OTTAWA — Although New Orleans has mostly rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina, national disaster expert Lori Peek wonders if it will regain its soul. The city has regained 70 percent of its pre-Katrina numbers, the new residents are whiter and wealthier, she said. But many areas of the city remain a wasteland and many of the residents who gave the city its distinctive characteristics haven’t returned and may not return, she said. Peek, Ottawa University graduate and Colorado State professor who is an expert on disasters and their impact on societies, is Hostetter-DeFries Family Speaker at OU Chapel tonight and Thursday. Peek will speak tonight at 8 on Muslim americans after 9-11. She’ll speak Thursday morning at 11 on human behavior during disasters.
Wednesday, April 14, 2:30 p.m.
