BIO

I'm a current freshman from San Juan, Puerto Rico, majoring in STEM Entrepreneurship with a minor in Computer Science at The Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship. Through my studies, I plan on pursuing a career in the intersection of technology and business, such as Data Analytics, Data Mining, or E-commerce. Gaining admission to The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, I sought to expand my horizons in the STEM field of my academic journey. Considering my past experiences surviving detrimental category five hurricanes on an island, I felt particularly passionate about the entailments of the database title "Art as a Catalyst for Change: Sustainable Water Use During a Hurricane Research. Project." With the reevaluation of the initial objectives, the research team shifted to developing a prototype of "The Hurricane Go-Pack: An Initiative To Provide Natural Disaster Relief."

"The Hurricane Go-Pack: An Initiative To Provide Natural Disaster Relief."

Abstract

As an initiative to provide comfort and assistance during a hurricane, Holly Hanessian, research project supervisor, created the first Hurricane Art Kit, consisting of a floatable container including a water filter, matches, candles, and a hand soother to alleviate stress. In partnership with Florida State University’s RIDER Center, the research team is simultaneously working on alleviating the devastating effects of weather-related disasters for at-risk communities due to global warming by promoting resiliency and water conservation. The next re-invention of the Hurricane Art Kit, The Hurricane Go-Pack, has the primary purpose of serving as an emergency disaster loaner kit in local libraries. The Go-Pack will be specifically used during the upcoming hurricane season after being distributed in its locations next June as a library loan object. The new prototype will include a waterproof backpack to store the items, a solar light, a multi-use tarp, water bottle, along with a standard-sized water bottle filter that filers up to 100,000 gallons of water, county-specific evacuation routes, among other items… This initiative will contain appropriate metrics to measure the effectiveness of the updated prototype in local libraries, used in assistance at a first responder location to provide conventional aid to at-risk communities.

Keywords: Hurricane, Disaster Relief, Sustainable, prototype