Meet Ph.D. Student Andrea Ramos

Andrea Ramos  is pursuing her Ph.D. in Public Administration.  Her research on evacuation preparedness in Florida with Dr. John L. Renne recently received national attention. She received a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Florida Atlantic University and a Masters of Science in Public Health from the University of Miami.  Her master thesis,  Evaluating the Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for the People Experiencing Homelessness in Broward County, allowed her to examine the various emergency preparedness determinants for this population sub-group.

Prior to her pursuing a Ph.D., her field experience includes working in emergency services and being an active member of the South Florida Disaster Medical Team (DMAT-FL5). Her research interests include disaster preparedness and resilience, emergency management, opioid abuse, human rights, and health promotion and wellness. Currently, her research focuses on questions of opioid-related overdoses in relation to the opioid crisis and epidemic in South Florida. Additionally, she works with Dr. Renne from the School of Urban & Regional Planning in evaluating the evacuation and sheltering plans for vulnerable populations including carless and transportation-dependent for all counties in the State of Florida.