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McCausland College of Arts and Sciences

Alumni

HVRI alumni hold jobs across the country in academia, emergency management, public heath, GIS, and much more!

The following graduates worked with the Hazards Vulnerability and Resilience Research Institute during their time at USC.

Graduate Degree/Year Current Position
Dara Angelo M.S. 2012 Certified Pilates Instructor, Richmond, VA
Kevin Ash  Ph.D. 2015 Assistant Professor, University of Florida
Melanie Baker M.S. 2004 Technical Consultant at ESRI, Charlotte, NC
Savannah Baker  M.S. 2023 Regional Coordinator, South Carolina Emergency Management
Lindsey (Barnes) Guinther M.S. 2008 Director Environmental Affairs, Lightsource bp, CO
Melanie Bartis M.S. 2004 Assistant Director, Office of Emergency Management, City of Houston, TX
Melissa (Berry) Potter M.S. 2008 Chief of Operations, South Carolina Emergency Management Division
Leah Blackwood M.S. 2022 Emergency Management Analyst, Argonne National Lab
Kevin Borden Ph.D. 2008, M.S. 2004 Senior Director of Research and Analytics, Association of Research Libraries, Washington, DC
Bryan Boruff Ph.D. 2005 Associate Professor, School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Perth
Greg Bowser Ph.D. 2013 Data Scientist, Booz Allen Hamilton
Bryan Bricker M.S. 2017 Data Analyst, Department of Defense, McLean, VA
Jessica Brugh M.S. 2019 Leasing Consultant, Camden Property Trust, Washington, DC
Kyle Buck Ph.D. 2014 Lecturer, University of Vermont
Christopher Burton Ph.D. 2012, M.S. 2007 Senior Scientist, Global Earthquake Model Foundation
Raelene Campbell M.S. 2018 Meteorologist, National Weather Service Medina, OH
Richard F. Collins, Jr. Ph.D. 1998 Qualis Corporation, Decatur, AL
Mark W. Corson Ph.D. 1997 Professor Emeritus, Northwest Missouri State University, Retired Brigadier General, US Army Reserve
Eric Daley B.S. 2003 Retired Commander, U.S. Navy
Kyser Daniels-Baessler M.S. 2024 Geo Owl, St. Louis, MO
Elizabeth (Dunn) Lake M.S. 2007 General Accounting Office, Atlanta, GA
Sahar Derakhshan Ph.D. 2020 Assistant Professor, Cal Poly, Pomona, CA
Andrew Edmonds M.S. 2006 North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, Durham, NC
Chris Emrich Ph.D. 2005 Professor, University of Central Florida, Orange County, FL
Elijah Evans M.S. 2008 Risk Analyst & Data Scientist, DESE Research Inc., Huntsville, AL
Katie Field M.S. 2000 GIS Technical Manager, Michael Baker Corporation, Washington, DC
Christina Finch M.S. 2006 Deputy Director, Response Geospatial Office, FEMA, Washington DC
Melanie Gall Ph.D. 2007 Associate Professor; Co-Director of the Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Arizona State University
Patrice Goins M.A. 2002 Director of Public Health Preparedness for Region 3 of SCDHEC
Dan Goff M.S. 2015 Meteorologist and Senior GIS Analyst, AccuWeather, Wichita, KS
Robert Gottlieb M.S. 2015 Epidemiology Research Associate, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Harrisburg, PA
Christina (Griffin) Garrard M.A. 2009 Chief Executive Officer at Griffin LLC
Margot Habets Ph.D. 2025, M.S. 2022 Research Associate, HVRI and Academic Liaison with South Carolina Office of Resilience, Columbia, SC
Jennifer Haney Ph.D. 2010 Associate Professor of Geography, Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA
Arleen A. Hill Ph.D. 2002, M.S. 1998 Professor of Geography, University of Memphis
Mike Hohlfeld M.S. 2024 Junior Analyst, Partner Forces, Arlington, VA
Danika Holm Yeager M.S. 1994 Chief Operating Office, VP of Operations and Project Execution, Lone Star Ports, Kingwood, TX
Qian Huang Ph.D. 2022 Assistant Research Professor, Center for Rural Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
Amber Jackson B.A. 2022 Public Assistance Consultant, Tetra Tech
Sarah Jackson Ph.D. 2023 Assistant Professor, Emergency & Disaster Management, Western Carolina University, NC
David Jones B.A. 2022 Risk Analysis Program Manager, South Carolina Emergency Management Division
Steve Jones M.S. 2003 U.S. Department of State
Bandana Kar Ph.D. 2008 Research Scientist, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, CO
Erin (Maggie) Kemp M.S. 2025 Geospatial Data Analyst, Amentum, Washington, DC
Cindy Kolomechuk M.S. 2001 Oregon Department of Forestry, Troutdale, OR
Jitka Kotelenska M.A. 2005 Critigen, Bristol, United Kingdom
Valerie Kudes Double M.S. 1998 FERC and Permitting Task Manager, AECOM, Pittsburgh, PA
Logan Lee M.S. 2021 Battalion Executive Officer, US Army, Fort Irwin, CA
Christopher Long M.S. 2023 GIS Analyst, ESP Associates, Raleigh, NC
Yago Martín González Ph.D. 2019 Research Scientist, Department of Geography, History and Philosophy, University Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
Reggie McCarn M.S. 2005 Retired Geospatial Analyst, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency 
Ginni (Melton) Stevens M.S. 2008 Senior Planner, AtkinsRéalis, Cheyenne, WY
Charmel Menzel M.S. 2001 GIS Senior Solution Engineer, ESRI, Vienna, VA
Jerry T. Mitchell Ph.D. 1998 Professor, Department of Geography, University of South Carolina
Jaime Mitchem Ph.D. 2004 Professor of Geography/GIS, University of North Georgia, Gainesville, GA
Dan Morath M.S. 2010 Senior Disaster Risk Specialist, Pacific Disaster Center, Washington, DC
Leigh Ann Morgan M.S. 1998
Stafford Mullin M.S. 2022 GIS Specialist, SeamonWhiteside, Charleston, SC
Angela Nelson M.S. 2005 Technical Program Manager, Imagine Pediatrics, Richmond, CA
Khai H. Nguyen M.S. 2015 Climate Resilience Senior Specialist, City and County of Denver, CO
Madison Nordberg M.S. 2026 Ph.D. Student, University of South Carolina
Jaime (Easoz) Painter M.S. 2002 Water Use and Water Budget Science Program Manager, US Geological Survey, Suwanee, GA
Darren B. Parnell Ph.D. 2005 Professor of Geography, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD
Erika O. Pham M.S. 2018 Geospatial Analyst, Texas Community Watershed Partners, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services, Houston, TX
Ellie Davis Pierel Ph.D. 2022 Program Scientist for Partnerships, NASA, Washington, DC
Paul David Putnam M.S. 2000 District Coordinator, Michigan State University Extension, Stephenson, MI
Jake Ramthum M.S. 2020 NASA EarthRISE Editorial Strategist, Huntsville, AL
Rachel (Reeves) McCaster M.S. 2015 Plans Manager, South Carolina Emergency Management Division
Matt C. Schmidtlein Ph.D 2008, M.S. 2005 Professor of Geography, Sacramento State University, Sacramento, CA
Ronnie Schumann Ph.D. 2015 Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Management and Disaster Science, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
Michael S. Scott Ph.D. 1998 Professor of Geography, Dean, Henson School of Science & Technology, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD
Michael Senn Ph.D. 2014 Retired Colonel, US Army, Senior Director, Delivery, IT Cadre, Ashburn, VA
Tyler Spires M.S. 2018 State Hazard Mitigation Officer, South Carolina Emergency Management Division
Joanne Stevenson M.S. 2010 Principal Consultant, Resilient Organisations Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
Eric Tate Ph.D. 2011 Professor, School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Deborah S.K. Thomas Ph.D. 1999 Associate Vice Chancellor of Research, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC
Gwyneth Waddington M.S. 2025 Ph.D. Student, University of South Carolina
Julie (Lam) Wagner M.S. 2013 Location Strategist, Electrify America, Reston, VA
Tracy Whelen M.S. 2020 Hazards Geographer, Travelers Insurance, Hartford, CT
Andrew White M.S. 2022 Geospatial Coordinator, South Carolina Office of Resilience
Megan Wood M.S. 2016 Program Manager, Mass Care and COOP, South Carolina Emergency Management Division
Danika Yeager M.S. 1994 Senior Vice President, TC Energy, Houston, TX
Casey Zuzak M.S. 2010 Senior Manager, Risk Analysis Niyam IT, Denver, CO

 


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