#11 UCL’s Warning Research Centre and Disaster Preparedness with Dr Carina Fearnley | WeAreSTS

Dr Carina Fearnley, Associate Professor of Science Communication, talks about warning research and disaster preparedness. Carina is an expert in disaster warning and public engagement. Her research focuses on ways to improve the effectiveness of warning systems. She’s contributed a lot to communication around risk and warning in the pandemic. Her long-term research focuses on volcano and tsunami warning systems around the world. Her projects involve cases in Iceland, South America, the Middle East, and across Europe. This is real world, life-saving public engagement.

https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/fearnley

Carina has been the leader in organising UCL’s Warning Research Centre, which is now running strong. The Centre brings academic and industry people together to focus on specific cases and on fundamentals. This is a relatively new part of STS and it’s making quite an impression.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/sts/warning-research-centre

I spoke with Carina earlier this year, just after she gave testimony to the UK House of Lords on how the country might prepare for extreme risks in the future. The Select Committee’s report has just been published, so it’s a good time to hear Carina talk about her work, the new Centre, and her experience at the House of Lords.

“Select Committee on Risk Assessment and Risk Planning: Preparing for Extreme Risks: Building a Resilient Society”

Final report

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5802/ldselect/ldrisk/110/110.pdf

Watch select committee hearing:

https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/da07ba0d-2ee1-4d93-b645-23c9dadfd07d

Read select committee hearing:

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5802/ldselect/ldrisk/110/11002.htm

Featuring

Interviewee: Dr Carina Fearnley, Associate Professor of Science Communication

https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/fearnley

Interviewer: Professor Joe Cain, Professor in History and Philosophy of Biology

https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/cain

Music credits

“Rollin At 5,” by Kevin MacLeod

https://filmmusic.io/song/5000-rollin-at-5

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"Sweeter Vermouth," by Kevin MacLeod

https://filmmusic.io/song/4450-sweeter-vermouth

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Production information

Editing and post-production by Professor Joe Cain.

Podcast information

“WeAreSTS” is a production of the Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS) at University College London (UCL). To find out more, and to leave feedback about the show, visit us online:

https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/podcast

STS Students and staff also can find on the website information about how to get involved with our programme.

“WeAreSTS” producer is Professor Joe Cain.

Twitter: @stsucl #WeAreSTS