Todd BenDor
Univerity of North Carolina, Chapell Hill

Todd K. BenDor is Assistant Professor of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  His research and teaching interests focus on land use change modeling and environmental markets.  Recently, he performed studies in Chicago and North Carolina aimed at understanding the social, economic, and ecological impacts of government policies that require environmental restoration for aquatic resource damage during the urban development process.  He received a Ph.D. in Regional Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2007, a M.S. in Environmental Science from Washington State University and a B.S. in System Dynamics from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  Dr. BenDor has been at UNC-CH since 2007.

Thomas Birkland
North Carolina State Unversity

Thomas Birkland is the William T. Kretzer Professor of Public Policy in the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), North Carolina State University. He has been researching various aspects of natural and humanly-caused disasters for over fifteen years. He made significant contributions to social science theories of the public policy process, and his work on disaster, policy failure, and policy learning has gained national and international recognition. He is the author of two scholarly books, the most recent of which is Lessons of Disaster (2006). Before joining the faculty at NC State, he was at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs at the State University of New York at Albany, and served as a program officer at the National Science Foundation. His current research includes work on infrastructure interdependency, community and system resilience, and disaster recovery.

Alison H. Climo
Warren Wilson College

Alison H. Climo is Director of the Social Work Program at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC. Alison’s interests and community work focus on aging and the needs of older adults. She completed her doctoral degree at the University of Michigan, where she was a pre-doctoral fellow on a National Institute on Aging training program, "Social Research on Applied Issues of Aging." She earned her MSW from the University of Michigan, and her undergraduate degree in psychology from Smith College. During her recent sabbatical she served as a member of the Buncombe County “Livable, Aging-Friendly Communities” Planning Task Force and helped to develop a 5-year strategic plan for the county to meet the growing and changing needs of its older adult population. In October, 2008, Buncombe County was awarded the Ernest B. Messer Award by the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services in recognition of this “aging plan.” Employed at Warren Wilson College since 1999, she teaches courses in social work practice, human behavior across the life span, and social welfare policy and services.

Rich Cregar
Wake Technical Community College

Rich Cregar is an Instructor in Automotive Systems Technologies and Green Automotive Technologies at Wake Technical Community College. In addition to teaching a full course load, Mr. Cregar develops and presents several Continuing Education workshops in the production of BioDiesel, Clean Diesel Technology, Vehicle Emissions Systems, Hybrid Electric Drive Systems and Electric Vehicles every year. Mr. Cregar has also written dozens of articles about renewable fuels, advanced drive systems and workforce development for Green Transportation. Rich Cregar is an active member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC). At Wake Tech he is a member of the Faculty Senate and sits on the President’s Advisory Committee on Renewable Fuels at Shaw University. Mr. Cregar also is a Consultant and Technical Trainer for Miles Electric Vehicles, LLC. Of Santa Monica, CA. Mr. Cregar served for eight years as a City Council Member in the cities of Lisbon and Mt. Vernon, IA. He has many years of experience in planning, zoning and economic development issues and has been a member of the Johnston County Board of Adjustment since 2003. Prior to joining the Faculty at Wake Tech in 2006 Mr. Cregar served as the National Instructor and Research Associate at the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium at West Virginia University.

Gregory Weeks
University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Gregory Weeks is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  His research focuses on Latino immigration, Latin American politics, and U.S.-Latin American relations.  He is finishing a co-authored book manuscript on the political demography of Latino immigration, focusing on the growth of the Latino population in the U.S. South.  He received a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1999, an M.A. in Political Science from San Diego State University in 1994, and a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish from the University of California at Berkeley in 1992.

Rachel A. Willis
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Rachel A. Willis is the Bowman and Gordon Gray Associate Professor of American Studies and Economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.   Factors affecting access to work and education in the American economy are at the core of her research, teaching, and service agenda.  Topics include work/family balance, institution, community, and transportation infrastructure and policies.   She has received grants and fellowships including support from the Russell Sage and Rockefeller Foundations' Future of Work Program, the National Science Foundation, The Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, The Ford Foundation, The Department of Education, the Smith Richardson Foundation, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.  Her engaged scholarship contributed to passage of the Smart Start Legislation, earned her long-term appointments to regional transportation and development boards, and assisted in the development of the Carolina Center for Public Service.   Willis received a B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Economics from the University of California at Riverside.   Her M.A. in Economic Development is from Notre Dame and her Ph.D. in Economics is from Northwestern University.  Willis has earned numerous teaching and public service awards including the William Friday Award and the recent NC Campus Compact Robert Sigmon Service-Learning Award.