Dr. Arnold Vedlitz, Professor and Bob Bullock Chair in Government and Public Policy and Director and Distinguished Research Scholar in the Institute for Science, Technology and Public Policy in the Bush School of Government and Public Service, has been appointed to the Executive Advisory Committee of the Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas (IDRT). The IDRT, established by the Texas A&M Board of Regents in May 2020, grew out of a recommendation made by the Governor’s Commission to Rebuild Texas in its report, Eye of the Storm. The Commission was formed after Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc across large swaths of Texas in August 2017. As described on its website, “The Institute’s mission is to facilitate the integration of analytical tools and state-level decisions related to disaster resiliency. Through collaborative efforts, the Institute aims to deliver critical research on disaster risk reduction, support state agencies with data analytics and decision-making tools, and generate evidence-based solutions that help Texas communities become more resilient over the long term.”
Dr. Sam Brody, Director of IDRT, extended a personal invitation to Dr. Vedlitz to join the Executive Advisory Committee. As a member of this committee, Dr. Vedlitz will provide strategic guidance to the IDRT Executive Team and identify ways ISTPP, the Bush School, and other researchers at Texas A&M can work with and benefit from IDRT projects. Dr. Vedlitz and Dr. Brody have a longstanding relationship of collaborating on research projects and publications focused on resilience, especially related to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Dr. Brody has been an ISTPP Research Fellow since 2008. Dr. Vedlitz said, “I am honored to be a member of the advisory committee and to represent ISTPP and the Bush School in supporting the critical work of building a resilient Texas. Sam is an expert in this field and an impressive scholar and is a good choice to lead this new Institute.”
