J. Carlee Purdum

Assistant Professor of Sociology at University of Houston

J. Carlee Purdum is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Houston and a faculty affiliate of UH Population Health and the Hurricane Resilience Research Center. Professor Purdum's research interests include vulnerable populations, organizational decision making, rural resilience, emergency management and public health in disasters. Her work explores how prisons and incarcerated persons are impacted by hazards and disasters (extreme heat, hurricanes/storms, wildfires, toxic exposures, COVID19, etc.). Additionally she focuses on organizational decision-making and behavior in emergency response and management and the implications for both emergency management and public health planning and policy.

'Cajun Navy' volunteers who participate in search-and-rescue operations after hurricanes are forming long-lasting organizations

Since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, volunteers have been participating in search-and-rescue efforts after big disasters — especially in that region. Many of these groups are known as “Cajun Navy” organizations.

Assistant Professor of Sociology at University of Houston

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'Cajun Navy' volunteers who participate in search-and-rescue operations after hurricanes are forming long-lasting organizations

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