This fall, the Disaster Resilient Universities Network (DRU) tackles two pressing higher ed challenges: emergency preparedness and cybersecurity through a free virtual series.
Not familiar with DRU? Here's why you should be.
Disaster Resilient Universities Network (DRU) was founded in 2005 after a federal grant for emergency management and resilience ended. The DRU found a home at the University of Oregon and has since grown to an 1,800-member network of colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada.
We cultivate a multidisciplinary approach to organizational resilience. Our core activities focus on peer-to-peer connections that bring together professionals in emergency management, risk, safety, environmental health and safety, and enterprise risk management.
Through the DRU platform, DRU library, emerging-issues roundtables, national summits, national surveys, and partnership development, DRU members collaborate and share experiences, challenges, and resources. This fall, the DRU is hosting a series of virtual events addressing current needs and issues in emergency preparedness exercises and cybersecurity in higher education.
Upcoming Events:
September 16, 2026 11:30 AM (PDT)/2:30 PM (EDT)
Serious Games for Emergency Management: Preparing Teams for Complex Incidents
RSVP: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019f9512da0379e6bb591802792236a4
Cost: Free
Traditional tabletop exercises often fall short of replicating the complexity, urgency, and uncertainty of real emergency responses. The DRU, in partnership with Dr. Micael Sousa, Chief Game Designer for Center for Advanced Preparedness and Threat Response Simulation (CAPTRS), will share how institutions of higher education can bridge that gap with simulation games that immerse participants in realistic decision-making environments.
Through CAPTRS' research-based game design approach and real-world examples, attendees will see how simulation games improve collaboration, systems thinking, and learning retention. The session also includes a case study from Rice University, presented by Jerusha Kasch, demonstrating how serious games can enhance emergency management training and better prepare teams for real-world incidents.
Micael Sousa, Chief Game Designer for the Center for Advanced Preparedness and Threat Response Simulation (CAPTRS), develops serious games for emergency management education and training. He is a Portuguese civil engineer with degrees in history, energy and environment, and heritage studies, as well as a Ph.D. in spatial planning.
Late October 2026
DRU Cybersecurity Panel : More information coming soon
Cost: Free
The Canvas/Instructure incident impacted schools across the country earlier this year and is still fresh in mind for many IHEs. At this event, experts in the field will discuss cybersecurity at IHEs, and participants will get a first look at the results of the DRU’s 2026 cybersecurity roundtable and survey. These resources translate peer-sourced data into practical, field-tested guidance for campus leaders.
More information about these events will be posted to the DRU website: resilient.uoregon.edu/dru.
To join the DRU: visit dru-network.org