Megan S. Porter Email and Phone Number

Current & Past Projects:VORTEX-USA -> Southeastern community vulnerability and mobile homesEmergency Manager Survey -> Collaboration practices, vulnerability perception, communication prioritizationHurricane Harvey Focus Groups -> assessment of environmental risk perception, vulnerability, caretakers and sensitive groupsRuidoso Wildfire Risk & Preparedness -> Focus groups, participatory mapping, participant observation

My honors thesis focused on highlighting the barriers to receiving risk-messaging in Black, Brown, and Latinx communities in Nashville, TN during the March 2-3 tornado event in 2020. I examined relationships between vulnerabilities and timing of event notification; most utilized verification sources; and the importance of kinship and community access points to promote awareness and reduce exposure to nocturnal tornadoes. Intended publication under title of: "Taken by surprise: When Black and Latinx Nashville residents became aware of a nocturnal tornado threat"Skill Development: Interview coding; Rstudio; ArcGIS; Application of multi-disciplinary theoretical approaches; Research writing; Journal submission and publication process

I have worked on various research projects to further climatological and social science research with the Department of Geography at UTK. Most notably, I have been involved in a VORTEX-SE project to understand forecaster perceptions of convective modes within Tennessee. I thematically analyzed these interviews, helped develop key themes, and contributed to the section detailing "forecast, detection, and warning challenges; (b) individual perceptions and decision-making variability; and (c) effects on office management and procedure."

Facilitated training and monitoring protocols for community climate initiative in Homer, Alaska; communicated peat land vulnerabilities; conducted interviews with NERRS program coordinators; produced guidance document for NOAA line offices on designing for and monitoring behavior change.

I assisted a team to complete the NEPA environmental review process required to earn federal funding for local development projects.