Columbia Professor Named to National Academy of Sciences

University of South Carolina Geographer Recognized for Disaster Recovery Research

COLUMBIA—Dr. Susan Cutter, a distinguished professor at the University of South Carolina, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Cutter, who serves as the director of the Hazards Vulnerability and Resilience Institute at the university, specializes in studying how communities recover from disasters.

Recognized Excellence

Dr. Cutter’s election to the National Academy of Sciences is a significant honor, placing her among a select group of scholars from South Carolina universities who have received this recognition. Her work focuses on understanding the capacity of individuals and communities to respond to extreme events, ranging from nuclear disasters to devastating storms.

Dr. Cutter, who earned her doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1976, has been a Carolina Distinguished Professor at USC since 1993. She has mentored over 60 graduate students at the university, many of whom have gone on to prominent positions in academia and the professional world.

Translating Science into Practice

Under Dr. Cutter’s leadership, the Hazards Vulnerability and Resilience Institute at USC has conducted research on various significant events, including the 9/11 attacks, the 2005 train crash and chlorine spill in Aiken County, and the 2015 flooding in South Carolina. The institute collaborates with state authorities to translate its research findings into practical preparedness measures.

Despite the serious nature of her work, Dr. Cutter’s office at USC is filled with flamingo decorations, serving as a cheerful contrast to the disasters she studies. She has a passion for collecting fake flamingos and often presents them to her graduate students as gifts.

Future Research Initiatives

Dr. Cutter’s next project will focus on studying the impact of climate change on landscapes and how people perceive and adapt to these changes, particularly in relation to wildfires, drought, and heat. This research, a collaboration with the University of Idaho and University of Nevada, Reno, aims to deepen our understanding of environmental challenges.

Dr. Cutter’s appointment to the National Academy of Sciences and her ongoing research endeavors underscore her outstanding contributions to the field of disaster recovery and resilience. Her dedication to advancing scientific knowledge and practical preparedness measures has earned her this well-deserved recognition.