Dr. Alyssa L. Provencio (you can call her Dr. P) is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and core faculty of the Master of Public Administration program at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO). She teaches courses in emergency and disaster management, public administration, and environmental and social justice. At UCO, she works on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and serves on committees related to curriculum and pedagogy. She is the Director of the Leadership Minor and President of the Latino Faculty and Staff Association. 

 

Provencio's teaching and research interests include issues of gender, race, vulnerability, representative bureaucracy, consensus building, and community empowerment in emergency and disaster management.  

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Professionally, she has worked for a number of non-profit organizations, including the Clinton Foundation, and attributes her passion for emergency management to the time she spent in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. 

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Dr. Provencio’s hometown is Derby, Kansas and she is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, and Kansas State University.

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In her free time, Provencio enjoys gardening, baking, yoga, and exploring the outdoors. She lives in rural Oklahoma with her better half, Tom, and their snaggle-toothed cat, Lou.