Maria Watson is an Assistant Professor in the M.E. Rinker, Sr, School of Construction Management and Shimberg Center for Housing Studies. Before coming to the University of Florida, she was a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning and Hazard Reduction Recovery Center at Texas A&M University. She has degrees in Urban Planning from The Ohio State University and Texas A&M University.

Dr. Watson’s research focuses on community recovery after disaster events, particularly the interrelationships between infrastructure, social institutions, housing, and businesses. She is also interested in the effectiveness of disaster programs and how these programs can be structured to better meet recovery needs. Watson has been a part of multiple interdisciplinary disaster recovery research efforts in cities across the U.S. after hurricane and flood events. In addition to the BRIDGE project, she has received grants from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for her research.

For the BRIDGE project, Dr. Watson is interested in the role of housing affordability and cost-of-living challenges on business decision-making during COVID-19 and the role of intermediary organizations in assisting local businesses in Miami. Her previous research has evaluated the long-term effectiveness of (SBA) low-interest disaster loans and hopes to continue this work as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contact Dr. Watson: maria.watson@ufl.edu