Vankita Brown, Ph.D., joined NOAA's Office of the Under Secretary on detail from the National Weather Service (NWS) and serves as a senior advisor for equity. Dr. Brown will be responsible for providing strategic advice and direction to enable NOAA to align, integrate, and extend its diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility efforts. 

A social scientist by training, Dr. Brown was responsible for leading the societal impacts component of NWS Service Assessments, and providing advice on evaluation approaches and methods for products and services. Her research focuses on risk communication to vulnerable populations, specifically examining cultural nuances that influence perception and behavioral response to weather events. Her investigation of Hurricane Katrina survivors examined how communication elements and sociocultural factors informed the responses of New Orleans’ African American residents. She co-chairs the NOAA Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Management Council, and the Diversity and Professional Advancement Working Group.

Dr. Brown is a research fellow with the Center for Advanced Public Safety (CAPS) at the University of Alabama. She has a Ph.D. in mass communication and media studies from Howard University, a M.S. in media communication from Webster University, and a B.S. in mass communication from Southern Illinois University.