Nepal suffered a massive earthquake in April 2015 that killed more than 9,000 people, injured another 23 thousand, and left thousands homeless.  Already one of Asia’s poorest countries, Nepal’s devastation was compounded not only by extensive poverty but also by the impending monsoon season.  The need for support was dire.

             One of our best graduate students, Anup Phayal, was quick to answer the call for support.  A Nepalese native himself, Anup went back with a simple plan: to help where he could.  He soon found his social-science skills being put to good use.

             The San Francisco-based Asia Foundation, a non-profit NGO committed to improving lives across Asia, recruited Anup shortly after his arrival.  Drawing on his prior peacekeeping work in Sudan and East Timor coupled with his field research in South Sudan, Anup designed and conducted a survey to help understand the short- and long-term needs of the population.

             Anup and the team he led managed to cover extensive ground in a tight period of time.  He developed a questionnaire and sampling design within a week of being on location.  He then trained interviewers and supervised implementation of the surveys in 14 districts, many of which were remote and are extremely difficult to access.  After collecting data over a two-week period, Anup then led a team to analyze the results, which have been published in a synthesis report (http://asiafoundation.org/).

           Anup’s report proved integral to the recovery project for both the Asia Foundation and other organizations.  It highlights both the short-term needs of the population and the needs they are likely to face for long-term development.  Because the work on best practices in recovery is thin, Anup’s report also helps provide a blueprint for future recovery efforts and the data he collected likely will yield at least one publication geared towards disaster relief.

           The department could not be prouder of Anup’s work.  He demonstrates the real-world importance of the skills he learned in graduate school and how social science can improve the human condition.