Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI)

Do you love oysters 🦪 and fish🐠 that come from Louisiana waters 🌊 ? Are you interested in learning about Ocean & Coastal Acidification (OCA)? Our team and Plaquemines Parish have partnered to host a free workshop to educate any community members interested! See below flyer for details. Participant stipends are available for the first 30 individuals. Lunch will be served!

Please swing by our booth at LEPA this week! The team is looking forward to seeing everyone and supporting Louisiana Emergency Managers.

https://www.louisianafirstnews.com/news/louisiana-gohsep-conducts-hurricane-exercise-to-test-emergency-response/

SDMI is working alongside GOHSEP this week to support the annual statewide exercise. SDMI’s Operations Manager, Brian Stevens is part of the evaluation team for the duration of the exercise. We value our partnership and continued collaboration with GOHSEP for these important events to enhance statewide mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

Louisiana GOHSEP conducts hurricane exercise to test emergency response State agencies gathered Tuesday to prepare for a worst-case hurricane scenario, aiming to ensure readiness before a storm makes landfall.

Coming Soon!

The LSU Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI) has received funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to host a series of stakeholder workshops across coastal Louisiana focused on ocean and coastal acidification and what it could mean for our fisheries, coastal economies, and communities.

Louisiana’s coast supports a vital seafood industry and communities that depend on oysters, shrimp, blue crab, and other coastal resources. These 3–4 hour Foundational Community Workshops will bring together parish officials, seafood industry representatives, scientists, tribal partners, and resource managers to discuss changing coastal conditions, share local observations, and identify research and monitoring needs.

• SDMI will coordinate logistics, facilitation, and reporting—making it easy for parishes to host and participate.
• Coastal parishes interested in hosting a workshop, or those wanting to participate are encouraged to reach out to the point of contact below.
• For more information or to coordinate a workshop, contact Stuart Nolan at [email protected]

SDMI was honored to host another successful Annual Board of Experts meeting last week ✅ . We are so thankful for the continued support from our dedicated BOE Members and our founder, Emmet Stephenson and returning Board Member Dr. Edie Zusman 💜💛🐯. We are grateful for a successful 2025 with big sights set on 2026! 💫✨

It has been a productive week at DHS Headquarters in Washington, DC for SDMI Board Member Mark Cooper and Associate Director Lauren Stevens. Their work continues on the Presidential Council to review FEMA and provide recommendations on reforming the agency. The Council worked this week alongside the DHS team members on the final draft report, due to be completed and presented by the end of 2025.

SDMI’s Board of Expert Member Mark Cooper, and Associate Director Lauren Stevens continue to serve on the Presidential FEMA Review Council, hearing from local, state, and other emergency management stakeholders in panel discussions and listening sessions. Feedback from all over the country has been gathered in New Orleans, LA, Los Angeles, CA, Fort Worth, TX, Oklahoma City, OK, Burlington, VT, Asheville NC, and San Juan, Puerto Rico to name a few. A handful of final stops ahead, then submission of the Final Report for consideration in December.

https://www.wafb.com/2025/09/09/input-needed-livingston-parish-hazard-mitigation-plan/

Our Hazard Mitigation Team at work in Livingston Parish 📝 🌀!

Input needed for Livingston Parish hazard mitigation plan Officials in Livingston Parish are asking for your help in creating a plan for preparing and responding to storms.

We are honored to have SDMI Board Member Mark Cooper as part of our team. LSU Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1G4GzZzth8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

With the upcoming anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we are proud of the contributions made to date and look forward to continuing to make an impact nationwide.

https://www.lsu.edu/blog/2025/08/katrina-sdmi.php

LSU Stories LSU students have boundless potential. We're here to facilitate opportunities and connections that ignite student success–from career events to cutting-edge online career platforms, your next step starts here.

Louisiana's very own Mark Cooper, who is a Board Member at SDMI was recently appointed as one of twelve council members to the Presidential FEMA Review Council. This week, Mr. Cooper attended the Inaugural Council Meeting. He was accompanied by Mrs. Lauren Stevens, SDMI's Associate Director and Mr. Dwight Graves of National Emergency Management and Response, who will serve as support staff to Mr. Cooper for the duration of the Council. We are honored to be part of this tremendous opportunity with so many talented and experienced leaders in emergency management.