Rachel Prucho, PhD, director of Research at the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, is currently engaged in research that examines how disasters like Hurricane Sandy contribute to long-term functional declines and disabilities in older adults. Her research is supported by a five-year, $2.8 million grant from the National Institute on Aging. Last year she also began work on a separate study that is examining those aspects of social capital that promote the resilience of older adults exposed to disaster.