Jacob Ressler is focused on helping communities prepare for disasters—specifically how to help those in need before an event ever occurs. That drive to serve others is somewhat of a family trait.
“My path to this focus area began when I was living in East Africa as a teen,” he says. “While there, I was inspired by an uncle who worked as a disaster response coordinator for UNICEF.”
Ressler used that example as the foundation for his own future. He started stacking up degrees and wanted to learn more about the intersection of stigma, marginalization, isolation, and how they all impact disaster recovery.
He’s now pursuing his Ph.D. in social work, hoping to create a plan to improve community resilience by helping social workers collaborate with vulnerable populations prior to a disaster.
As part of his Ph.D., he’s also taking courses through O’Neill’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management graduate program.
“My Ph.D. program requires an outside minor, and something disaster-related made the most sense,” he explains. “I realized I could go beyond a minor and earn a graduate certificate by taking a couple of additional classes. The certificate will provide a contemporaneous disaster-related credential that complements my Ph.D. focus.”
His work earned him one of the top accolades at IUPUI: a spot among the university’s Elite 50 graduate students.
What was your reaction when you learned you earned a spot in the Elite 50 this year?
“I was pleasantly surprised since I thought I wasn’t a recipient. I’d been told emails to award recipients had gone out a week prior, so when I found nothing in my junk folder, I concluded with disappointment that I wasn’t selected. However, a couple of hours later, I was looking for an unrelated email I’d deleted and stumbled upon the acceptance email—which I’d somehow deleted a week before—and realized I was a recipient after all. So, it was a rollercoaster of a day, but it ended well!”
What are your plans after completing your Ph.D.?
“I’m still pinning that down, but I intend to continue refining and promoting the model I’m developing. I’ll also continue to conduct research, work on the book I’m writing, and might do some teaching. However, my passions for disaster social work, Holocaust scholarship, and mental health/addictions are stewing together, and I’m realizing that the interrelated concepts of trauma, resilience, and recovery, which are woven throughout these passion areas, are forming something unique that I’m still cultivating. The product of that cultivation will likely be the primary guide on my future path.”
What unique experiences have you been part of through O’Neill?
“The most unique experience I had was being part of the Diplomacy Lab—a research project with Dr. Foley and the U.S. State Department in the fall of 2023. I’d never experienced a class project of that nature or scale of potential impact.”
Why should other students consider earning a graduate certificate or degree from O’Neill?
“The program maintains an incredibly flexible schedule through asynchronous courses, which allows for involvement in any location. Instructors are highly knowledgeable and strive to enable student success beyond their individual courses.”
