ASU - Bill Anderson Fund Partnership

About the Bill Anderson Fund

Founded in 2014 by Norma Doneghy Anderson, the William Averette Anderson Fund (lovingly referred to as the Bill Anderson Fund) is dedicated to the work and legacy of William (Bill) Averette Anderson who passed away in 2013. Bill spent his career working to understand and mitigate the causes and consequences of hazards and risk, and in particular, to understand and address the extent to which marginalized groups are among those who suffer the worst consequences when disasters do strike. 

At ASU, William Averette Anderson served as an associate professor and full professor in sociology between 1969 and 1976. He left ASU to serve as program director for the National Science Foundation for 23 years, and subsequent positions at the World Bank as well as the National Academies of Sciences. Bill served as a mentor and role model to countless new researchers and practitioners in the field. ASU is honored to partner with the BAF and continue Bill's work.

The BAF is "committed to delivering robust support to graduate students in the hazards and disaster field to build a future cohort of professionals, mentors, academics, and researchers who can address inequities and make fair and swift response possible for our communities." 

Our Partnership

As academic partner, ASU supports the BAF by mentoring fellows and hosting fellows on campus for networking, cohort activities, professional development, and research workshops. 

ASU will host the 5th Fall Workshop for the BAF fellows from October 10-13, 2026. Past workshops covered topics such as community engagement to reduce disaster impacts, the intersection of natural hazards and incarcerated populations, research and activism, and transitioning into a professional career. In 2024, the BAF fellows experienced local efforts to reduce risk and environmental injustices through a visit with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

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ASU BAF Fellows

We want to increase the representation of BAF fellows studying at ASU. If you are thinking about a PhD program and disaster-related research at ASU, please contact your advisor or reach out to Dr. Melanie Gall (melanie.gall@asu.edu).

For more information on the cohort of current fellows or alumni, please see HERE.