ECU Fulbright Scholar researches disaster recovery, resilience
- ECU political science professor Jason M. Pudlo received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award to conduct disaster recovery research in Canada during 2026-27.
- Pudlo will study how places of worship support disaster recovery to help emergency managers connect with local community resources.
- The research will compare U.S. and Canadian disaster recovery systems and could inform future disaster planning, including lessons from Hurricane Helene.
GREENVILLE, N.C. (08/03/2026) — An East Carolina University faculty member is receiving a prestigious, national award to support his research on places of worship that serve as hubs of disaster recovery and resilience. Dr. Jason M. Pudlo, assistant professor in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Department of Political Science and a Water Resources Center affiliate, will be a Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Canada during the 2026-27 academic year.
Dr. Jason Pudlo.
Pudlo will travel to the University of Regina in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, from January through May. His research may help link emergency managers to local resources both in the United States and Canada.
“It is pretty exciting, and I want to thank everyone involved at ECU, the University of Regina, my colleagues and family,” Pudlo said.
To learn how places of worship are a key part of the disaster recovery cycle, Pudlo will connect with various denominational houses of worship and community networks active in relief efforts. He will examine who the religious institutions work with, their capacity to assist, and the similarities between U.S. and Canadian disaster recovery systems at the local and national levels.
“Understanding how houses of worship fit into the disaster relief system will help link emergency managers to local resources in both the United States and Canada,” he said.
Pudlo said this will be especially important in the United States, and in states like North Carolina, at a time when the U.S. government is pushing for states and local leaders to take on a larger role in disaster management. This also ties into Pudlo’s research in western North Carolina — post-Hurricane Helene — and the lessons learned that may be applied to future events.
Fulbright Scholar Awards are prestigious fellowships that offer scholars transformative opportunities to teach and conduct research abroad while strengthening their professional development and fostering long‑term connections that enrich their careers, campuses and communities. Among the achievements of Fulbright alumni are 63 Nobel Prizes, 98 Pulitzer Prizes and 83 MacArthur Fellowships.
Fulbright Canada is a joint, treaty-based organization between the United States and Canada. It is supported by Global Affairs Canada, the U.S. Department of State and a group of corporate sponsors, charitable trusts and university partners.
Fulbright Canada is committed to community development and fostering cultural understanding. The organization aims to grow intellectual capacity, increase productivity and assist in the shaping of future leaders.
Contact: ECU News Services, ecunews@ecu.edu, 252-328-6481
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