People
OUR TEAM
director
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Thomas Azwell Ph.D
Dr. Azwell is the founder and director of the Disaster Lab. He brings a wealth of experience in environmental science, corporate sustainability, technology innovation, applied research, and entrepreneurship. His broad range of experience across sectors inform the design and execution of each project.
Social & Env Scientist
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Joshua Dimon Ph.D
Joshua leads research and experiment planning for the Disaster Lab. His global experience, in working wtih communities to document and address the crises caused by climate change and unfettered energy and infrastructure developents, inform our equity-centered, sustainable approach to projects and partnerships.
DISASTER LAB AFFILIATES
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aLICE AGOGINO PH.D
PROFESSOR OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AT CAL
Alice is the founder of Squishy Robotics, a sensor robot that can be air-deployed into hazardous areas to provide real-time data to emergency responders.
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Alasdair Cohen Ph.D
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY AT VIRGINIA TECH
Alasdair advises on global health projects and serves as Research Director for the Berkeley/China/Virginia Tech Program for Water & Health.
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Kaitie Penry
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH & INNOVATION AT NAVAL POST GRADUATE SCHOOL
Kaitie works with technology companies, faculty, and students to develop cutting-edge innovations with support by the Department of Defense.
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Sidike paheding PH.D
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AT FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
Sidike has authored over 100 research articles, and is the recipients of the 2020 Best Paper Award from the MDPI journal Electronics and 2021 Best Paper from journal Remote Sensing.
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Sashi Sabaratnam
NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL RESEARCHER
Sashi has broad experience both in government and working with government at every level. Her research and work experience focus on increasing community resilience through a combination of human factors & technology.
RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
Disaster Lab also works with talented UC Berkeley students to facilitate the creative processes and innovations happening within the lab.
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Kyle Zhao
Kyle studies Chemistry at UC Berkeley and works as a Research Assitant at the Disaster Lab. Kyle utilizes technologies such as high-performance liquid chromatography and NMR spectroscopy to analyze and develop chemical-based innovations.