Category: Spring 2023

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Gina de la Chesnaye’s Mitigation Brief on Mount St. Helens’ Eruption

Mount St. Helens erupts on May 18, 1980. Photo courtesy of Wiki Images.

When Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared the event a disaster as ash measuring a depth of 150 feet. The event killed 57 people and caused damage to infrastructures, homes, and crops in the region.

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Dareen Aloufi’s Case Study on Ricin Poisoning in Utah

Ricin is a potent toxin extracted from castor beans. Photo courtesy of Wiki Images.

Ricin is a highly toxic poison derived from castor beans that can cause cell death and extreme morbidity when inhaled, ingested, or injected. Death is reported to occur within thirty-six to seventy-two hours after exposure and can spread through fomites.

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Jenna MacLeod’s Case Study on the Guatemalan Volcanic Eruption

Guatemala volcano eruption eases after forcing airport closure.

The Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupted on June 3, 2018. The volcano’s quick-moving lava made it difficult to evacuate homes and find substantial shelters for displaced populations. Hundreds of people were killed in the disaster and homes were destroyed by volcanic residue and hot lava.

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Thomas O’Neill’s Case Study on the 1986 Chernobyl Power Plant Disaster

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Pripyat, Ukraine.

A reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Pripyat, Ukraine exploded on April 26, 1986. Two plant workers died as the disaster took place, followed by the death of twenty-eight more individuals in the next few weeks, all of whom were involved in local disaster response efforts. In the next few years, more than 6,000 children suffered from thyroid cancer. The disaster also resulted in the evacuation of 220,000 inhabitants in Pripyat for unsafe habitability.

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Heather Yu’s Case Study on Shigella in the United States

Close up the media plate on hand medical technicians working on bacterial culture and drug resistance of pathogens in laboratory.

Heather Yu analyzed the 2014-15 Shigella outbreak and its relevance to discussions in drug resistance. Shigella is a common bacterial infection that affects about 450,000 people annually in the US. Out of the infected population, 17% are drug resistant. The risk associated with multi-drug resistant (MDR) Shigella can not be underestimated, as 6% of all strains are resistant to ciprofloxacin, the most common treatment method for the disease.

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Nelia Ekeji’s Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment of California

The LNU Lightning Complex fires spread through the Berryessa Estates neighborhood in Napa County.

Nelia Ekeji characterizes the threats and hazards of California, one of the most earthquake-prone states in the country, according to the United States Geological Survey. In the assessment, threats to the west coast state are broken down into three categories: natural, technological, and man-made.

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