Dr. Susan Cutter is a preeminent geographer and leading authority in disaster vulnerability and resilience science at the University of South Carolina. She currently serves as Carolina Distinguished Professor Emerita of Geography and Director of the Hazards Vulnerability and Resilience Institute, a position she has held since founding the institute. After earning her PhD from the University of Chicago in 1976, she established her academic career with faculty positions at the University of Washington and Rutgers University before joining the University of South Carolina faculty in 1993. Her scholarly journey has been marked by an unwavering commitment to understanding the complex interplay between natural hazards and societal vulnerability, positioning her at the forefront of hazards research for over four decades.
Dr. Cutter's pioneering research has revolutionized the field of disaster vulnerability assessment through the development of the Social Vulnerability Index SoVI and the Baseline Resilience Indicators for Communities BRIC Index, which have become standard tools for measuring spatial and temporal variations in vulnerability across communities worldwide. Her seminal work on the hazards of place model and the disaster resilience of place model has provided critical frameworks for understanding how socioeconomic factors interact with environmental hazards to create vulnerable populations. With over 200 peer reviewed publications and 15 authored or edited books to her credit, including the influential Hurricane Katrina and the Forgotten Coast of Mississippi, her research has been instrumental in shaping evidence based disaster mitigation and recovery policy. The practical impact of her scholarly contributions extends to numerous governmental agencies, including her chairmanship of the U.S. National Academies committee that produced the landmark 2012 report Disaster Resilience A National Imperative.
Beyond her theoretical contributions, Dr. Cutter has been instrumental in translating scientific knowledge into actionable policy through extensive collaboration with federal state and international agencies including the National Science Foundation National Research Council and South Carolina's Emergency Management Division. She has mentored over 75 graduate students and doctoral candidates cultivating the next generation of hazards researchers who now hold influential positions across academia and government agencies. As co executive editor of Environment and contributor to multiple editorial boards she continues to shape the scholarly discourse in disaster research and resilience science. Her current work focuses on addressing the disproportionate impacts of disasters on vulnerable populations and advancing methodologies to enhance community resilience in the face of increasingly complex hazard landscapes ensuring her enduring influence on both academic research and practical disaster management.
