Faculty Profile

Mary Nelan

Title
Associate Professor
Department
Emergency Management and Disaster Science
College
College of Health and Public Service

    

    

      


                          

            
Curriculum Vitae

            

              Click Here to View Faculty CV
            

          

        
                          

            
Education

            



  

  


  
PhD, University of Delaware, 2016. 
Major: Sociology
Degree Specialization: Disasters Studies
Dissertation Title: The Social Construction of Disaster Donations: Agility, Adaptability, and Alignment as Success Determinants in Relief Supply Chains
MA, University of Texas - El Paso, 2011. 
Major: Sociology
Dissertation Title: Responding to Haiti's Earthquake: Volunteer Health and Community Relationships
BA, University of Texas - Austin, 2005. 
Major: English





          

        
                

          
Current Scheduled Teaching*


          
EMDS 5960.001, Directed Reading in Emergency Management and Disaster Science, Spring 2024 
EMDS 5650.001, International Disaster Relief, Spring 2024 Syllabus
EMDS 5950.001, Master's Thesis, Spring 2024 


          
*
  Texas Education Code 51.974 (HB 2504) requires each institution of
  higher education to make available to the public, a syllabus for
  undergraduate lecture courses offered for credit by the institution.
  

        

      

    

  


    

    

      


        


          


            
Previous Scheduled Teaching*


            
                    

                    EMDS 5110.001, Disaster Research Methods, Fall 2023 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EMDS 5950.001, Master's Thesis, Fall 2023 
                    

                    EADP 4050.001, Social Vulnerability in Disasters, Fall 2023 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3045.001, Disaster Response and Recovery, Spring 2023 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EMDS 5950.001, Master's Thesis, Spring 2023 
                    

                    EADP 3010.001, Principles of Emergency Management, Spring 2023 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EMDS 5110.001, Disaster Research Methods, Fall 2022 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3045.001, Disaster Response and Recovery, Fall 2022 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EMDS 5950.001, Master's Thesis, Fall 2022 
                    

                    EADP 3045.001, Disaster Response and Recovery, Spring 2022 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EMDS 5650.001, International Disaster Relief, Spring 2022 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EMDS 5950.001, Master's Thesis, Spring 2022 
                    

                    EMDS 5110.001, Disaster Research Methods, Fall 2021 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3045.001, Disaster Response and Recovery, Fall 2021 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EMDS 5950.001, Master's Thesis, Fall 2021 
                    

                    EADP 3045.002, Disaster Response and Recovery, Spring 2021 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3010.001, Introduction to Emergency Management, Spring 2021 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EMDS 5950.001, Master's Thesis, Spring 2021 
                    

                    EMDS 5110.001, Disaster Research Methods, Fall 2020 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3045.001, Disaster Response and Recovery, Fall 2020 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EMDS 5650.001, International Disaster Relief, Spring 2020 Syllabus
                    

                    EADP 3010.002, Introduction to Emergency Management, Spring 2020 Syllabus
                    

                    EMDS 5950.001, Master's Thesis, Spring 2020 
                    

                    EMDS 6800.003, Seminar in Emergency Management and Disaster Science, Spring 2020 Syllabus
                    

                    EMDS 5110.001, Disaster Research Methods, Fall 2019 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3045.001, Disaster Response and Recovery, Fall 2019 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EMDS 5950.001, Master's Thesis, Fall 2019 
                    

                    EMDS 6800.004, Seminar in Emergency Management and Disaster Science, Fall 2019 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3045.001, Disaster Response and Recovery, Spring 2019 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3010.002, Introduction to Emergency Management, Spring 2019 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EMDS 5110.001, Disaster Research Methods, Fall 2018  SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3045.001, Disaster Response and Recovery, Fall 2018 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EMDS 6800.003, Seminar in Emergency Management and Disaster Science, Fall 2018  SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3045.001, Disaster Response and Recovery, Spring 2018 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3010.001, Introduction to Emergency Management, Spring 2018 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3045.001, Disaster Response and Recovery, Fall 2017 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3010.002, Introduction to Emergency Management, Fall 2017 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3045.001, Disaster Response and Recovery, Spring 2017 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3010.001, Introduction to Emergency Management, Spring 2017 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3045.001, Disaster Response and Recovery, Fall 2016 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    EADP 3010.002, Introduction to Emergency Management, Fall 2016 Syllabus SPOT

          


          
*
  Texas Education Code 51.974 (HB 2504) requires each institution of
  higher education to make available to the public, a syllabus for
  undergraduate lecture courses offered for credit by the institution.
  

        

      

    

  

  
  	

	

	  

		

		   
Published Publications



  

  
Published Intellectual Contributions


  
Book Chapter
Nelan, M.  (2021). The Constructed Identity of Disaster Aid Workers and Their Place in the Affected Community. Routledge. 
Wachtendorf, T., Penta, S., Nelan, M. M. (2015). When Push Comes to Shove: The Framing of Need in Disaster Relief Efforts. Learning and Calamities: Practices, Interpretations, Patterns. Routledge. 
Wachtendorf, T., Nelan, M. M., Blinn-Pike, L.  (2013). Households and Families. Social Vulnerability to Disasters: Second Edition. (2nd), . CRC Press. 
Journal Article
Fraser, R., Schumann, R., Nelan, M. M. (2022). Building Houses, Active Citizens, and Disaster Resilience: The Transformative Potential of Alternative Break Experiences. Journal of Security, Intelligence, and Resilience Education. 14(5), Article 5. https://jsire.org/building-houses-active-citizens-and-disaster-resilience-the-transformative-potential-of-alternative-break-experiences/
Nelan, M. M., Penta, S., Wachtendorf, T., Holgiun-Veras, J.  (2022). The Point of No Return: The Social Construction of Adaptability in Disaster Relief. Natural Hazards Review. 23(1), . 
Zavar, E. M., Nelan, M. M. (2020). Disaster Drills as Experiential Learning Opportunities for Geographic Education. Other. 
Nelan, M. M., Zavar, E. M., Ray, S.  (2019). Chasing Utopia: Disaster Memorial Volunteers at the Joplin Memorial Race. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 44, 101413. 
Nelan, M. M., Penta, S., Wachtendorf, T.  (2019). Paved with Good Intentions: A Social Construction Approach to Alignment in Disaster Donations. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters. 
Penta, S., Wachtendorf, T., Nelan, M. M. (2019). Disaster Relief as Social Action: A Weberian Look at Post-Disaster Donation Behavior. Sociological Forum. 
Nelan, M. M., Schumann, R. L. (2018). Gathering places in the Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Disaster Prevention and Management. 
Nelan, M. M., Wachtendorf, T., Penta, S.  (2018). Agility in Disaster Relief: A Social Construction Approach. Risk, Hazards and Crisis in Public Policy. 9(2), . 
Nelan, M. M., Grineski, S.  (2013). Responding to haiti's earthquake: international volunteers' health behaviors and community relationships.. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters. 31(2), 293-314. 
White Paper
Schumann, R. L., Nelan, M. M. (2018). QR 268: Gathering Places during Short-Term Recovery following Hurricane Harvey. (268), .  Boulder, CO: University of Colorado Natural Hazards Center. https://hazards.colorado.edu/quick-response-report/gathering-places-during-the-short-term-recovery-following-hurricane-harvey



	
		
		
	  

	

	

  
    
	

	

	  

		

		   
Awarded Grants



  
  
  	  
          
Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Research  

 	 
	 	 
  
Grant - Research   
Schumann, R. L., Nelan, M. M., "Quick Response Research: The Evolution of Gathering Places During Response and Recovery following Hurricane Harvey," Sponsored by University of Colorado Natural Hazards Center, Other, $1625 Funded. (September 12, 2017 – December 13, 2017).



	
		
		
	  

	

	

	
	

  
  
  

  	

		

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					Overall
Summative Rating		
					Challenge and
Engagement Index		
					Response Rate
					
				

			
			
				

					
					
out of 5		
					
out of 7		
					%
 of 
students responded		
					
					
				

			
		


		
    
			
  • Overall Summative Rating (median):
    
			This rating represents the combined responses of students to the four global summative items and is presented to provide an overall index of the class’s quality. Overall summative statements include the following (response options include a Likert scale ranging from 5 = Excellent, 3 = Good, and 1= Very poor):
				
      
					
    • The course as a whole was
      • 
					
    • The course content was
      • 
					
    • The instructor’s contribution to the course was
      • 
					
    • The instructor’s effectiveness in teaching the subject matter was
      • 
				
    
			
    • 
			
  • Challenge and Engagement Index:
    
			This rating combines student responses to several SPOT items relating to how academically challenging students found the course to be and how engaged they were. Challenge and Engagement Index items include the following (response options include a Likert scale ranging from 7 = Much higher, 4 = Average, and 1 = Much lower):
				
      
					
    • Do you expect your grade in this course to be
      • 
					
    • The intellectual challenge presented was
      • 
					
    • The amount of effort you put into this course was
      • 
					
    • The amount of effort to succeed in this course was
      • 
					
    • Your involvement in course (doing assignments, attending classes, etc.) was
      • 
				
    
			
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