Bio

Susamma Seeley is a crisis and disaster management human services specialist with a focus on social justice and inclusion. Currently pursuing a PhD in disaster science and management at UD, she aims to bring greater transparency and equity to disaster recovery. Her work emphasizes the impact of personal identity on leadership and the disparities between how disaster recovery programs are designed versus how survivors experience them. As an educator, Susamma teaches undergraduate students to be kinder, more empathetic leaders in all aspects of their lives. 

Born in Kerala, India, and raised and educated in the United States, Susamma is a service-connected disabled veteran of the U.S. Army. She openly shares her journey with PTSD and her experience as a suicide-loss survivor to foster understanding and advocacy. Her powerful TEDx talk recounts her devastating loss and her subsequent battle against the stigma surrounding suicide and grief. She uses her story to advocate for compassionate conversations, stigma reduction, and actionable steps to support those at risk.

A member of Cohort XIV of Harvard’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, Susamma combines her academic pursuits with practical expertise, advancing equity in disaster response and recovery. Her journey reflects a deep commitment to developing equitably minded leaders who recognize the profound ways their identities shape the communities they serve.

​PhD Advisor

Dr. Joe Trainor