About SURGE

Purpose
The Minority Scholars from Underrepresented Groups in Engineering and the Social Sciences (SURGE) Capacity in Disasters focuses on two challenges: (1) the underrepresentation of STEM racial and ethnic minorities in hazards and disasters research and (2) the disproportionate impacts of disasters on underserved racial and ethnic minority communities.
Goals
The pilot overarching goals are four-fold: (1) increase the number of minority graduate researchers in STEM field with a disaster focus, (2) develop and guide well-trained, qualified disaster scholars from STEM fields, (3) provide academic and professional mentorship for next-generation minority STEM scholars in hazards mitigation and disaster research, and (4) develop professional and research opportunities that involve outreach and problem solving for vulnerable communities in the U.S.