2020 has been a year of major disruptions with COVID-19, making resilience imperative to the well-being of communities and society around the world. GRI’s mission has magnified, and our commitment to advancing societal resilience around the world has strengthened.

This year, GRI has supported efforts to uplift global resilience capacities through multiple projects, research, and initiatives. We believe, increasing access to resilience resources, achieves a positive impact on individuals, communities, infrastructure, systems, networks, and societies. Through the sharing of updates, information, and stories, we can amplify the important role resilience plays in our daily lives – beginning with current events.

Each week, we will share a curated list of recent news and events that are aimed at keeping you informed, but also show the impact resilience can have when its implemented in a system – and also, when it is not.

This Week’s Happenings:

  1. GRI Distinguished Senior Fellow Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith was named one of three Co-Chairs to President-Elect Joe Biden’s Coronavirus task force
    COVID-19 has significantly disrupted life in the U.S. and across the globe. We are proud to have Dr. Nunez-Smith as a Resilience Champion of GRI, and work with her to advance our mission. Her expertise will bring meaningful contributions to such a critical matter and bring forth positive change during this pandemic.
  2. GRI Distinguished Senior Fellow Admiral Peter Neffenger Named as Volunteer for Biden’s Agency Review Team
    We are pleased to report that GRI Distinguished Senior Fellow, Admiral Peter Neffenger (USCG Ret.), has joined President-Elect Joe Biden’s Agency Review team under the Department of Homeland Security team. Agency review teams are responsible for understanding the operations of each agency, ensuring a smooth transfer of power, and preparing for President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris and their cabinet to hit the ground running on Day One.
  1. Listen to GRI Faculty Affiliate Sara Jensen Carr talk about her upcoming book that explores the intricate relationship between architecture and public health
    An architecturally secure space ensures individuals and communities remain resilient during any kind of disaster – natural or manmade. GRI Faculty Affiliate Sara Jensen Carr says that even with the lessons history can teach us about the interplay between health and architecture, we still have a lot to learn about how to adapt or rebuild our homes, schools and workplaces, to better protect ourselves in a public health crisis.
  1. From #GRIWhitepaperWednesdays: Learn about “Economic Needs of New England State and Local Governments in Pandemic Recovery,” authored by Robert K. Triest
    Every Wednesday, GRI shares expert whitepapers exploring diverse resilience subjects produced by GRI Faculty Affiliates and resilience champions. This week, read the first out of 10 Special Investigation Reports or whitepapers supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This whitepaper written by Robert K. Triest reviews the impact of the pandemic-driven decline in economic activity in New England on state and local government finances, identifies policy considerations, and discusses some specific policy recommendations.
  1. Disinformation Crisis: “How Misleading is Your Social Feed?”
    Information that is authentic, reliable, and easily accessible is key to a thriving, resilient democracy. But with the rise of social media, information is also easily corrupted. GRI Faculty Affiliate John Wihbey is the key researcher on a yearlong study that analyzes how young and older voters receive information. Read about his findings on the impact of ‘fake news’ on young news consumers, and how they’re on guard about almost everything they see.
  2. According to Chelsea Harvey in the Scientific American, as the oceans warm, hurricanes stay longer, are less likely to weaken once they make landfall, leading to more damage
    Natural disasters are some of the most major, and most common, disruptions that greatly affect the lives of individuals and communities. In many regions, hurricanes specifically have caused disastrous effects that end up impeding on the daily lives of the regions’ residents with long-term damage. Stories like these fuel our mission further and emphasize the dire need resilience needs to play in a community, region, state, and organization’s planning.

    Bonus: GRI Faculty Affiliate, Ivan Petkov, published a paper earlier this year focused on local recovery in the face of hurricanes.

To stay up-to-date on the latest news and events across GRI and its affiliated faculty, visit globalresilience.northeastern.edu/resources.