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Courses
My primary teaching is within the Multi-Disciplinary Emergency & Disaster Management Program at Tel-Aviv University.
Introduction to Emergencies & Disasters
Natural or human-made disasters can cause a crisis on both the individual and the societal levels. On the individual level, this can include physical and mental harm, economic loss, etc. On the societal level, the crisis can affect the economy, infrastructure, and public health and adversely affect the political and organizational levels. These effects can be either local or national. The course will examine all stages of emergency management, from prevention and preparedness, to response and recovery. This course aims to equip students with tools to better understand and cope with disasters.
Disaster Psychology
Disaster planning and management cannot be done without societal context. Yet, many decision-makers and crisis planners overlook the sociological and psychological components crucial for appropriate disaster management. In this course, we will discuss key concepts in the socio-psychological determinants of disaster management, including resilience, public preparedness, psychology of risk communication, etc. We will analyze the effects of those factors on human behavior in the context of readiness for emergencies. We will use several examples to highlight the importance of psychological context in emergency planning.
Research seminars
Writing the final paper for the program is a challenging process. It can be tricky to develop and incorporate a scientific idea into an actual research question or course. These seminars allow students to engage in discourse among themselves under the lecturer's supervision. These discussions will allow a smoother process of research development and adaptation to the requirements of the final project. These seminar courses will serve as a colloquium (a discourse stage) to facilitate the process of the final paper development.
CBRN Disasters
The environment in which we live is saturated with risks, including risks arising from exposure to toxic chemical compounds, biological pathogens, and substances that emit ionizing (radioactive) radiation. Human exposure to these substances, also known as "unconventional," can occur naturally (e.g., an outbreak of epidemics), as a result of an industrial accident, or due to a deliberate dispersal (in terrorist or war scenarios). Injury from exposure to unconventional substances differs significantly from trauma injuries in other scenarios. In addition, the psychological effects may be more severe. Dealing with unconventional scenarios requires adapting the tactical and strategic response to the unique characteristics of these scenarios.
Scientific Writing
Contrary to creative writing (e.g., literature, newspaper articles), the scientific literature is meant to convey scientific messages concisely, accurately, objectively, and clearly. Adhering to the principles of scientific writing facilitates the production of high-quality scientific outputs that can be quickly evaluated and reviewed by peers. Scientific writing contributes to the development of scientific literature and promotes the preservation, endowing, and development of academic knowledge.