Jennifer Burrell

I am currently a PhD Candidate researching the complexities of recovery from economic collapse in Youngstown, OH.  To do this, I am exploring the relationships between crime, blight/vacancy, and neighborhood improvement efforts.  My main interests are in crisis/disaster management, the utilization of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, and geospatial intelligence.  I especially enjoy combining remote sensing techniques with environmental assessments. This research allows me to explore my fascination with how completely different disaster types can yield a similar post-disaster landscape in terms of community strength and rebuilding efforts no matter the spatial or temporal scales.

I am an instructor at several institutions – Youngstown State University, Troy University, and University of Phoenix – where I teach a variety of environmental and geography courses using a variety of course delivery methods (traditional, online – interactive, hybrid).  At YSU I teach the Weather lecture and Weather Lab courses.  I was placed in charge of redesigning the labs as well as moving sections entirely online.  Recently I taught Economic Geography for a partnership program between YSU and two local prisons.  That was an amazing experience.  At Troy University I teach the Weather and Climate course and World Geography.  At the University of Phoenix I teach the Environmental Science course and People, Science, and the Environment course.  I get to share my love and knowledge of the environment and human-environment interactions with students.