Niratcha “Grace” Tungtisanont Directory Page

Niratcha "Grace" Tungtisanont is an associate clinical professor in the Department of Logistics, Business & Public Policy at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Grace was involved in the 2011 Thai flood disasters, where she gained first-hand experience in assisting flood victims. She observed the complex operational problems associated with flood disasters ranging from unstructured service volunteers to garbage management. As a result of this experience, she was motivated to conduct scholarly research related to humanitarian operations strategies of natural disasters and ground it within the theoretical lens of service operations strategy. Her primary research goal is to identify what strategic factors (e.g. resources, investments, policies, etc.) should be prioritized before and during a flood event to enhance the overall effectiveness of the recovery process—the humanitarian relief area with the least amount of documented research to date. Her research findings draw upon macroeconomics and service strategy literature to consider the role of various stakeholders— individuals, communities, and governments in the co-production of disaster relief services and activities. Grace holds a Master of Science in Agricultural and Resource Economics and a Bachelor of Art in Economics and Mathematics from the University of Arizona.