Leadership
Dr. Jennifer Runkle
Dr. Jennifer Runkle is an environmental epidemiologist and Senior Research Scientist at NC State’s North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies and the Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Centers for Environmental Information. Her work focuses on how weather-related risks, including extreme heat, hurricanes, and flooding, affect population health, with particular attention to rural and underserved communities. Dr. Runkle is especially committed to working alongside communities to ensure that solutions are grounded in lived experience and local priorities. She collaborates closely with public health agencies, healthcare providers, and federal partners to translate environmental data into actionable, community-informed strategies that improve health outcomes and strengthen resilience in the face of weather-related risks.
Dr. Maggie Sugg
Dr. Maggie Sugg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Planning at Appalachian State University, where she has been on faculty since 2015. A Western North Carolina native, Maggie holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and is the recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. Dr. Sugg’s research sits at the intersection of climate, health, and community resilience, focusing on how extreme weather events shape health outcomes in rural Appalachian communities and spanning 109 peer-reviewed publications. She is co-principal investigator of the NSF-funded Appalachian Disaster Resilience Network (ADRN). When she’s not in the office, you can find her hiking and running in the beautiful mountains she calls home with her husband and four children.
Network Collaborators
Caleb Blackburn, BS
Caleb Blackburn is a graduate research assistant at Appalachian State University. He has studied FEMA’s response to Hurricane Helene in Appalachia, as well as the compounding effects of climate events on mental health in the southern United States. He is highly invested in understanding how space and time influence access to health and working to help those most vulnerable. When he is not doing research, you can find Caleb training for a marathon or reading.
Quinn Keefer, BS
Quinn Keefer is a graduate research assistant at Appalachian State University. He is originally from Asheville, North Carolina, and is highly invested in this research after witnessing the damage caused to the region he calls home. Quinn’s research interests are in health geography, satellite remote sensing, and machine learning. He is excited to work on research in the region he calls home. If the weather is nice outside, you can expect to find Quinn there hiking, reading, or just relaxing in the sun.
Sophie Ryan, MA
Sophie Ryan is a climate-health fellow at Appalachian State University and a PhD candidate at UNC Chapel Hill. Sophie’s fellowship investigates the population health impacts of extreme weather events, focusing on help-seeking behaviors and resource needs following exposure to storms. She also has funding from the National Hazard Center to investigate the community health impacts of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, with a focus on rural resilience. Sophie loves to garden, cross-country ski, and explore the Blue Ridge mountains.
Partner Institutions
Appalachian State University
Institute for Climate and Community Resilience
Appalachian Disaster Resilience Network 