Vankita Brown has a Ph.D. in Mass Communication and Media Studies from Howard University. She is currently a Research Social Scientist the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) where she leads the societal impacts component on National Service Assessment Teams evaluating the decision-making and behavior of stakeholders during significant weather events. Her research focuses on risk communication to vulnerable populations, specifically examining cultural nuances that influence perception and behavioral response to weather events.