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. 

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.