John Cooper, B.S., M.U.P., Ph.D., applies social science methods to practical problems of government and specializes in disaster mitigation planning, environmental justice, dispute resolution, public policy research, urban and land use planning. He holds a Bachelor degree in Economics and Masters in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University and a doctoral degree in City & Regional Planning from UNC Chapel Hill. He provides unique expertise in developing the community planning for HERMES' training for community disaster preparedness. Dr. Cooper has directed FEMA the Emergency Preparedness Demonstration Program to understand barriers to increased emergency awareness and preparedness in marginalized communities. Following Hurricane Floyd, he was a planning specialist and mitigation program liaison to the Princeville redevelopment planning team. He has served as project development coordinator for the North Carolina Department of Emergency Management's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. He currently serves on a number of boards including the Board of Visitors for the UNC Institute for the Environment, and the Advisory Board for the DHS Center of Excellence - Natural Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure, and Emergency Management (DIEM) at UNC.

Nadine Burton, B.S. M.P.H., International Health Specialist, provides technical assistance is a many areas. Ms Burton's expertise covers the breadth of women's health issues, including HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, and maternal and child health. An expert in management of health organizations, she is experienced in needs assessment, capacity building and mentoring, training and training of trainers, team building and technical assistance, strategic planning and management, program design, health care project management, policy analysis and advocacy, health communication, social marketing, financial planning and monitoring, and board interaction and development. Ms. Burton acquired her experience and skills over a 25 year career of independent consulting and working with large research consulting firms, including RTI, FHI and the Futures group. She has developed training modules in gender-specific systems of reproductive care, recommendations for integrating STD/HIV into Reproductive Health Services and helped develop the National AIDS Hotline. She served as Deputy Executive Director and Project Manager of the US Government National AIDS Hotline and of the CDC National Sexually Transmitted Diseases Hotline. At Ipas, she was Head of the Africa Unit, conducting clinical research and evaluation for the development of appropriate contraceptive and reproductive health technology for special populations. In addition to a Bachelors degree in Linguistics, Ms. Burton is fluent in several languages and holds a M.P.C. (Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry) Propédeutique from the University of Paris and a Masters degree in Policy and Health Administration from UNC Chapel Hill.

Aziz Khan Carrell, BS, MS, ABD, is a Research Analyst who specializes in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Mr. Carrell has applied his skills in the use of remote sensing and GIS for the assessment of urban sprawl in over time and studies of feasibility and planning. He has served as project manager for feasibility studies for the Awasso community fresh water spring encasement and the Alelu community solar street light projects in Shashemane, Ethiopia. His research has been on the intersection of environment and poverty. Mr. Carrell has a Bachelors of Science in Geography and a Masters in Applied Earth Sciences from NCCU. He is ABD in Forestry and Environmental Resources from NC State University.

Kay Davis, Ph.D., is our consultant Education Specialist after having served for ten years as a Regional English Language Officer for Department of State in Peru, Mexico and Central America, and in Senegal, covering 8 countries in West Africa. Dr. Davis guides the preparation of educational materials for projects focusing on health-related research, adult education, ESL interventions, and training workshops. She is responsible for language research and adult education program evaluations in low-income communities and resource-poor countries, and she works closely with health educators and epidemiologists in design and execution of mentor training research projects. She also worked as an English language specialist in Hungary, Georgia, Thailand, and Slovakia and was a Fulbright Professor in Panama and Costa Rica. As Program Director at the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory (NWREL), she designed and implemented volunteer reading tutor training conferences for VISTA, AmeriCorps, and public school teachers for the America Reads Challenge under President Clinton. She was also selected to head NWREL's National Mentoring Center, funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. As director of the project, she designed and implemented the first national training and technical assistance center to provide information and training on mentoring to all types and levels of mentoring programs, such as the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Public/Private Ventures, and she developed a mentoring training curriculum. Dr. Davis received a Ph.D. in, an M.A.T. in the Art of Teaching, and a B.A. in English with a TESOL Certificate.

Julius E. Nyang'oro, holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Dar es Salaam, a M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Miami (Ohio) University; and a J.D. from Duke University. Dr. Nyang'oro is full professor and Chair of the Department of ,African and Afro-American Studies, at the University of North Carolina. He has worked with UNDP and other international agencies as a trainer in African culture, politics, and economy. His experience in training members of government and nongovernmental organizations testify to his ability of integrating history, economics, politics, culture and social values of delegates from other countries into the planning and conduct of negotiations. He has enhanced and fostered linkages between the African Studies Association in the United States and Africa based organizations such as Association of African Political Science (AAPS); Council on the Development of Social Sciences in Africa (CODESRIA); Organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA); and the Southern Africa Political Economy Series (SAPES). Dr. Nyang'oro has played a key role in promoting a better and more sophisticated understanding of Africa in North America and is a sought after speaker and trainer among professional organizations.

Darcy Williamsen, B.A. M.Ed., Instructional Designer, assists HERMES in evaluating the effectiveness of training methodology and provides expertise on the design of materials and Web-Based Training (WBT) exercises for post-disaster mental health training in black communities. Ms. Williamsen has over 20 years experience in such disciplines as instructional design, teaching, instructor certification, analysis, and writing. She has served in numerous roles including Senior Instructional Designer, Analyst, and Master Trainer. She teaches instructional development certification courses and coordinates training assistance projects for federal agencies and commercial customers. Ms. Williams holds a Bachelors degree in Communication and a Masters degree in Educational Media and Instructional Design from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.