AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Amy L. Mathes, for Doctor of Philosophy degree in HEALTH EDUCATION, presented on May 8, 2013, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: PROMISING PRACTICES: A CASE STUDY ON PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Kathleen Welshimer There is little published literature on operational coordination during a real time disaster regardless of the setting. This study describes a university's emergency management plan and its execution in response to a specific natural disaster, the May 8, 2009 "inland hurricane," which was later classified as a "Super Derecho." The case study design allowed for an in-depth exploration into the intricacy and complexity of an emergency response by interviewing individuals present in the CEOC and others from State Police, local EMA agencies, local health departments, and IEMA, document analysis of the Campus All-Hazards Emergency Preparedness and Violence Prevention Plan (CAHEPVPP), Situation Reports, Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and National Incident Management Agency (NIMS) documents. This study will assist public health emergency preparedness officials in higher education to educate students and development of proactive development of planning and response during a real disaster. This study will also provide contributions to universities regarding mitigation, planning, response, and recovery activities. It shows the value of proactive, forward-thinking leadership from day-to-day preparedness activities to response and recovery efforts.

Outbreaks of novel influenza viruses are continually occurring on many places on our planet, with the ultimate and most extreme consequence being a full-scale pandemic. Modern communication technology is widely used for risk communication regarding recommended change in behavior patterns and other precautions in order to mitigate the transmission. However, the assumption and bias that modern communication technology constitutes the norm causes vulnerable groups to be at possible risk of systematic exclusion to correct and updated information. Through conducting a literature- and case analysis, the aim of this study is to identify insufficient or inadequate risk communication efforts in South Korea and Vietnam during influenza outbreaks, especially with concern of vulnerable groups. Further, to analyze how national influenza preparedness plans observe or ignore these insufficiencies. Results show that vulnerable groups are explicitly recognized in the preparedness plan of Vietnam. However, the South Korean preparedness plan show a more homogenous approach. Both South Korea and Vietnam showed a broad variety of channels used in their risk communication strategies which could be positive in terms of a broad outreach to a heterogenous population, including vulnerable groups. Four key factors that moderate the outcomes of risk communication were identified: Channels, Messages, Transparency and Trust.