Brian J. Gerber

Brian J. Gerber is an Associate Professor at Arizona State University’s Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions, affiliated with the School of Public Affairs and the Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security (CEMHS), where he serves as Co-Director. He is also recognized as a Senior Global Futures Scientist within ASU’s Global Futures Scientists and Scholars program.

His research focuses on emergency management, disaster policy, homeland security, public-private partnerships, and environmental regulation. His work bridges academic scholarship and applied practice, involving direct engagement in disaster response, recovery, and planning with federal, state, and local agencies such as FEMA, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Maricopa County COAD. He has led and participated in numerous policy evaluations and emergency exercises.

Dr. Gerber is Editor-in-Chief of The Oxford Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards Governance (Oxford University Press, 2020) and serves on the editorial boards of several leading journals, including Policy Studies Journal and Risk, Hazards and Crisis in Public Policy. He has secured research funding as Principal or Co-Principal Investigator from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Defense, Department of State, HUD, and other federal and state agencies.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• Honorary Associate Professor, University of New South Wales
• PLuS Alliance Fellow
• Senior Sustainability Scholar, Wrigley School of Sustainability, ASU

He has held leadership roles in academic programs and research institutes and currently serves as Director for Higher Education Partnerships on the ARISE-U.S. Board (a UNDRR network) and Co-Lead of the Wildland Urban Interface Governance Special Interest Group under FEMA’s Higher Education Program. His teaching includes graduate courses in hazards governance, program evaluation, and biosecurity.

Dr. Gerber’s work exemplifies transdisciplinary scholarship, integrating public administration, policy analysis, and disaster resilience to advance sustainable and equitable recovery frameworks.