DePaul University faculty are available to provide expert analysis of the Haiti earthquake and its aftermath, including its impact on Haiti from economic, historical, sociopolitical and governance standpoints, natural disasters, the effect on economic development and poverty in Haiti, and the role that social media has played in disseminating news and information out about the disaster. DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the country.

Among those available to comment are:

Nadia Andre, French instructor, Department of Modern Languages, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. A native of Haiti who has relatives still living there, Andre can speak about how hard it has been to find out if relatives in Haiti are OK and how social media networks like Facebook have helped provide information. “It has been two days without news. Finally I have found out that my relatives are all right. Physically they are fine, but it has been very traumatizing for them,” Andre said. “The aftershocks are still happening and are worse than the original earthquake.” Andre can be reached at (312) 307-5533 (cell) or nadialemoine@yahoo.com.

Paul Booth, assistant professor, College of Communication. Booth can discuss the role that social media is playing in disseminating news and information about the impact of the Haiti earthquake. “What we’re witnessing with the 2010 earthquake in Haiti is an upswell of immediate, on-the-ground reporting matched by a similar immediacy in forming online social network groups to help. Social media helps make events thousands of miles away sit close to our hearts,” he said. Booth can be reached at (312) 362-7753 or pbooth@depaul.edu.

Ludovic Comeau Jr., associate professor, School for New Learning. Former chief economist at the Central Bank of Haiti and an expert on Haiti matters, Comeau can discuss economic, historical, sociopolitical and governance issues related to Haiti. “The impact of this catastrophic earthquake on all aspects of life in Haiti will be of major proportions and will be felt for months and years to come. It will cause an already very poor country to regress substantially,” Comeau said. “However, as efforts are underway to address this dire situation, Haitians and their friends throughout the world should start thinking of ways to turn the tragedy into an opportunity for rebirth and re-launch,” Comeau said. He can be reached at (312) 362-8484 or lcomeau@depaul.edu.

Kevin Downing, professor, School for New Learning. Downing can discuss the geological circumstances of the Haiti earthquake. “The Haiti earthquake was generated along a strike-slip fault near where the North American Plate and the smaller Caribbean plate grind and slide against one another. Predicting such earthquakes in real time to prevent human tragedy is not yet possible,” Downing said. “Even in California, where there are numerous sensors and vast data on earthquakes, the best that geologists can do is to provide a probability of future occurrence and magnitude along a particular fault. The Haitian earthquake appears to have involved a locked strike-slip fault that had stored up energy for a significant amount of time and gave way catastrophically rather than releasing energy more frequently and gently.” He can be reached at (312) 476-3618 or kdowning@depaul.edu.

Laura Hartman, professor of management and research director, Institute for Business & Professional Ethics, College of Commerce. She can discuss the earthquake’s impact on economic development and poverty in Haiti and on aid organizations based in the country. A frequent visitor to Haiti, Hartman is coordinating DePaul’s participation in a micro-finance project by the Vincentian religious community and Haitian partners to encourage investment in the economy, create jobs and support education in the Caribbean nation, which is the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. “At a time when Haiti was on the cusp of one of its most optimistic economic horizons, when not only the United States, but also the rest of the world was gaining faith in its stability and its promise, this disaster strikes a devastating and demoralizing blow,” Hartman said. “More than ever before, Haiti needs investment in sustainable projects that stimulate and support its economic development.” Hartman can be reached at (312) 362-6569 or lhartman@depaul.edu.