Addressing Disaster Disparities
A charitable organization mitigating disasters through fellowship, mentorship, and research with disaster-affected communities
News from the BAF
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- | Fellows, News
Friday Fellow Features
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Mission
Our mission is to expand the number of underrepresented professionals in the fields of hazards and disaster research and practice.
Purpose
Our work empowers an interdisciplinary network of doctoral students and early-career professionals to help reduce harm and suffering among communities that are disproportionately affected by extreme events and other environmental hazards.
Vision
Our vision is that the composition of the hazards and disaster workforce be reflective of American society.
Fellows
Each year, the BAF accepts a small cohort of exceptional doctoral students specializing in hazards and disaster studies across a range of disciplines. BAF Fellows are promising scholars and emerging thought leaders at dozens of academic institutions across the United States who are committed to producing rigorous, ethical research that has a positive societal impact in communities that suffer disproportionately from extreme events.
Bill Anderson
William (Bill) Averette Anderson was the nation’s first African-American sociologist of disaster and a preeminent scholar whose 50-year career advanced the development of disaster studies in the realms of social science, interdisciplinary research, and earthquake engineering. After his passing in 2013, Bill’s wife, Norma Doneghy Anderson, established the Bill Anderson Fund to carry on his work and legacy.
Partners
We partner with colleges and universities, research institutions, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and philanthropic entities. These partnerships enable us to provide unique training, mentorship, and research experiences that support our fellows and alumni in generating knowledge and taking action that makes a meaningful difference in disaster-affected communities.
Your support makes it possible for our community to strengthen disaster research, policy, and practice. Your gift serves as an investment in the next generation of crisis leaders.
Listen to Dr. Darien Alexander Williams explain how the BAF provides emerging scholars with a valuable community of lifelong friends and collaborators.
Meet the 2025 Cohort
