2026 Scholarship Awardees
With more than 132 applicants, the IAEM Scholarship Commission awarded scholarships to five students in emergency management, disaster management, and related fields.
Congratulations to this year’s IAEM Scholarship recipients.
Graduate Student Awards
IAEM Scholarship
(Full-Time Graduate)
Mohammad Newaz Sharif
University of Central Florida
Mohammad Newaz Sharif is pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Affairs at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and plans to graduate in Spring 2027. His academic journey spans continents and disciplines from his foundational degree in Environmental Science and Disaster Management in Bangladesh to his M.A. in Public Policy in Germany, and now his doctoral work at UCF. His professional background entering academia sets him apart. He has over seven years of experience at the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and international deployments with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. He played a central role in developing the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society’s Five-Year Strategic Plan. At UCF, he has served as both a graduate research assistant and instructor of record and received the 2026 Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching Award from UCF’s College of Community Innovation and Education. Newaz has developed a strong record of scholarly productivity, including peer-reviewed publications in Progress in Disaster Science, Journal of Public Affairs Education, and the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. As the highest-scoring graduate student, he received a $7,000 IAEM Full-time Graduate Scholarship.
Jyun Yi Wang, CEM
Texas A&M University
Jyun Yi Wang, CEM, is pursuing a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Science at Texas A&M University and plans to graduate in 2028. He brings extensive professional experience in emergency management from Taiwan, where he served in leadership positions with the New Taipei City Government Fire Department, including as a battalion chief overseeing five fire stations and more than 100 firefighters. His accomplishments include coordinating responses to major disasters, developing municipal hazard mitigation plans, and advancing emergency management training programs. He played a key role in developing Taiwan's Emergency Response Command Academy and incorporating U.S. emergency management practices into its training curriculum. At Texas A&M, he has maintained a perfect GPA while conducting research focused on improving hazard mitigation planning, disaster recovery, and community resilience. His research examining the relationship between evacuation behavior and post-disaster housing decisions in Galveston, Texas, has resulted in a manuscript submitted to Natural Hazards Review for peer review. He has also presented research at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference and the Natural Hazards Workshop. Demonstrating his commitment to international collaboration, he helped establish partnerships between Texas A&M's Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center, the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, and the New Taipei Fire Department to advance emergency management research and training. Jyun Yi received a $5,000 IAEM Full-time Graduate Scholarship.
IAEM–Women in the Field of Emergency Management Scholarship
(Funded by Women in the Field of Emergency Management)
(Highest Scoring Full-time Female Graduate Student)
Michelle Pratt, CEM
Royal Roads University
Michelle Pratt, CEM, the second awardee of the IAEM–Women in the Field of Emergency Management Scholarship for the highest-scoring woman graduate student, is pursuing an M.A. in Disaster and Emergency Management at Royal Roads University in Canada and plans to graduate in May 2027. An IAEM 2025 40 Under 40 honoree, Michelle holds several professional certifications, including Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP), and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). She brings extensive professional experience in emergency management, business continuity, and organizational resilience to her graduate studies. At Inter Pipeline Ltd., a Canadian energy infrastructure company, she plays a key leadership role in strengthening emergency preparedness and business continuity across multiple business units. She is leading a major initiative to modernize the company's emergency management and business continuity program, improving response capabilities, regulatory compliance, and organizational resilience. At Royal Roads University, Michelle led a multidisciplinary student team that developed evidence-based policy recommendations for professionalizing emergency management in Canada, which were shared with provincial and federal governments. Her contributions extend internationally through her work with the Threatened Health Systems Working Group, affiliated with Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham, where she has helped advance research on strengthening health care systems facing conflict and other threats. She received a $4,000 IAEM Scholarship funded by WTFem).
Samuel Henry Prince IAEM Scholarship
Funded by IAEM-Canada
(Highest Scoring Part-time Graduate Student)
Andrew Watkins
CQ University Australia
Andrew Watkins is pursuing a master’s degree in Emergency and Disaster Management at CQ University Australia and plans to graduate by the end of 2026. He is the ninth recipient of the Samuel Henry Prince IAEM Scholarship for part-time graduate students, partially funded by IAEM-Canada. He is an emergency management and paramedicine professional with more than 20 years of operational, volunteer, leadership, and training experience across ambulance and state emergency service organizations. Since 2021, he has served as a clinical support officer at the Queensland Ambulance Service Education Centre. In this role, he significantly contributes to the operational readiness and clinical capability of frontline ambulance personnel across Queensland. Andrew also holds an MBA from the University of the Sunshine Coast and a Master of Emergency and Disaster Management from CQ University. He received a $3,000 IAEM Part-time Graduate Student Scholarship.
Undergraduate Awards
Robert C. Bohlman, CEM, Scholarship for Service in Emergency Management
Ninna Balauro
American Samoa Community College and Pierce College
Ninna Balauro, the tenth recipient of the Robert C. Bohlmann, CEM, Scholarship for Service in Emergency Management, is pursuing a B.S. in Emergency Management at Pierce College and is expected to graduate in 2028. In 2026, she graduated as part of the inaugural cohort of the Inclusive Emergency Management Program at American Samoa Community College (ASCC). Her emergency management experience has focused on inclusive preparedness, training, exercises, education, and service. One meaningful example of her initiative was creating an emergency plan for the ASCC Multi-Purpose Center and conducting a fire drill involving both staff and students. She has completed numerous FEMA EMI and National Disaster Preparedness Training Center courses and is currently completing the FEMA Basic Academy. Extracurricular engagement includes membership in the Order of the Sword and Shield and the Lion’s Club. She is also an IAEM student member and attended the 2025 IAEM Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, and the 2026 IAEM-USA Region 9 Conference in Hawaii, where she spoke. Ninna is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the first honor society recognizing academic achievement among students at associate degree-granting colleges. Ninna was awarded a $5,000 IAEM Undergraduate Student Scholarship.
IAEM Scholarship Program 25th Anniversary BookletÂ
Celebrating the top Dr. E.L. Quarantelli Essays
