Allison Donine Deese

About Me

I am a PhD candidate in Sociology at Northeastern University, where I am also a Pre-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Global Resilience Institute and a member of the Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute (SSEHRI).

My dissertation examines how community-based organizations adapt to cumulative exposure across multiple disruptions: economic downturns, pandemics, global security threats, environmental crises, and technological upheaval. I employ qualitative and computational methods, including GIS, network analysis, and mixed-methods approaches.

Before pursuing my doctorate, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer (Coastal Resource Management, Philippines), worked as a Regional Preparedness Coordinator with the American Red Cross through AmeriCorps, and was a Teachers for Vietnam Fellowship recipient. These experiences deepened my commitment to understanding how diverse and disaster-vulnerable communities build resilience.