Alessandra Jerolleman
Director of Research, Center on Environment, Land, and Law
Education
J.D., Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, 2023, cum laude
Ph.D. in Urban Studies, University of New Orleans, 2013
Masters of Public Administration with a Hazard Certificate and a concentration in Nonprofit Leadership, University of New Orleans, 2006
B.A. in English and Spanish, Tulane University, 2003
Additional undergraduate studies at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, and Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
Departments
- College of Law
- Law
Bio
Alessandra Jerolleman is the Director of Research at Loyola’s Center on Environment, Land, and Law. She is currently serving as the National Climate Justice Lead for the Climate Adaptation Science Centers. She is a community resilience specialist and applied researcher at the Lowlander Center, as well as a co-founder of Hazard Resilience, a United States-based consultancy providing leadership and expertise in disaster recovery, risk reduction, and hazard policy. Dr. Jerolleman is one of the founders of the Natural Hazard Mitigation Association (NHMA) and served as its Executive Director for its first seven years.
Dr. Jerolleman is a subject matter expert in climate adaptation, hazard mitigation, and resilience with a long history of working in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She is involved in various aspects of planning and policy and the national and local level, including participation in several workshops each year. Her experience includes the following: conducting independent research on disaster risk reduction and hazard mitigation for various organizations; working on resilience initiatives for the First Peoples’ Conservation Council, through her role with the Lowlander Center on coastal community resettlement; community-based resilience planning across the United States; working with Save the Children USA along the Gulf Coast following hurricanes and tornadoes, on a resilience initiative around children’s needs in emergencies; hazard mitigation planning at the local, state and campus level; community education and outreach regarding mitigation measures and preparedness; development of collaborative networks and information sharing avenues among practitioners; and, delivery of training and education to various stakeholders.
Dr. Jerolleman recently published "Disaster Recovery Through the Lens of Justice" and is the co-author of two textbooks, “Natural Hazard Mitigation,” and, “The Private Sector’s Role in Disasters,” published by CRC Press. She obtained her Ph.D. in 2013 for her dissertation: The Privatization of Hazard Mitigation: A Case Study of the Creation and Implementation of a Federal Program. She obtained her Juris Doctor cum laude from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in May 2023, with specialization Certificates in Social Justice and Environmental Law.