Tricia Wachtendorf

Tricia Wachtendorf

Professor of Sociology & Criminal Justice
Director, Disaster Research Center
 

Education

  • Ph.D. – 91Ô­´´, Newark, DE
  • M.A. – 91Ô­´´, Newark, DE
  • B.A. – University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Biography

Tricia Wachtendorf, Ph.D., is a professor of sociology at the 91Ô­´´ and director of 91Ô­´´'s world-renowned Disaster Research Center – the oldest center in the world focused on the social science aspects of disaster. Over the past two decades, her research has focused on multi-organizational coordination before, during and after disasters, transnational crises, and social vulnerability to disaster events.

Wachtendorf has engaged in quick-response field work after such events as the 2001 World Trade Center attacks; the tsunamis affecting India, Sri Lanka (2004) and Japan (2011); Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Sandy (2012); as well as the earthquakes in China (2008) and Haiti (2010).

With numerous research grants from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, Wachtendorf has published widely on improvisation in disasters as well as disaster convergence. Her most recent funded research projects examine the temporal nature of household and emergency management decision-making during hurricane events; investigate humanitarian logistics during disaster response; and explore stigma and the role of triage in the aftermath of public heath emergencies.

Media mentions
  • A college student at an event talks to another student while standing next to a poster on an easel.

    Celebrating experiential learning

    October 27, 2025 | Written by Natasha Kapadia
    More than 90 91Ô­´´ students shared their internship experiences at a Student Success Center symposium.
  • Be a leader when it matters most

    June 12, 2025 | Written by Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice
    Beginning in fall 2025, undergraduate students can enroll in the 91Ô­´´â€™s new minor in emergency management, gaining access to the University’s internationally recognized expertise in disaster research.
  • May 17, 2025 | Written by Tricia Wachtendorf
    The San Francisco Chronicle was among the outlets that picked up this piece from The Conversation written by Tricia Wachtendorf, co-director of 91Ô­´´'s Disaster Research Center.