St. John’s Homeland Security Graduates Discuss Emerging Industry Issues with Students

St. John’s University students and graduates are using the latest technologies to meet the nation’s homeland security challenges.

From artificial intelligence to training in digital forensics, those technologies were part of the discussion on March 27 as students and faculty from the Department of Criminal Justice and Homeland Security—part of The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies—joined industry leaders in a seminar, “Emergent Threats in Homeland Security.”

Looking to the future, the expert panel outlined the challenges students might face as threats to the nation, particularly from hostile cyber actors, become more sophisticated.

“It is a dynamic and ever-evolving threat landscape, where we see cyber issues being a very prolific movement of modern-day life,” said Hunter LaCroix ’23DPS, Senior Director, Office of the National Cyber Director in Washington, DC. “It is also becoming a massive threat to the wider area of public service and private agencies.”

Several dozen members of the St. John’s community attended the panel discussion on the second floor of St. Augustine Hall. In addition to Dr. LaCroix, panelists included

• Shevach Berkovits ’24DPS, Lieutenant, Nassau County (NY) Police Department;

• US Army Maj. Christopher Palme ’24DPS, Marine Corps University, Command and Staff College;

• Army Lt. Col. Ralph E. Scott ’24DPS, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Battalion Commander, United States Army Reserve and Adjunct Instructor at St. John’s; and

• John Gordon Tully, Deputy Director for Strategic Intelligence Analysis, the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau.

The five panelists represented a broad spectrum of homeland security mission areas, reflecting the diversity of industry possibilities. “I always knew I wanted to do something related to law enforcement. I  did not know what,” junior Anthony Iadisernia said. “But as we see, there is so much to a homeland security career.”  

After a welcome from Bernard A. Jones, DSc., Assistant Professor, Division of Criminal Justice and Homeland Security and conference host, the four alumni spoke of the education they received at St. John’s—essential preparation, they said, for an evolving homeland security landscape.              

“This program has opened up doors that I did not know existed,” Dr. Palme said. “Imagine an Army guy being offered the chance to stay at the Marine Corps University with the caveat that 50 percent of my time be dedicated as Dr. Palme, not US Army Officer Palme. If you are considering why this program matters, remember the doors that will open because of your network and your degree.”

“I am confident my credibility, personality, and competitive edge can be attributed to my participation in this program,” Dr. Scott added.

Undergraduate, graduate students, and even a few newly accepted students attended the panel discussion. Students agreed that St. John’s cutting-edge programs will help them get ahead of the competition in the job market.

Since 2020, nearly 300 students have graduated from St. John’s with a Bachelor of Science degree in Homeland Security. The University will welcome its ninth Doctor of Professional Studies in Homeland Security cohort this summer.

The University also offers a Master of Professional Studies degree in Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Leadership.

“When I was looking at colleges, this was one of the only schools with a homeland security program,” sophomore Karissa McInerney said. “It also had a Homeland Security Simulation Lab, where you can plot and manage disaster simulations. And being in New York City, there are so many opportunities for networking.”

Sophomore Mordekhai Gingishvili, also a Homeland Security major, agreed. “So many of the faculty are past law enforcement or federal government employees and have experience in the field,” he said. “Each track in the program—whether emergency management, intelligence, or something else—is very specific, and the faculty are always willing to help you.”