Amy Polen is a graduate student in the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida (USF). She graduated from USF with her bachelor's in environmental science and policy, where she was an active undergraduate researcher with the USF Weather Lab under Dr. Jennifer Collins, specializing in natural disasters and hurricanes, specifically evacuation behavior and risk perception. Since graduating, she has been involved with research projects, both domestic and international, focusing on risk perception and disaster management. She is currently working as a research assistant with the Florida Center for Community Design & Research within the USF School of Architecture working on defining vulnerabilities, mitigation strategies, and policy recommendations for Hillsborough County.