Eastern Kentucky University’s homeland security program recently hosted its 9th annual undergraduate research showcase. During the showcase, the program hosted guest speakers and students shared their original research projects.
Laura Kuyat, an online homeland security student from Eubank, KY was one of the students who shared her research project. She developed a poster to share information about the role of social media in disasters.
Research Highlights the Use of Social Media in Disasters
Her poster presented information about the global demographics of social media users, which networks are most popular worldwide, and examples of how social media has been used before, during and after a disaster.
According to Kuyat’s research, social media is used before disasters to raise awareness about potential risks and share preparedness information. During a disaster, social media has been used to share emergency alerts, support crowdsourcing efforts, and allow those impacted to connect with their loved ones. Finally, social media has been used after a disaster to aid with recovery efforts, provide community support and share lessons learned from the disaster.
Online Homeland Security Students Encouraged to Participate
She said about her experience at the showcase, “Attending the showcase was a fantastic experience for me as an online student. It was great to have the opportunity to see firsthand the projects that my peers had been working on. I was impressed by the variety of projects on display, and I found it inspiring to see the innovative ideas and research being conducted by my fellow students. I was also able to connect with faculty who were incredibly supportive, network with professionals in my field, and learn about potential job opportunities.”
Kuyat encourages other online students to take advantage of these opportunities to help them network, gain new perspectives and help them feel more connected to the campus.
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