Rachel Dowty Beech

Rachel Dowty Beech serves as Senior Lecturer in Fire Science and Emergency Management and Coordinator of the M.S. Emergency Management Program at the University of New Haven, within the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice & Forensic Sciences and the Department of Fire Science. Previously, she held positions at Louisiana State University as Director of the Disaster Science and Management Program, Assistant Professor-Research in the Department of Geography and Anthropology, and Assistant Professor-Research at the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute.

Dr. Dowty Beech earned her Ph.D. in Science and Technology Studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, M.S. in Wetland Restoration Biology from Southeastern Louisiana University, and B.S. in Biology from Southeastern Louisiana University.

Her research focuses on how environmental, social, and cultural factors shape disasters and emergency management. She examines cross-cultural emergency management approaches, organizational culture in disaster contexts, communication and coordination during crises, decision-making processes in disasters, and environmental disasters involving petrochemicals. Her work emphasizes environmentally and socially sustainable methods of mitigation and recovery, integrating cultural theory with practical emergency management applications.

Dr. Dowty Beech's publications span disaster dynamics, anthropology of disasters, and pedagogy in emergency management education. Her recent work addresses vulnerability of resource users to environmental hazards, organizational culture in supply chains during disruptions, and cultural perspectives on humanitarian logistics.

• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Advancement at the American Educational Research Association Conference (2019) for FEMA education research
• Advisor of the Year Award, Louisiana State University (2012-2013)
• Service Learning Scholars Award, Louisiana State University (2009)

Dr. Dowty Beech has secured significant research funding from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Louisiana Sea Grant, and other organizations. She has served as a panel reviewer for NSF grant proposals and developed educational programs including online courses and graduate certificate programs in emergency management. Her teaching includes courses such as Principles of Emergency Management, Holistic Disaster Recovery, and Pandemic Emergency Management.