Elizabeth Fussell, Brown University

About the Presentation

Migration contributes substantially to change in the size and composition of local populations, especially in response to large-scale shocks. This study investigated migration as a driver of change in the size and composition of the New Orleans’ population from before Hurricane Katrina until twelve years later (2004-2017). We analyze data from the American Community Survey (ACS) data representing the New Orleans population in each year, as well as out-migrants who lived in New Orleans the previous year. We find large changes in the size and composition of these flows over time, reflecting inequalities in the recovery process. The place-based focus of our analysis allows us to understand how migration contributes to population recovery, deepening scientific knowledge of demographic impacts of disasters and informing disaster response and recovery planning policies. Furthermore, our analysis provides a statistically innovative and feasible model for the use of the ACS for studying internal migration responses to temporally defined events.

About the Speaker

Elizabeth Fussell is a sociologist and demographer who studies environmental drivers of migration and other health and well-being, and social disparities in these outcomes. She has published extensively on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the population of New Orleans and has new projects focused on population change in Puerto Rico associated with Hurricane Maria and other shocks. She is Professor of Population Studies and Environment and Society at Brown University, as well as Editor-in-Chief of Population & Environment.  Her research is supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Russell Sage Foundation.  

Seminar Format

Location IN PERSON: 2208 LeFrak Hall. We are requesting advanced registration so that we can track capacity.  Please use this link to RSVP.

Location ONLINE VIA ZOOM: Zoom Registration Link. Upon registration, you will receive an automatically generated email with the direct link for the seminar

• If accommodations are needed, please send request to meeting organizer (mprc-support@umd.edu) at least 72 hours prior to the event, if possible, to allow time to discuss and implement alternatives.

COVID-19 Information

MPRC public events for Fall 2023 will be a mix of in person and online via Zoom.  For in person events, all event attendees must follow current protocols