Michelle Ruiz
Focus Areas:
Country of Origin: Colombia
Degree Program: PhD
Entered Program: Fall 2022
Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Dissertation Topic: Hurricane risk communication, risk perception, and social vulnerability
Research Statement: Michelle’s research interests center around the societal impacts of weather and climate, social vulnerability, risk communication, and risk perception. She has also worked on reframing the current Social Vulnerability Index framework to develop a new index to empower marginalized communities, and on assessing the predictability of homeowners’ property damage losses post-Hurricane Michael using the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) indicators. Her most recent research project focuses on risk perception and risk communication for rapidly intensifying hurricanes within Spanish-speaking communities. Her dissertation research seeks to ensure that all communities have access to the information and resources necessary to stay safe from landfalling hurricanes. Through her research, she seeks to understand how communication about rapidly intensifying storms shapes risk perception, particularly among Spanish-speaking communities. Communicating these risks is critical to ensuring that all people can make timely, well-informed decisions to stay safe while empowering the communities most vulnerable to these growing threats.
Adviser: Dr. Kevin Ash
Educational Background
- M.S. in Geography, Texas A&M University, 2014
- B.S. in Geography, University of Florida, 2010