Sepi Yalda is a professor of meteorology, the director of the Millersville University’s Center for Disaster Research and Education (CDRE) and serves as the coordinator for the emergency management programs. In her role as CDRE director, she is involved in local, regional, national, and international efforts related to disaster education, mitigation, planning, and response. She has served as an invited member on several committees including the FEMA Emergency Management Institute’s Emergency Management (EMI) Higher Education Group, the International Association of Emergency Managers Climate Change, Water, and Weather Committee, and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, among others. Yalda has served and currently serves on numerous boards and committees for other professional organizations including the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and the American Meteorological Society.

Her current research interests are in the areas of disaster preparedness, planning, and community education. Yalda has been the recipient of many research grants with a focus on information technology, science education, and the development of new tools and technologies to improve science education at all levels. She has worked on funded projects and contracts including collaborative efforts with the American Red Cross focused on the North American Humanitarian Response Initiative (NAHRI), National Transit Agency and a number of county and state initiatives. Additionally, she has served on committees with a focus on training and education including the National Environmental Education & Training Foundations Eyes on the Environment Advisory Committee and the Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET) and Unidata Strategic Advisory Committee.

Yalda is an official consultant for the United Nations, and in this capacity, has delivered workshops for projects such as the UNODC Education for Justice Initiative in Kenya and Singapore. As an extension of this project, she has worked with Wilfrid-Laurier University on the development of courses based on the UNODC Education for Justice modules for an undergraduate certificate in Global Crime and Justice. She earned her doctorate in meteorology from Saint Louis University in 1997. Yalda is a member of the International Association of Emergency Managers, American Geophysical Union, and a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society.