Katrina Revisited

Event Details

How did we allow Hurricane Katrina to so badly damage hundreds of thousands of lives? And what can we do to fix it? Twenty-four University of Virginia students from three schools spent the January term studying the key organizational, technical, and cultural factors that contributed to the disaster. Accompanied by faculty including Nicole Hurd, Director of the Center for Undergraduate Excellence, they spent one week in the devastated areas. They helped families rescue their belongings from flood-ravaged homes. They helped prepare a local school for the return of students. Two of the students — Connor Sullivan and Lauren Tilton — will discuss their experiences as scholars studying the problems and as citizens helping their fellow citizens come to grips with the crisis. Miller Center Professor Kent Germany, a Louisiana native who has studied the politics of New Orleans, provides historical and political context for the discussion.