rising Senior, Sociology (NSU)
  • Donta Council, Doctoral student, Public Administration and Policy (ODU)
  • Isaiah Amos, Master’s students, Ecological Sciences (ODU)

Drs. Okpodu and Holmes having their kick-off meeting with their student team on May 22, 2017.

The project is funded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Summer Research Team (SRT) Program. The program aims to increase and enhance the scientific leadership at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) in research areas that support the mission and goals of DHS. This program provides faculty and student research teams with the opportunity to conduct research at university-based DHS Centers of Excellence (DHS Centers).

The SRT Program and DHS Centers are sponsored by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate Office of University Programs.  The DHS SRT MSI Program is funded by DHS and administered through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) through an interagency agreement between DOE and DHS.