Lauren K. McKeague

Lauren K. McKeague is a PhD candidate in the Center for Public Administration and Policy (CPAP) in SPIA. Her research focuses on intergovernmental collaboration and networks, particularly in the applied
areas of disaster management and drug control policy. Growing up in southern Florida, Lauren experienced firsthand the devastating effects of numerous tropical storms and hurricanes. This experience instilled in her the power of post-disaster community-building and the importance of
community preparedness. Her dissertation is a mixed-methods study focusing on the role of embedded community-based networks during the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential for local networks to increase community disaster resilience. Lauren currently works as a graduate assistant in the
Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost and has previously taught courses in CPAP and the Department of Political Science.

Prior to pursuing a doctorate, Lauren worked in several capacities for the state of Florida, including as Executive Director of the Florida Gubernatorial Fellows Program in the Executive Office of the Governor,
External Affairs Deputy at the Division of Emergency Management, and as a Fellow in the Governor’s Office of Drug Control. She also spent a summer working in a native bird preserve for the New Zealand Department of Conservation. She holds an MPA from Florida State University and dual bachelor’s degrees in political science and anthropology from the University of Florida. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor adventures with her family and her smooth collie, Tui.