GatorCorps

Reducing Risk, Achieving Resilience

GatorCorps is the University of Florida’s AmeriCorps program, enhancing science through service and providing opportunities for UF students to work with partners towards resilient communities.

OUR PROGRAM

SCIENCE EDUCATION

Delivering resilience and risk reduction programs to children and adults

RESILIENCE TRAINING

Providing training and resilience tools and techniques to community leaders

CAPACITY BUILDING

Contributing to capacity building within host organizations

GatorCorps invests in UF students and Florida communities simultaneously, deploying AmeriCorps members to advance disaster risk reduction and community resilience while building the professional foundation members need to lead that work throughout their careers.

AMERICORPS national service member Role

GatorCorps deploys University of Florida students as AmeriCorps Members to advance disaster preparedness and community resilience across Florida. Members are embedded with host organizations that have a working relationship with the Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER), where their service focuses on: a) delivering educational programs to community members related to resilience and risk reduction, b) supporting community leaders with resilience tools, training, and capacity-building resources, and c) contributing to applied research and programmatic work within their host organization.

GatorCorps Members serve quarter-time, completing 450 hours during the service year. The program invests directly in Member development through scholarships and professional certifications. All Members receive an education award upon successful completion of service.

Members must be currently enrolled UF students and U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents. A new GatorCorps cohort begins each September, with service running through July. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Service begins with mandatory orientation and training (Upcoming on August 29/30 2026), and Members are placed at host sites in Gainesville and Jacksonville.

Applications are open! We are reviewing candidates on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.

Apply for 2026-27 Service Year

Our Team

Jason von Meding

Executive Director

Jason is a social scientist investigating narratives of disaster, including injustice and inequality but also solidarity and hope.
jason.vonmeding@ufl.edu

Abdul-Hai Thomas

Program Director

Abdul-Hai is a participatory action research practitioner and serves as Program Director of GatorCorps. abdulhai.thomas@ufl.edu

Carla Brisotto

Head of Education

Carla Brisotto is an architect, urban theorist, and researcher whose work examining the complex cultural relationships between people, built environments, and shifting ecological conditions.
c.brisotto@ufl.edu

A man with long brown hair tied back and a beard smiles at the camera. He is wearing a black shirt and is standing in front of a blurred background with books on shelves.

Colin Lasch

Head of Training

Colin is a construction manager, Certified General Contractor, and mold remediation expert in the State of Florida. He is also a researching PhD student who is studying the intersection of project delivery methods and post-disaster reconstruction. He has been involved in professional training and curriculum development since 2005.
clasch@ufl.edu

Amaya Borroto

Amaya Borroto is serving a third term in GatorCorps and is a student at The University of Florida studying Political Science and Sustainability & The Built Environment. Her passion for conservation and community resilience started in her hometown of Miami, where she first became inspired to protect her community from sea level rise and natural disasters. In her work with the Inter-Residence Hall Association at UF, she has spearheaded an ambitious revitalization of the University’s Spring Recycling Program to divert waste from mass move-outs at the end of each school year. Amaya is eager to continue building a sustainable future for Florida as a dedicated member of GatorCorps.

Alexander Carver

Alex Carver is a third year Sustainability and the Built Environment major at the University of Florida, pursuing a minor in Architecture. As Vice president of the Green Building Club, he is deeply passionate about sustainable development and promoting environmentally friendly practices in the built environment as well as in day-to-day life. Alex plans to pursue a master’s degree in Architecture to design communities grounded in green building techniques – places where residents can feel confident that their homes support their own well-being and environmental stewardship. Working at the FIBER location, he hopes to expand community knowledge about resilience and risk reduction while strengthening his connection with the Gainesville community.

A woman with straight dark hair, wearing a blue polo shirt and jeans, stands outdoors in front of green palm leaves. She is smiling and has a smartwatch and hair tie on her left wrist.

Mahsa Haghighi

Mahsa is a third-year GatorCorps Member with hands-on experience in resilience and risk reduction education. She has worked closely with communities, strengthening her skills in communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. She finds it especially meaningful to help people better prepare for and adapt to challenges, which has deepened her interest in the intersection of design and community resilience. With a background in architecture and interior design, Mahsa is now pursuing her Master of Architecture at the University of Florida. She hopes to combine her design expertise with her passion for service to create built environments that not only meet functional needs but also support community strength and sustainability.