RISE 2019 Conference

Transforming University Engagement In Pre- and Post-Disaster Environments: Lessons from Puerto Rico

Wendy Walsh

Higher Education Program Manager

Federal Emergency Management Agency/National Preparedness Directorate

 

havidan rodriguez photo

Wendy Walsh is currently serving as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Higher Education Program Manager within the National Training & Education Division (NTED). The Emergency Management Higher Education program has been supporting academia for over 20 years, serving as the focal point for emergency management higher education. This program has developed a robust community of practice including over 600 academic programs listed on our college-list and a subscriber base of over 70,000 for our weekly newsletter. Our mission is to promote the emergency management profession through education. Prior to this assignment she served as the Homeland Defense and Security Coordinator at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey. In this position, she facilitated opportunities for homeland security research and technology collaboration within NPS, serving as a catalyst for establishing and managing viable intellectual and financial partnerships with other federal agencies, state and local governments, academia and the private sector that are addressing issues of Homeland Defense and Security. Prior to working for NPS she served the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a 2004 President’s Management Fellow filling the position of Citizen Corps Program Specialist within the Preparedness Directorate. She has also worked for the State of California as a licensed psychiatric technician, served on the facility disaster committee and served as the facility public information officer (PIO) for a large state developmental center serving people with access and functional needs. She holds a BA in Political Science, MPA from Sonoma State University, certificates in Systems Engineering and Design, Partnering, Management & Innovation. She currently serves as an adjunct faculty in Mount Saint Mary’s Entrepreneurship Program and working on a Doctorate in Education Leadership at Frostburg State University.