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Mary M. Nelan

Title: Associate Professor

Department: Emergency Management and Disaster Science

College: College of Health and Public Service

Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae Link

Education

  • PhD, University of Delaware, 2016
    Major: Sociology
    Specialization: Disasters Studies
    Dissertation: 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: Responding to Haiti's Earthquake: Volunteer Health and Community Relationships
  • BA, University of Texas - Austin, 2005
    Major: English

Current Scheduled Teaching

EMDS 5960.001Directed Reading in Emergency Management and Disaster ScienceSpring 2025
EADP 3045.001Disaster Response and RecoverySpring 2025
EADP 4050.001Social Vulnerability in DisastersSpring 2025
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 5960.001Directed Reading in Emergency Management and Disaster ScienceSpring 2024
EMDS 5650.001International Disaster ReliefSpring 2024 SPOT
EMDS 5950.001Master's ThesisSpring 2024
EMDS 5110.001Disaster Research MethodsFall 2023 SPOT
EMDS 5950.001Master's ThesisFall 2023
EADP 4050.001Social Vulnerability in DisastersFall 2023 Syllabus SPOT
EADP 3045.001Disaster Response and RecoverySpring 2023 Syllabus SPOT
EMDS 5950.001Master's ThesisSpring 2023
EADP 3010.001Principles of Emergency ManagementSpring 2023 Syllabus SPOT
EMDS 5110.001Disaster Research MethodsFall 2022 SPOT
EADP 3045.001Disaster Response and RecoveryFall 2022 Syllabus SPOT
EMDS 5950.001Master's ThesisFall 2022
EADP 3045.001Disaster Response and RecoverySpring 2022 Syllabus SPOT
EMDS 5650.001International Disaster ReliefSpring 2022 SPOT
EMDS 5950.001Master's ThesisSpring 2022
EMDS 5110.001Disaster Research MethodsFall 2021 SPOT
EADP 3045.001Disaster Response and RecoveryFall 2021 Syllabus SPOT
EMDS 5950.001Master's ThesisFall 2021
EADP 3045.002Disaster Response and RecoverySpring 2021 Syllabus SPOT
EADP 3010.001Introduction to Emergency ManagementSpring 2021 Syllabus SPOT
EMDS 5950.001Master's ThesisSpring 2021
EMDS 5110.001Disaster Research MethodsFall 2020 SPOT
EADP 3045.001Disaster Response and RecoveryFall 2020 Syllabus SPOT
EMDS 5650.001International Disaster ReliefSpring 2020
EADP 3010.002Introduction to Emergency ManagementSpring 2020 Syllabus
EMDS 5950.001Master's ThesisSpring 2020
EMDS 6800.003Seminar in Emergency Management and Disaster ScienceSpring 2020
EMDS 5110.001Disaster Research MethodsFall 2019 SPOT
EADP 3045.001Disaster Response and RecoveryFall 2019 Syllabus SPOT
EMDS 5950.001Master's ThesisFall 2019
EMDS 6800.004Seminar in Emergency Management and Disaster ScienceFall 2019 SPOT
EADP 3045.001Disaster Response and RecoverySpring 2019 Syllabus SPOT
EADP 3010.002Introduction to Emergency ManagementSpring 2019 Syllabus SPOT
EMDS 5110.001Disaster Research MethodsFall 2018 SPOT
EADP 3045.001Disaster Response and RecoveryFall 2018 Syllabus SPOT
EMDS 6800.003Seminar in Emergency Management and Disaster ScienceFall 2018 SPOT
EADP 3045.001Disaster Response and RecoverySpring 2018 Syllabus SPOT
EADP 3010.001Introduction to Emergency ManagementSpring 2018 Syllabus SPOT
EADP 3045.001Disaster Response and RecoveryFall 2017 Syllabus SPOT
EADP 3010.002Introduction to Emergency ManagementFall 2017 Syllabus SPOT
EADP 3045.001Disaster Response and RecoverySpring 2017 Syllabus SPOT
EADP 3010.001Introduction to Emergency ManagementSpring 2017 Syllabus SPOT
EADP 3045.001Disaster Response and RecoveryFall 2016 Syllabus SPOT
EADP 3010.002Introduction to Emergency ManagementFall 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 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

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. (2017 - 2017).
  • Schumann, R., Nelan, 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, Funded. (2017 - 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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