Oct. 23, 2019
Luis Graciano Velazquez is a student in the information and media Ph.D. program in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Graciano is also a Fulbright Scholar who works to make a difference in developing parts of the world, where news about public health threats do not always reach the people who are most at risk.
To fully understand the impacts of a changing climate, you have to witness it firsthand. This is what I would say to those who still debate the validity and urgency of climate change.
As a Fulbright Scholar, I am motivated to make a difference in developing parts of the world, where news about public health threats do not always reach the people who are most at-risk.
I am also a student in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, or ComArtSci, Information and Media Ph.D. program, and I hope to deliver lifesaving media to communities like my own.
Growing up in Agua Dulce, Veracruz, near the rainforests of Mexico, I watched as natural disasters uprooted countless families and individuals. At the height of each crisis, people struggled to get the information they needed.
Now, I am turning the power of narrative on natural disasters by researching what happens during a crisis and communication’s role, with the goal of protecting people from devastating losses.
What is the government telling you? What is the media telling you? What is information that I can use in order to weather the storm? By seeing those dynamics, I came up with an idea.
Understanding the people most affected
Working under the Fulbright Scholarship, I spend a lot of time listening to true stories and eyewitness accounts from the people in Mexico.
I collect qualitative research from those who find themselves in the path of hurricanes and other natural disasters.
I’m more interested in talking to the people, getting materials and looking at testimonials. Having someone who can actually speak the language in that context is extremely important so you can communicate and be able to have a rapport with them.
I plan to use this insight to educate others about what it means to be in the eye of the storm and provide insights on actions they can take to safeguard their homes and their lives.
The gamification of disaster preparedness
Whether it’s a forest fire, a flood or a category 5 hurricane, I understand what it takes to protect people from the powerful forces of nature.
The main focus is definitely crisis communications and having people learn how to prepare for an emergency.
It all goes back to how narratives can be used to educate, inform and prepare diverse groups of people.
I have been involved with many research projects and studies, ranging from identity formation and crisis communication to the analysis and creation of video games.
Now, I hope to combine my interdisciplinary knowledge to produce lifesaving experiences.
In a series of careful steps, I’m working to design a board game that will educate people about crisis communications during a natural disaster, which I then hope to convert into a video game.
Much like the popular board games Pandemic or Forbidden Island, the new game could be used around the world to prepare people for the dangerous impacts of climate change — and perhaps even save them from catastrophe.
