The Federal Emergency Management Agency appointed David as a Senior Executive serving as the Director of the Planning and Exercises Division within the Response Directorate. The Planning and Exercises Division leads national and regional response planning initiatives such as the National Hurricane Program, conducts FEMA exercises to test and validate concepts of operations, and provides geospatial assessments before, during, and after a disaster. Prior to joining FEMA, David taught U.S. Government and Homeland Security courses at the U.S. Naval Academy and worked at the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office. 

As an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and a senior program manager with the U.S Department of Homeland Security, David Ostwind joined the Marine Affairs Department as a PhD student in 2022 and currently researches how evacuation by sea may save lives and alleviate suffering after a catastrophic incident. 

At URI, David researches barriers and solutions to conducting evacuation by sea following a disaster.David seeks to identify behavioral, technological, and institutional barriers to evacuation by sea and solutions to overcome those barriers. Prior to attending URI, David conducted research this topic as a student at the U.S Naval War College and has supported the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration in preparing for disaster response while completing an interagency detail.