Director of the Natural Hazards Center and Professor of Sociology at CU Boulder, Lori Peek, has been studying the effects of disasters on children and families for decades. Her work highlights how successive catastrophes, such as Hurricane Katrina followed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, have multiplicative effects on vulnerable populations. Peek emphasizes that the trauma and challenges faced by these communities persist long after media attention fades, leading to chronic “toxic stress” with lasting health and developmental consequences. Through her ethnographic studies, she advocates for acknowledging and addressing these prolonged struggles to build resilience against future disasters. Learn more about Lori Peek’s incredible work in an article by Cody DeBos of the Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine.
