Rising from Ground Zero: Book Talk on October 8, 2026

<p><strong><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdle5oxMcHUDMd5lp_VSqbUiG47a9UPqvl2psRfYe2oMDOEVQ/viewform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RSVP HERE</a></strong></p><p><strong>DPB Industry Connection Series: A Conversation with Gregory Shea and Paul Brown</strong><br /><br /> The NYU SPS Division of Programs in Business (DPB) invites the NYU community to a special conversation with Gregory Shea and Paul Brown, co-authors of <strong><i>Rising from Ground Zero: 9/11 and the FDNY&#8217;s Path through Crisis to Transformation.</i></strong><br /><br /> As part of DPB's Industry Connection Series, the authors will explore the FDNY's journey through crisis, recovery, and organizational transformation—and the lessons it offers for leaders navigating profound change.<br /><br /> Drawing on more than 90 hours of previously unpublished interviews conducted by the authors, primarily with FDNY firefighters, Rising from Ground Zero documents how a proud and deeply respected organization confronted the devastating impact of September 11, 2001. These firsthand accounts offer a vital oral history of the FDNY's response and the decades of transformation that followed. They also provide concrete lessons on managing the aftermath of crisis, rebuilding an organization, and shaping its future.<br /><br /><strong>About the Speakers</strong><br /><strong>Gregory P. Shea, PhD</strong>, is a Senior Fellow at the Wharton Center for Leadership and Change Management, a Senior Fellow at the Penn Implementation Science Center (PISCE), and an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania.<br /><br /><strong>Paul Brown</strong> is a retired New York City Fire Captain and educator. A third-generation firefighter, he spent more than 30 years as a first responder. As a member of the FDNY Incident Management Team, he deployed to natural disasters and wildfires across the country. He speaks regularly on crisis management, high-stakes decision-making, and organizational change.</p>