Nnenia Campbell, Ph.D., Bill Anderson Fund
Innovation and Description: Minority Doctoral Student Recruitment for Disaster Justice Engagement
The Bill Anderson Fund (BAF) is a vibrant, national nonprofit organization that is helping to transform the disaster workforce by empowering the diverse next generation of leaders through professional development training, mentorship, networking opportunities, and a supportive interdisciplinary community. The BAF works with historically underrepresented minority doctoral students whose research aims to address the disproportionate burdens of environmental hazards and disasters among marginalized communities.
Other Participants:
Norma Anderson
Primary Disaster Justice Benefits:
A core objective of the BAF is to equip its doctoral student Fellows with the tools they will need to create a paradigm shift in disaster research and practice. Being a member of the DJN enables the BAF to connect the Fellows with opportunities to develop research relationships that are grounded in trust, mutual respect, and reciprocity rather than extraction. Vital experiences such as these are often not part of the training that students receive through graduate programs.
Secondary Disaster Justice Benefits:
The values and perspectives represented within the DJN align broadly with those within the Bill Anderson Fund. It is a privilege to be connected with a diverse network of scholars, advocates, community leaders, and others who are working to create more just and equitable outcomes in frontline communities.
Would you recommend others (disaster survivors, disaster-impacted communities) learn more about the activity, project or program to consider adoption of a similar one?
Yes.
What refinements additional to the ones you have implemented would you recommend others consider if they wish to adopt the activity, project or program?
No model is one-size-fits-all. Different communities have different needs, so even an innovative model such as the one the DJN has created must be refined to provide appropriate support. This requires introspection, communication, and respect for local knowledge. The DJN is a constantly evolving vision, and its adaptability is the foundation of its success.