Professor of Sociology and Anthropology receives 2026 Allan Clive Service and Spirit Memorial Award

Dr. Angela Frederick, associate professor from the department of sociology and anthropology, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Allan Clive Service and Spirit Memorial Award. The award is presented by the National Hurricane Conference, an organization of emergency managers and others working on the frontlines of disasters, and recognizes individuals who have furthered the goals of access and equity in disaster response.

Dr. Frederick received the award in recognition of her recent book, Disabled Power: A Storm, A Grid, and Embodied Harm in the Age of Disaster, published in December 2025 by the NYU Press. The book examines the experiences of Texans with disabilities during the 2021 Texas power crisis, drawing on 58 in-depth interviews with disabled Texans and parents of disabled children to explore how infrastructure failures such as loss of power and water disproportionately affect disabled communities.

The research highlights how policies and systems can intensify vulnerability during disasters while also documenting the resilience and care networks people with disabilities relied on to survive the crisis. Research for this project was supported by the College of Liberal Arts Career Enhancement Award.

For more information on Dr. Angela Frederick: https://www.utep.edu/liberalarts/sociology-and-anthropology/people/angela-frederick.html

For more information on the National Hurricane Conference: https://hurricanemeeting.com/