Our Featured Fellow for April 2026 is Michelle Ruiz, a fourth-year PhD candidate in the Geography Department at the University of Florida. Michelle earned her Master of Science in Geography at Texas A&M University, where she assessed the potential effects of climate change on hurricane risk and vulnerability in Florida. A proud Double Gator, Michelle completed her Bachelor of Science in Geography at the University of Florida.

Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Michelle saw her landscape transform from the foothills of the Andes Mountains to the beaches of sunny Florida at a young age. Memories of her family preparing for their first hurricane and the lived experiences of the countless families adapting to new hazards, cultures, and languages continue to fuel her research interests.

Michelle’s research has evolved throughout her academic career, yet the convergence of physical and social sciences remains the focus of her academic pursuits. Her work has centered on reframing the Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI) to develop a new index that empowers marginalized communities. She has also assessed the predictability of homeowners’ property damage losses post-Hurricane Michael using the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) indicators.

Her dissertation research seeks to ensure that all communities have access to the information and resources necessary to stay safe from landfalling hurricanes. Through her research, she seeks to understand how communication about rapidly intensifying storms shapes risk perception, particularly among Spanish-speaking communities. Communicating these risks is critical to ensuring that all people can make timely, well-informed decisions to stay safe while empowering the communities most vulnerable to these growing threats.

As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Michelle has experience as an instructor of record and in supportive roles. As an instructor, Michelle engages students in an active learning environment that fosters academic growth and a lifetime of critical thinking. Courses she has taught include Natural Hazards Geography, Extreme Weather, The Next Pandemic, and Planet Earth Lab, a physical geography laboratory course.

Michelle joined the Bill Anderson Fund as a Fellow in 2024. She previously served on the Programming Committee, where she helped coordinate informative webinars. In 2025, Michelle presented her work at the BAF Lightning Talks session of the Natural Hazards Workshop. She is currently a member of the Student Council Writing Committee and hosts writing sessions for fellows seeking community and accountability.

Last summer, Michelle was selected for the Coastal Hazards, Economic Prosperity, and Resilience (CHEER) Summer Scholars Program, where she learned how communities prepare for and respond to hurricanes across eastern North Carolina. During the program, she explored successes, challenges, and gaps in hurricane risk communication for Spanish-speaking communities. To continue the work and contribute directly, Michelle will engage with Spanish-speaking communities and co-create community-driven hurricane communication materials for North Carolina with support from a CHEER Hub Seed Grant. To learn more about her CHEER Summer Scholars Program experience, see her featured post in the BAF Fellows Blog.

After graduation, Michelle aspires to support communities disproportionately affected by disasters through research, education, and outreach. She believes that community is at the heart of resilience and is strengthened by bridging the quantitative and qualitative sciences. As Hans Rosling once said: “The world cannot be understood without numbers. But the world cannot be understood with numbers alone.”