Students filled Stein Auditorium Oct. 20 to attend panel discussion and fund raiser, "The Politics of Disaster: Considering Ethics, Engineering, and Public Health in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina", sponsored by the Pennoni Honors College. Panelists included History and Politics Assistant Professor Scott Knowles, Department of English and Philosophy Associate Professor Mark Manion, Department of Economics and International Business Professor Roger McCain, Associate Professor of School of Public Health Peter Rumm, Assistant Professor of Department of Culture and Communication Diane Sicotte, Professor and Chair Department of Community Health and Prevention Lisa Ulmer, Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering Assistant Professor Joseph Wartman.
Dean of the Pennoni Honors College Mark Greenburg and Dean of the School of Public Health opened the event with introductory remarks. Gold spoke about how the nation's disparities and how the disaster revealed them declaring, "I have dubbed [Hurricane Katrina] an unnatural disaster ... It brings up the question, 'Can we ever be ready? Can we evacuate millions of people -- and do it in a day?' ... Many of us feel that, regrettably, what Katrina did was shine a light on what existed before Katrina ever arrived."
Panelists discussed the specific failures that occurred during and as a result of Hurricane Katrina in their specific areas of expertise, addressing the political, economic, medical, ethical, communication and engineering issues that emerged as a result of the tragedy.
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