The College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University is pleased to announce the arrival of its inaugural Director of the Homeland Security Institute, Michael Aspland.
The newly developed Homeland Security Institute initially began with a proposal to the Texas State legislature. It was a proposal drafted by Dr. Nadav Morag, Department Chair of Security Studies, which highlighted a gap between government and private industry in critical areas. Vital infrastructures such as Transportation, Energy, Chemical, and Healthcare (TECH) have become privatized, creating vulnerabilities. In response, the Institute will address these vulnerabilities through dedicated research to provide critical information on the safety of these vital infrastructures. The state legislature approved this proposal and granted the institute $5 million over the next two years. The critical first step in its launch was to hire an Executive Director to help lay the foundation of the Homeland Security Institute.
Aspland, who has 34 years of experience with various government organizations will now serve as the new Executive Director. As Executive Director, Aspland looks forward to applying his professional background and experience toward an immediate impact on the security of TECH infrastructures. He plans to develop an educational certificate program alongside private industries that are directly affected that will serve to grow professional knowledge and expertise on threats to these infrastructures. The Homeland Security Institute will focus on research exploring areas of vulnerability, evaluating the impact of policies and procedures, and giving corporations an overview of what these threats look like. Though the certificate program is geared to help professionals in the homeland security field, SHSU students will have access to these programs as a part of their undergraduate degree plan. Initiatives like this will produce better-prepared students as they enter the job market. Aspland also plans on establishing an advisory board to the Homeland Security Institute that will be populated by representatives of the different infrastructure sectors with the goal of developing a well-rounded agenda, addressing TECH constituents needs.
Aspland is dedicated to his new role and looks forward to positively impacting Texas saying, “We are here to continue the work we have done as a school to positively impact Texas and the greater Houston area. In the end, the community will recognize that the Institute is influential in the region.”
The Homeland Security Institute is ready to impact the field by improving public and private entities while focusing on student success. Michael Aspland looks forward to advancing various infrastructures while serving as the Executive Director of the Institute by launching new initiatives that directly impact the future of the homeland security sector. We are excited to welcome Aspland to the Institute and the university.
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