"The Politics of Disaster: Considering Ethics, Engineering and Public Health in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina"
Held Thursday, October 20, 2005, 6 - 8 p.m. in Stein Auditorium, Nesbitt Hall, Room 111
Hurricane Katrina was the most destructive natural disaster to strike the United States in recent memory. For weeks the nation watched as survivors struggled to save themselves and their families, their property and dignity. Everyone—from politicians and bureaucrats, to administrators and journalists, scientists, engineers and academics from all fields—struggled to make sense out of what happened on the Gulf Coast during the last week of August, 2005. Fear and loss soon turned to anger and rage, blame and denial, as citizens demanded accountability and responsibility for the disaster.
Was the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) response adequate? What about the performance of state and local government leaders, of federal, state and local health officials, of the Army Corps of Engineers? What happened to the levees—totally inundated, outdated, or poorly designed? What happened in the Superdome—mayhem or “victims’ assistance”?
What are the economic repercussions of such a devastating event? Was Hurricane Katrina a natural disaster, a crisis in public policy and social ethics, or both? What powerful lessons can we learn from the disaster to help us avoid similar future events?
Introductory Remarks: Mark Greenberg, Dean, Pennoni Honors College
Panelists:
Marla Gold, Dean, School of Public Health
Scott Knowles, Assistant Professor, Department of History and
Politics; Assistant Director, Great Works Symposium
Mark Manion, Associate Professor, Department of English and
Philosophy; Director, Philosophy Program
Roger McCain, Professor, Department of Economics and International Business
Peter Rumm, Associate Professor, School of Public Health,
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health
Diane Sicotte, Assistant Professor, Department of Culture and
Communication
Lisa Ulmer, Professor and Chair, Department of Community Health and Prevention
Joseph Wartman, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil,
Architectural, and Environmental Engineering
Event Organizers:
Dr. Mark Manion
Dr. Scott Knowles
Drexel University matched all donations given at this event for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.