Sarah L. Jackson

Dr. Sarah L. Jackson is an Assistant Professor in the Emergency and Disaster Management Program at Western Carolina University (WCU), within the College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on social vulnerability, risk perceptions, and community resilience to environmental hazards. She teaches courses on GIS, disaster mitigation, and environmental justice.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Geography, University of South Carolina-Columbia
• M.S. in Geography, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
• B.A. in History, McKendree University

Research Interests: Her work examines spatial disparities in disaster outcomes, such as the uneven impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and inequities in hazard mitigation planning. She applies GIS and conceptual models to inform emergency management strategies, as seen in her dissertation on tornado risk perceptions in localized contexts.

Awards & Grants:

• Evelyn Pruitt Fellowship (Society of Women Geographers)
• Rhude Patterson Fellowship (USC Graduate School Trustees)
• SPARC Graduate Research Grant (University of South Carolina)
• John Fraser Hart Award (Southeastern Division of AAG)

Advising & Grants: Dr. Jackson’s career includes roles as a Geospatial Analyst in St. Louis and a Geography Instructor at SIUE. Her grants have supported research on hazard resilience, and she continues to advocate for equitable disaster planning through scholarly contributions and teaching.