• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Search

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington IU Bloomington

Open Search Menu

The College of Arts & Sciences

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

  • Home
  • About
    • Mission & Vision
    • Diversity, Equity, + Inclusion
    • EAS Advising Guidelines
    • EAS Ombudsperson
    • Advisory Board
    • History
    • About Bloomington
  • Directory
    • Faculty
    • Adjunct Faculty
    • Post-Docs & Research Associates
    • Emeriti Faculty
    • Staff
    • Graduate Students
    • Undergraduate Students
  • Undergraduate
    • Atmospheric Science B.S.
    • Atmospheric Science Minor
    • Atmospheric Science Certificate
    • Earth & Atmospheric Sciences B.A.
    • Earth & Atmospheric Sciences Minor
    • Earth Science B.S.
    • Environmental Geosciences B.S.
    • Earth Science B.S./M.S.
    • Environmental Sciences B.S.
    • Courses
    • Field Courses
    • Advising
    • Honors Program
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Scholarships & Awards
    • Research Opportunities
    • Student Experience
  • Graduate
    • Degrees
    • Courses
    • Field Courses
    • Financial Support
    • Fellowships & Awards
    • Research Opportunities
    • Student Experience
    • How to Apply
  • Research
    • Research Areas
    • Centers, Labs, & Resources
    • Workshops
    • IU Geologic Field Station
  • Career Preparation
    • Career Advising
    • Career Paths
    • Internships
  • Giving
    • Department Endowed Funds
    • Alumni & Giving
  • News + Alumni
    • EAS Calendar of Events
    • Colloquia & Seminars
    • Department News
    • EAS Named Lectures
    • Outreach
    • Alumni News
    • EAS Newsletter
    • Get Involved
  • Search
  • Contact
  • Student Portal
  • EAS Calendar of Events
  • Colloquia & Seminars
  • Department News
    • Archive
  • EAS Named Lectures
  • Outreach
  • Alumni News
  • EAS Newsletter
  • Get Involved
  • Home
  • News + Alumni
  • Department News
  • Archive
  • Environmental and Energy Diplomacy at the Mexican Embassy

IU students advise US Embassy in Mexico City on disaster risk reduction

Friday, June 25, 2021

IU Diplomacy Lab students and faculty from IU Bloomington briefed embassy officials via videoconference at the end of the spring semester. Pictured at center is Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs David McCawley (center) and Consul General for Mexico City David Mico (lower right).  Photo courtesy of Michael Hamburger.

Diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City face a daunting challenge.  They are responsible for the safety and welfare of the one-million-plus American citizens who live, work or visit Mexico at any given time.  They are also acutely aware that they reside in a country with a history of devastating natural disasters.  From earthquakes and volcanoes to hurricanes and floods, Mexico is one of the most disaster-vulnerable countries in the western hemisphere. 

For the second year running, a group of Indiana University students helped to address that challenge, serving as consultants to the Office of American Citizen Services at the American Embassy in Mexico City.

Michael Hamburger, a professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, led a team of 14 IU undergraduate and graduate students, as part of his “Environmental and Energy Diplomacy” class, to produce a series of technical databases, a set of visually engaging StoryMaps, and a detailed report on policy challenges and opportunities related to natural disasters. As a capstone for the class, the team gave a May 6 briefing to a large group of Embassy staff, including the two lead members of the consular team, Minister Counselor for Consular and Consulate Affairs David McCawley and Consul General David Mico.

The students’ work was conducted as part of IU's participation in the Department of State's Diplomacy Lab program.  Diplomacy Lab helps the State Department outsource research related to global policy challenges from about thirty leading universities from across the country. The Diplomacy Lab students work as ‘consultants’ with a team of ‘clients’—typically foreign service officers working at a State Department office or embassy.  In this case, the team’s client was the Office of U.S. Citizen Services at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City.   Hamburger helped bring the program to IU Bloomington after spending the 2015-16 academic year as a Jefferson Science Fellow at the State Department. IU Bloomington's Diplomacy Lab program is managed by the IU Office of the Vice President for International Affairs.

Reflecting on the IU team’s work, Minister Counselor McCawley wrote, “During our second year collaborating through the State Department’s Diplomacy Lab program, students from Indiana University provided valuable insights on threats facing the estimated 1.6 million U.S. citizens in Mexico.  Such threats include natural disasters, the impact of COVID-19, and how sea-level rise and flooding could impact Mexico's tourism industry.  The students provided valuable recommendations, maps, and analyses, which will improve our ability to serve U.S. citizens living in and visiting Mexico.  At the same time, the students gained practical experience on one of our most important bilateral relationships, and the role of diplomacy in today's interconnected world.”

The 140-page report produced by the IU students includes analysis and policy recommendations on natural disaster vulnerability and potential impacts on U.S. citizens, based upon their analysis of scientific, technical and societal data. The report also highlighted opportunities for U.S. and Mexican cooperation in scientific and technical development as well as areas of potential improvement in the Embassy's response to natural disasters.

In contrast to the previous year’s class, which provided a broad overview of the natural disaster risks facing US citizens in Mexico, this year’s cohort focused on a series of specific challenges in response to the needs of the Embassy counterparts.  Working in small teams of 2-4 students, the class provided (1) a review of new demographic data on US citizens living in and visiting Mexico, (2) a study of the new hazards associated with disasters that might occur during a pandemic, (3) a review of communication from the Embassy surrounding disaster risk reduction, (4) a study of the long-term threats associated with sea-level rise along the Mexican coastline, and (5) a study examining scenarios of major earthquakes and their secondary effects that might impact US citizens in Mexico.

The four graduate students and ten undergraduates in the Diplomacy Lab class came from a wide range of disciplines, including the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, the Environmental & Sustainability Studies program, the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Affairs.  One of the teams also benefited from the technical expertise of a group of Informatics students from Professor David Wild’s “Data Science in Practice” class.

In addition to the formal report, the team produced a series of interactive maps and “StoryMaps” that provide a visual summary of the teams’ work:

  • COVID & Natural Disasters StoryMap: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/10b25f7b0c8644fbab9dc2d34e0e21b6
  • Sea-level Rise and Natural Disasters StoryMap: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/509193c601d749cc96188d1613421268
  • Earthquake Hazards StoryMap: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/df9c966b811845afaca0d1b6d4090c91
  • Interactive Demographic Maps: https://public.tableau.com/profile/jason.locke1655#!/vizhome/AmericansinMexico/EarthquakeZones

As Mexico prepares for its next hurricane season, it is likely that the materials prepared by the IU team will make their way into the Embassy’s preparedness and response program.  And now, after a second year of the successful collaboration, it’s likely that IU will be a regular contributor to disaster risk reduction efforts in Mexico.

Dylan Seal

Graduating Senior, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

"This course provides a unique opportunity for students to learn about the increasingly important intersection of science and public policy, while tackling real-world problems in collaboration with government officials. In my four years at Indiana University, I have not encountered another class that does as good of a job at preparing students to work effectively and efficiently within a team-setting to tackle difficult problems as Dr. Hamburger's Diplomacy Lab course. The communication and research skills that I’ve gained through collaborating with colleagues in class and at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico have been a tremendous help in preparing me to begin graduate school in the fall."

Anagha Gore

Graduate Student in Paul O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs

“Thanks to this course, I developed an interest in studying disaster risk, resilience, and how climate impacts compound natural disasters. To know that my work may have important implications in developing climate and disaster resilience and adaptation in Mexico was the most fulfilling aspect of this class.”

  • Faculty + Staff Intranet

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences social media channels

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • College of Arts & Sciences
  • Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

The College of Arts & Sciences

Indiana University

Copyright © 2023 The Trustees of Indiana University

Accessibility | Privacy Notice

The College of Arts & Sciences

  • About
    • Mission & Vision
    • Diversity, Equity, + Inclusion
    • EAS Advising Guidelines
      • Faculty Advisor Guidelines
      • Graduate Student Guidelines
    • EAS Ombudsperson
    • Advisory Board
    • History
      • Faculty in Memory
      • GFS Endowment Campaign
    • About Bloomington
  • Directory
    • Faculty
    • Adjunct Faculty
    • Post-Docs & Research Associates
    • Emeriti Faculty
    • Staff
    • Graduate Students
    • Undergraduate Students
  • Undergraduate
    • Atmospheric Science B.S.
    • Atmospheric Science Minor
    • Atmospheric Science Certificate
    • Earth & Atmospheric Sciences B.A.
    • Earth & Atmospheric Sciences Minor
    • Earth Science B.S.
    • Environmental Geosciences B.S.
    • Earth Science B.S./M.S.
    • Environmental Sciences B.S.
    • Courses
    • Field Courses
      • EAS E116 ASPIRE Semester in Salerno, Italy
      • Treks in Provence: Geology, History, and Culture in Southern France
      • Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, California
      • IU Geologic Field Station, Montana
      • Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
    • Advising
    • Honors Program
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Scholarships & Awards
      • Rudman-Pavlis Undergraduate Research Fellowship
    • Research Opportunities
    • Student Experience
      • GeoClub
  • Graduate
    • Degrees
    • Courses
    • Field Courses
      • Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
      • IU Geologic Field Station, Montana
      • Indiana
    • Financial Support
    • Fellowships & Awards
      • EAS Application for Graduate Scholarships
    • Research Opportunities
    • Student Experience
    • How to Apply
  • Research
    • Research Areas
      • Faculty Positions in EAS
      • Atmospheric Sciences
      • Economic Geology
      • Geoarchaeology
      • Geobiology and Geoanthropology
      • Geochemistry and Biogeochemistry
      • Geophysics, Structural Geology, Tectonics
      • Mineralogy and Petrology
      • Sedimentation and Stratigraphy
      • Surface Processes
    • Centers, Labs, & Resources
      • IU Seismograph Station
      • Stable Isotope Research Facility
    • Workshops
      • Water Resources Workshop
    • IU Geologic Field Station
  • Career Preparation
    • Career Advising
    • Career Paths
      • Atmospheric Science Career Paths
      • Earth Sciences Career Paths
    • Internships
  • Giving
    • Department Endowed Funds
    • Alumni & Giving
  • News + Alumni
    • EAS Calendar of Events
    • Colloquia & Seminars
      • Archive
        • Fall 2020 Colloquia
    • Department News
      • Archive
    • EAS Named Lectures
      • Daniel Tudor Lecture
      • Richard Owen Alumni Award Lecture
    • Outreach
      • Science Fest
      • Princeton Earth Physics Project (PEPP)
      • K-12 Professional Development
      • Meet + Greets
    • Alumni News
    • EAS Newsletter
      • EAS Newsletter Summer 2022
        • EAS Chair's Message
        • News
      • EAS News Archive
        • EAS Directories Archive
    • Get Involved
  • Contact
  • Student Portal
    • Undergraduate
      • Atmospheric Science B.S.
      • Atmospheric Science Minor
      • Atmospheric Science Certificate
      • Earth & Atmospheric Sciences B.A.
      • Earth Science B.S.
      • Earth Science B.S./M.S.
      • Environmental Geosciences B.S.
      • Environmental Sciences B.S.
      • Earth & Atmospheric Sciences Minor
      • Honors Program
      • IU Resources
      • Fields of Study
      • Courses
        • Spring Courses
        • Fall Courses
        • Comprehensive Undergraduate Course List
    • Graduate
      • Degrees
        • Ph.D. Geological Sciences
        • Ph.D. Geological Sciences-Atmospheric Sciences
        • M.S. Geological Sciences
        • M.S. Geological Sciences-Atmospheric Sciences
      • Graduate Student Handbook
        • Handbook Archive
      • Courses
        • Spring Courses
        • Fall Courses
        • Comprehensive Graduate Course List
      • Employment Resources
      • Professional Organizations
      • IU Resources
    • Grant Sources
    • Forms