Have you ever experienced a natural disaster like a tornado or a hurricane or a house fire? Have you ever found yourself in a situation where maybe you were not fully prepared but didn't know that until the disaster hit? Today's guest tells us about experiencing 9/11 from the lens of a viewer watching it unfold on global television changed the trajectory of her career and how watching the crisis with communication on that day led her to not only gain incredible experience working as a volunteer for the Red Cross and other humanitarian companies but also led to her path as a graduate student and now a scholar in the area of crisis communication. Dr. Suzanne Horsley is an associate professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Alabama and has studied crisis communication from a variety of angles. She tells us today that one of the most interesting things in her work is learning about those who actually want to step in and help out. She said that so many factors motivate people to want to volunteer and help, but without proper training in all kinds of areas, sometimes that help isn't as useful as one would hope. We talk about the disaster that struck our own city of Tuscaloosa--the tornado of 2011--that took lives all over the state and literally brought our city to a screeching halt. Suzanne was here for that and she was able to apply all that she knew from her personal experiences as well as her research that helped her teach others about effective ways to contribute.  If you tune in, you'll also learn more about the reality show she thinks she'd be great at--but we aren't going to spoil it! We cover so much ground in today's episode, and we learn so much. Don't miss today's conversation with Dr. Suzanne Horsley! 
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