Gillings on the Ground:
Disaster Response Training Program
Join the 2025 Gillings on the Ground Cohort!
After completing the GoG trainings, participants will have the foundation and knowledge to volunteer and more effectively engage in disaster relief efforts. We welcome students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members to join our 2024-25 program!
Virtual Sessions
GoG offers a six-week mini-course consisting of virtual didactic sessions led by Gillings faculty and community members with years of experience in disaster response and emergency preparedness.
These sessions cultivate skills focused on various aspects of disaster relief, public health and community engagement, with an emphasis on health equity in disaster response. Following completion of the program, trainees will be awarded a certificate of completion.
In-Person Training
GoG connects participants with community partners to complete disaster-related service or training opportunities as a cohort.
Spring 2025 Schedule
Session One: Disaster Mitigation
Tuesday, January 28, 5:30-6:30 p.m. ET via Zoom
• Dr. Sheila Davies, Director of Health and Human Services and Public Health Director, Dare County
Watch the recording here.
Email Ariella (arital@unc.edu) if you need the attendance form.
Session Two: Disaster Response
Tuesday, February 4, 5:30-6:30 p.m. ET via Zoom
• Kimberly Clement, Program Manager, NC Office of Emergency Medical Services
• Bill Gentry, Director of the Community Preparedness and Disaster Management Certificate Program and associate professor of Health Policy and Management
Watch the recording here.
Email Ariella (arital@unc.edu) if you need the attendance form.
Session Three: Disaster Preparedness
Tuesday, February 11, 5:30-6:30 p.m. ET via Zoom
• Ashley Stoop, Health Director, Albemarle Regional Health Services
Watch the recording here.
Email Ariella (arital@unc.edu) if you need the attendance form.
Session Four: Maternal Health Response
Tuesday, February 18, 5:30-6:30 p.m. ET via Zoom
• Catherine Sullivan, Department of Maternal and Child Health and Director of the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute
Watch the recording here.
Email Ariella (arital@unc.edu) if you need the attendance form.
Session Five: Crisis Response Strategies
Tuesday, February 25, 5:30-6:30 p.m. ET via Zoom
• Jennifer Schroeder Tyson, Faculty in the Public Health Department at Appalachian State University; Project Investigator for the Rural Public Health Innovation Lab
Watch the recording here.
Email Ariella (arital@unc.edu) if you need the attendance form.
Session 6: Emergencies in Public Health
Tuesday, March 4, 5:30-6:30 p.m. ET via Zoom
• Quintana Stewart, Orange County Health Director
• Amy Belflower Thomas, Director of Community Assessment and Strategy at the North Carolina Institute for Public Health (NCIPH)
Watch the recording here.
Email Ariella (arital@unc.edu) if you need the attendance form.
Participant Perspectives
Check out our video to learn more about Gillings on the Ground!
