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About SDMI

In 2007, LSU alumni Emmet and Toni Stephenson gave a large donation to LSU to start a new disaster response management institute to capitalize on LSU's unique experience and outstanding performance under the severe pressure of the Katrina disaster. Their vision was to see LSU become the premier university in the world on disaster response management. Out of this donation, the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute was born. The mission of the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI) is to save the lives of people and animals by continuously improving disaster response management through leadership in applied research and education. Additionally, the institute seeks to close the gap between practitioners and academic researchers by causing collaboration between these critical players. The result is leading research that can be applied to the challenges that face government, business leaders, and the "whole community". The Stephenson Disaster Management Institute enhances Louisiana State University's ability to focus its existing programs and research capacity on particular problems, while adding additional capacity with respect to strategic management and decision making. The Stephenson Disaster Management Institute works with LSU research affiliates to collaborate on projects and research proposals that will improve preparedness and response. Research disciplines span across multiple departments, including engineering, psychology, sociology, information systems & decision sciences, veterinary medicine, economics, and computer science. Serving as the interface between researchers and practitioners, the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute supports projects that encourage partnerships between these communities that inform and improve the quality of research and assure that academic findings are translated into solutions.


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Mission:

The mission of the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute is to save the lives of people and animals by continuously improving disaster response management through leadership in applied research and executive education.

Goals:

  • Close the gap between emergency management practitioners and academic researchers by causing collaboration.
  • Apply business principles and research to bear on disaster preparedness, mitigation, and recovery.
  • Produce applied research and disseminate best practices to individuals, businesses, and practitioners

Demonstrating thought leadership and operating leading programs, the Institute is making a difference in improving overall community and system resiliency against disasters and their aftermath. Stephenson Disaster Management Institute works with leading academic scholars to focus research on the particular problems of disasters, transitioning relevant research into information products and aligning subject matter expertise with disaster management decision makers. SDMI also works with its research affiliates and senior fellows to collaborate on new projects and research proposals that will improve each phase of disaster events, from pre-event preparedness through post-event recovery.

Stephenson Disaster Management Institute has a deep bench of respected research affiliates. Additionally, its senior fellows enjoy recognition as respected experts in the various fields of disaster management practice.

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