Matt Sedlar

Sedlar holds an MA in Sociology from George Mason University, a BA in Communications and a minor in Political Science from the University of California, Fullerton, and certifications in data journalism and data science from the European Journalism Centre and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, respectively. His thesis examined how the insurance crisis and housing instability in California extend the effects of disasters, such as wildfires, into surrounding communities, counties, and states in a manner that is currently not being monitored or discussed.

Sedlar is also a climate analyst at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, where he is continuing to research the role of public catastrophe insurance programs. His recent work examines coastal protection and restoration efforts in southern Louisiana, as well as the classification and tracking of employment in this field. He recently presented a paper on community adaptation efforts in South Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, at the Roosevelt Institute for American Studies annual conference in Middelburg, Netherlands, and is part of the organization’s Blue History Network, which analyzes complex historical processes, including cultural and societal developments, political and economic dynamics, through the lenses of water.

Courses Taught

HNRS 131: Disaster and Society
HNRS 131: Sea-Level Rise and Social Impact