Biography

Justin Sharpe serves as a Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment-Southeast (VORTEX-SE) research engagement specialist at Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant. He is based at The University of Southern Mississippi and works across the Southeast synthesizing and prioritizing research for transfer to communities.
As part of the VORTEX-SE Outreach Team, Justin leads stakeholder engagement activities that increase community and individual severe-weather preparedness and response. He focuses on encouraging behavior change related to disaster risk reduction and resilience. A particular focus is safer spaces in severe weather and safer sheltering through improved knowledge, learning and practice.
Justin’s research interests include disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and sustainable development. He has explored the role of social learning in building community resilience to disasters in Europe and has worked as a consultant for the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
Sharpe earned his Ph.D. in geography from King’s College London.