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Faculty experts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill can offer insights and commentary on a wide range of issues emerging from the initial response and aftermath of this week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti.



Faculty experts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill can offer insights and commentary on a wide range of issues emerging from the initial response and aftermath of this week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Disaster Recovery and Relief

   bill gentry
 
 Bill Gentry

William “Bill” Gentry
Director of the community preparedness and disaster management program; lecturer, health policy and management department, Gillings School of Global Public Health
(919) 966-4228 (office)
(336) 504-2698 (mobile)
wgentry@email.unc.edu
•    An expert in rescue and recovery issues
•    Gentry was involved in response efforts in the wake of a variety of natural and man-made disasters, including Hurricane Katrina and 9/11

Haiti Life, Religion and Culture

Margarita Mooney
Assistant professor of sociology, College of Arts and Sciences
margarita7@unc.edu
•    Author of “Faith Makes Us Live: Surviving and Thriving in the Haitian Diaspora.” See http://www.faithmakesuslive.com
•    Mooney can discuss a variety of general cultural issues related to Haiti

Laurie Maffly-Kipp

Professor and chair, religious studies department, College of Arts and Sciences
(919) 962-3927 (office)
maffly@email.unc.edu
•    Effects on the Haitian Catholic church
•    Spiritual resources upon which Haitians may draw
•    Religious make-up of the population
•    Relief efforts by U.S. religious organizations

Public Health Issues

   peggy bentley
 
 Peggy Bentley

Margaret “Peggy” Bentley
Associate dean of global health; professor, nutrition department, Gillings School of Global Public Health
(919) 843-9962 (office)
pbentley@unc.edu
•    Bentley can address the health needs of disaster survivors, such as controlling and treating infectious diseases, and providing support for mental and emotional health problems

Jim Thomas
Director, program in public health ethics; associate professor, epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health
(919) 966-7434
jim.thomas@unc.edu
•    Expert in public health ethics in disasters
•    Principal author of the American Public Health Association's Code of Ethics
•    can talk about the importance, during natural disasters, of coordination and collaboration, decision making and receiving community input
•    http://www.sph.unc.edu/ethics/public_health_ethics_in_disasters/

Science of earthquakes

Lara Wagner
Assistant professor, geological sciences department, College of Arts and Sciences
(919) 966-4714 (office)
lswagner@email.unc.edu
•    A seismologist, Wagner can talk about the geology of the Caribbean and why the Haiti earthquake was so severe.
•    Can provide information about the history of seismic activity in Haiti

For assistance in reaching any UNC-Chapel Hill experts or to schedule studio time, please contact News Services at (919) 962-2091or via email at news@unc.edu.

The Carolina News Studio is available for live and/or pre-recorded television interviews with our Haiti experts. We are also equipped with ISDN connectivity for radio interviews. http://uncnews.unc.edu/broadcast-studio.html

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