Why are you passionate about emergency management?
It is a field that has tremendous growth potential and there are so many areas for research. 

How do you translate that passion to your students in the classroom?
Passing on research findings is an exciting process and helps students to see how we can contribute making communities safer. 

How would you best describe your teaching style?
Most of the classes that I teach involve passing on large bodies of information that is spread out of a wide range of sources and, because of its newness, has not been incorporated into textbooks yet. Thus, I spend a lot of time synthesizing information and putting into a form that can be learned more efficiently. My homeland security courses are a good example of that as there are so many bodies of information that contribute to that content area.

What excites you most about working with students in the emergency management program?
Seeing students realize that there is so much of value to learn and that they can translate their education into great professional opportunities after graduation if they work hard in our program.

What should students bring to the table to be successful in emergency management classes?
A strong work ethic and a commitment to learning as much as possible inside and outside of class. Make the most of the special time that you have in a university setting.

Why do you enjoy being on the faculty at NDSU?
We have a strong Emergency Management faculty and we are all committed to providing a high quality experience to our undergraduate and graduate students. 

What are some things that you enjoy doing beyond the classroom?
I have always been involved in athletics as a participant as well as a youth coach so I continue to be engaged with weight training and cardio work. I’ve also spent more time traveling to Europe with multiple trips to London.