Category: Sociology and Criminal Justice
UD Senior Brings Disaster Research to a National Stage
February 18, 2026 Written by Chiu-Yin Mak | Courtesy of Daeun Kim
Daeun Kim Presents DRCit! Project at Leading Emergency Managers Conference
Daeun Kim, a senior double major in sociology with a concentration in emergency and environmental management, and anthropology with a concentration in human rights and global instabilities, recently presented her research about the challenges renters face during disasters at the International Association of Emergency Managers Annual Conference, held in Louisville, Kentucky, in November 2025.
Kim conducted the research through the UD’s Summer Scholars Program and the Disaster Research Center (DRC)’s DRCit! initiative. DRCit! is an educational outreach project designed to make disaster research more accessible to students, practitioners, and the public through short videos, plain-language summaries, and thematic resources that translate academic findings into engaging, easy-to-understand formats.
Kim worked with Sara Muntz, a junior anthropology major with a minor in emergency management Their project drew on research compiled under DRC’s National Science Foundation funded study on coastal hazards, economic prosperity and resilience (CHEER). This work focused on the challenges renters face when disasters strike, highlighting barriers such as limited resources, housing insecurity and communication gaps that affect evacuation and recovery.
Kim shared that participating in DRCit! allowed her to combine academic research with creative communication through video production, broadening her understanding of how scholarship can reach diverse audiences. She also expressed special thanks to Tricia Wachtendorf, professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice and DRC director, for her guidance throughout the project.
At the conference, Kim gained valuable insights from fellow students, professors and emergency management professionals. One session that particularly stood out was led by G.B. Jones, chief safety and security officer for the FIFA World Cup 2026, who oversees safety and security, access control, accreditation, medical services and emergency preparedness planning for the World Cup and its test events. Kim found his discussion about preparing for such a large-scale global event especially insightful and inspiring.
After graduation, Kim plans to pursue a Master of Science in Resilience Studies at Northeastern University. She hopes to continue strengthening her knowledge of emergency management and disaster preparedness while exploring how research and community outreach can improve outcomes for vulnerable populations.
Kim encourages other undergraduate students to reach out to professors about topics they are curious about.
“It's okay to not know what you want to do for a while and your path doesn't have to be the one that most people go to,” she said.
Conversations with professors and peers helped her discover opportunities and research areas she had never considered. Both Kim and Muntz took Professor Wachtendorf's Disaster and Society course, and she encouraged them to apply for the University Research Program's summer scholars opportunity and undergraduate research program. Kim also advises students to take full advantage of the many resources available at UD, both on and off campus, noting that as an international student she benefited greatly from support such as the Center for Global Programs and Services.
