Department of Homeland Security Appoints President Carol Leary to Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council

The Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council (HSAAC) recently held its eleventh meeting bringing together college presidents, academic leaders and interagency partners to provide the Secretary and senior leadership with recommendations on homeland security matters. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintains numerous relationships with the academic community and engages directly with college administrators, professors and students on a range of issues.

The HSAAC is a vital mechanism for strengthening the connections between academia and DHS. In support of the mission and purpose of the HSAAC, DHS and Secretary Jeh C. Johnson swore in eight new members, including President Leary, during the recent meeting. These eight college and university system presidents represent a diverse range of campuses and student populations. Each brings to the Council a uniquely qualified expertise on the challenges facing our campuses and the intersections between academia and the mission of DHS. Additional new members include:

• Dr. Eric Barron, President, Pennsylvania State University
• Mr. Bruce Benson, President, University of Colorado
• Dr. Renu Khator, Chancellor and President, University of Houston
• Dr. David Pershing, President, University of Utah
• Dr. Robert Scott, President Emeritus, Adelphi University
• Mr. Kent Syverud, Chancellor and President, Syracuse University
• Mr. Michael Young, President, Texas A&M University

Dr. Leary will serve a 4-year term on the Council and will help support the HSAAC through its six subcommittees: campus resilience, cybersecurity, international students, homeland security academic programs, academic research and faculty exchange and student and recent graduate recruitment. The HSAAC created the Academic Subcommittee on Countering Violent Extremism during the October meeting to further DHS’s security and resilience efforts.

This honor is extremely meaningful as Bay Path is the only women's college on the list. The Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh C. Johnson appointed President Leary because of the work Bay Path is doing to educate women in the fields of cybersecurity, cybersecurity management, and counter-terrorism at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Dr. Leary’s insights and experiences will be a valuable asset to the HSAAC. Trent Frazier, executive director of the Office of Academic Engagement (OAE) celebrated Leary’s appointment to the Council.

“What President Leary brings is not only a deep understanding of the issues facing our campuses but also a firm grasp of the mission of DHS through her work at Bay Path University,” Frazier said. “DHS and OAE are excited to further collaborate with her.”

In support of the HSAAC, the Council members will work with the Office of Academic Engagement to help guide implementation of recommendations designed to further DHS’s mission. OAE has led the implementation of over 78 percent of all HSAAC recommendations at DHS. The creation of a new OAE Campus Resilience webpage and support of the National Seminar and Tabletop Exercise Series, highlight the value of the HSAAC and its alignment with DHS objectives.

The next full meeting of the HSAAC is scheduled to take place in April, 2017.