Syeda Erena Alam Dola (She/Her) is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Sociology at the University of Tennessee, specializing in Environmental Sociology. Recognized as one of the most promising incoming students, she has been awarded the prestigious J. Wallace and Katie Dean Graduate Fellowship. She is currently a Graduate Research Assistant.

Erena earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her master’s thesis, titled “Assessing the Livelihood Vulnerabilities to Climate Change Among Slum Dwellers,” reflects her deep commitment to understanding societal impacts of environmental changes. Throughout her undergraduate and graduate studies, she worked as a research assistant on projects involving Disasters, Flood Preparedness, Community Resilience, and Intersectionality.

Currently, she is keen on exploring the intersection between environmental justice and disasters. Outside of academia, Erena enjoys reading manga, watching anime and K-dramas, and indulging in silly cat videos. She also has a passion for traveling, stargazing, and going for walks.