PhD Candidate in Sociology

Allison Donine Deese

Researching how community-based organizations adapt to cumulative disaster exposure. Pre-Doctoral Fellow at the Global Resilience Institute, Northeastern University.

About

I am a PhD candidate in Sociology at Northeastern University, where I am also a Pre-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Global Resilience Institute and a member of the Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute (SSEHRI).

My dissertation examines how community-based organizations adapt to cumulative disaster exposure, focusing on the challenges posed by major disruptive events and climate change. I employ qualitative and computational methods, including GIS, network analysis, and mixed-methods approaches.

Before pursuing my doctorate, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines, worked as a Regional Preparedness Coordinator with the American Red Cross through AmeriCorps, and was a Teachers for Vietnam Fellowship recipient. These experiences deepened my commitment to understanding how communities—particularly those led by women—build resilience in the face of environmental disasters, armed conflict, and climate change.

Research Interests

  • Disaster Sociology
  • Climate Adaptation
  • Organizational Resilience
  • Environmental Health
  • Gender & Social Movements
  • Communities of Practice
  • Climate Migration
  • International Development

Methods

  • GIS
  • Network Analysis
  • Mixed Methods
  • Qualitative Research
  • Computational Methods

Research

Organizational Resilience & Disaster Adaptation

My dissertation investigates how community-based organizations adapt to cumulative disaster exposure, examining how repeated major disruptive events and climate change shape organizational strategies and community resilience.

Gender, Conflict & Environmental Disaster

Exploring the intersections of gender, armed conflict, and environmental disaster, with a focus on how women transform moments of crisis into opportunities for resistance, agency, and feminist leadership.

Climate Migration & Environmental Justice

Investigating the social dimensions of climate migration and environmental justice, examining how communities navigate displacement and build new forms of resilience across geographic and social boundaries.

Dissertation

Community-Based Organizations and Cumulative Disaster Exposure

Committee: Phil Brown (Chair), Daniel Aldrich, Stephen Flynn, Tricia Wachtendorf

Experience

2020 – Present

Pre-Doctoral Research Fellow

Global Resilience Institute, Northeastern University

Conducting research on strengthening organizational resilience and empowering community-based organizations in disaster-prone regions.

2020 – Present

PhD Candidate in Sociology

Northeastern University · SSEHRI

Pursuing doctoral research on cumulative disaster exposure and community adaptation. Member of the Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute.

Prior to PhD

Regional Preparedness Coordinator

American Red Cross · AmeriCorps

Coordinated community-level disaster preparedness and response efforts. Logged over 1,500 hours in emergency response and preparedness education, including 500+ hours in direct disaster response.

Prior to PhD

Coastal Resources Management Volunteer

Peace Corps · Philippines

Served in the coastal resources management sector, working with local communities on environmental conservation and sustainable resource use in Southeast Asia.

2016

Teachers for Vietnam Fellow

Teachers for Vietnam (TfV)

Selected for the fellowship upon graduating from Pitzer College, traveling to Vietnam to contribute to educational development.

Education

PhD

Sociology

Northeastern University

2020 – Present

MA earned en route

BA

Environmental Analysis

Pitzer College, The Claremont Colleges

2016

Concentration in Environmental Policy

DDCSP

Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program

Northern Arizona University

2014

Inaugural cohort · Alumni Council member

Publications

Thesis

Locating Gendered Resistance: Interethnic Conflict, Environmental Disaster, and Feminist Leadership in Sri Lanka

Senior Thesis, Pitzer College · 2016

Advisors: Vivek Sharma, Melinda Herrold-Menzies

Examines how women in Sri Lanka transformed moments of victimization into opportunities for resistance and agency, particularly in the aftermath of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and during the country's interethnic conflict.

Contact

I welcome inquiries about my research, potential collaborations, or speaking opportunities.