The MSEM program students have diverse backgrounds and are prepared to pursue a broad range of career opportunities in emergency management and related fields. The profiles below represent a few of our current and former MSEM students.

Matthias Miziorko is currently the Emergency Management Specialist for Carroll County, MD.  Matthias received his Masters of Science in Emergency Management from Millersville University's Center for Disaster Research and Education in 2011.  His primary responsibilities at Carroll County involve digital cartography (map making) using Geographic Information System software, as well as studying the flow of hazardous materials across the county.  Additionally, Matthias oversees community outreach and education programs, such as safety broadcasts on local access television channels.

He received his BA in Geography from Millersville in 2009.

Mr. Paul J. Benyeda joined the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) staff in July 2006.  In June, 2008, Mr. Benyeda received from the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) the designation as Certified Emergency Manager (CEM).  Mr. Benyeda has completed EMI’s Master Trainer Program and Master Exercise Practitioner Program.

Prior to joining FEMA, Mr. Benyeda was the State Training Officer for the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.  

Before joining the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, he was the Emergency Management Coordinator for the Manchester Fire – Rescue – EMS Department, where he developed and implemented disaster preparedness and response plans for the town of Manchester, CT.  He introduced the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program to the community, developed a Special Needs database and held the position of Secretary and then Vice Chairman for the Capital Region Emergency Planning Committee (CREPC) and was also the Chairman of Emergency Support Function #16 (Volunteer Management) and Chairman of the Capitol Region Citizen Corps Council.

Prior to joining the Manchester Fire –Rescue – EMS Department, he was in the nuclear power industry for over 25 years.  He held a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Senior Reactor Operators License for Millstone Unit 1, and was one of the Project Managers for Millstone Unit 1’s Decommissioning.  Mr. Benyeda served in the US Navy, where he was qualified in Submarines and as Engineering Watch Supervisor on board the USS Nautilus SSN 571.  Prior to moving to Manchester, CT, Mr. Benyeda was Vice Chairman of the Public Safety Commission in Montville CT for many years.

Mr. Benyeda has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Memphis in Nuclear Industrial Operations.

Joyce Kirk is a resident of Charleston, South Carolina. She began to delve into the field of Emergency Management (EM) as a medic-her true passion-which she continued for 14 years. Earning a Baccalaureate degree in Homeland Security and Counterterrorism further progressed Joyce's career as an EM.

She began Millersville's MSEM program in 2009 and is currently working as a Federal Emergency Manager. She is also employed by the Department of Health and Human Services as a member of the Incident Response Coordination Team (IRCT).  Joyce aided in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort as a responder in the Ninth Ward and St. Bernard's Parish.

Joyce learned of Millersville from her fiancé, who was a resident of Reading, PA. After researching the MSEM program and Millersville itself, she applied.  Joyce said of her experience, "I absolutely love the school, the professors, the support and the challenges Millersville's MSEM program provides." She intends to pursue a PhD after graduating from Millersville.

Joyce has a 14 year old daughter, named Lauren.

Rod McWilliams has been enrolled in the MSEM program since its inception in 2007 and graduated in December 2010.  Rod learned of the MSEM program after an extensive search for a program that would provide an academic structure to the field of emergency management.  "I have been extremely happy with the MSEM program at Millersville," says Rod.  "At first, it was a bit daunting to return to school after 20 years, but this program has benefited me greatly professionally and personally."  Rod received his Bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations from Marquette University.

Rod is currently the Director of Crisis Management Services for FEI Behavioral Health in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  In that role, he advises clients in the aviation, banking, retail, and educational industries on how to best address the human side of a crisis.  His company also provides call center and on-site services in the event of a disaster.  Prior to this position, he was the Communications Director for a politician.  Before that, he was a police officer, EMT, and volunteer firefighter.  Rod began his career in emergency management with the American Red Cross.

Rod was born in Canada and has lived in Great Britain, France, and Greece, before moving to the US in 1976.  He currently lives in the Milwaukee area with his wife and daughter.  He also has a son in university and another son currently serving with the US Army in Afghanistan.

Scott Mickalonis is the Deputy Director for the Division of Emergency Management with the Montgomery County, PA Department of Public Safety.  Scott received his MS in Emergency Management from Millersville University's Center for Disaster Research and Education. He is responsible for the management of County's comprehensive emergency management program and has served on numerous subcommittees within the Southeastern PA Regional Task Force, including the role of Project Manager for the regional Knowledge Center deployment. Scott also maintains active certification as a paramedic, firefighter and hazardous materials technician and regularly works as an independent consulting contractor in the emergency management field. He has worked for the Department of Public Safety for 13 years.

Scott graduated from the MSEM program in May 2011. "Thank you for the outstanding educational experience I had while at Millersville"

Chelsea Eggleston is heading into her second semester of the MSEM program at Millersville University. She graduated from Mansfield University in May 2011 with a B.S. in Geography with an emphasis in Mapping Technology. Prior to beginning the MSEM program, Chelsea worked as a 911 Addressing Field Technician for the Tioga County Emergency Services Department. While working for the county was a great experience for Chelsea, she is very excited to learn more in depth about the different facets that make up Emergency Management.

Chelsea is the graduate assistant at the Center for Disaster Research and Education (CDRE) at Millersville. She is looking forward to the opportunity to work with a diverse network of people. During her graduate assistantship, Chelsea will be assisting with various research projects and coordinating the Millersville University-Community CERT program that the CDRE sponsors. During the course of her first semester at Millersville, she has been able to attend a number of conferences including the Annual PEMA Conference and the Annual IAEM Conference. She has also been able to attend trainings at the FEMA Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, MD.

Heather Morgan is heading into her last semester of Millersville's MSEM program and will graduate in May 2012.  She graduated in May 2010 from Millersville with a B.S. in meteorology.  In her junior year as an undergraduate, Heather was introduced to the world of emergency management and Millersville's MSEM program by Dr. Yalda.  With this introduction, Heather realized that her passion for helping others and knowledge in meteorology would prove useful in the emergency management world.

In the summer of 2010, Heather participated in an internship at the Maryland Emergency Management Agency [MEMA].  Here she participated in different aspects of the field, received guidance on how to integrate her knowledge of meteorology into the field, and walked away with numerous networking connections.  Heather's most memorable experience at MEMA was observing an activated Emergency Operations Center. At the end of the internship, she knew that the MSEM program would only further her passions in life and continue her learning experience in emergency management. 

While she completes her Master's degree, Heather is a graduate assistant in the Dean's Office of the School of Science and Mathematics.  Heather's current research interest is finding a way to incorporate emergency management materials into middle/high school curriculum for Pennsylvania. "Passion from the professors, excellent guidance, and endless opportunities," she says, "is what makes the MSEM program at Millersville beneficial to myself and my classmates as we continue our educational experience."

Fahad Alhaider began his career in emergency management by joining the Saudi Aramco Fire Protection Department in Saudi Arabia. He is currently working as an Industrial Skills Trainer at the Dhahran Fire Training Center in Saudi Arabia. Fahad graduated in December 2009 from Eastern Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology. Fahad began Millersville's Master of Science in Emergency Management (MSEM) program in August 2010, and will graduate in July 2012.

His extensive study in emergency management, in conjunction with his fire and safety service; provide Fahad with a strong foundation to shape his career path. Fahad participated in several meetings and conferences that advanced his academic learning in emergency management. Of course, the knowledge and the insights that Fahad gains in MSEM are empowering him to be well equipped to meet the challenges of the emergency management field.

Fahad applied to Millersville for the MSEM program after learning about it from the web. Living thousands of miles away from the MU Campus does not hinder Fahad from experiencing the quality of instruction and flexibility of the online, distance education program. He enjoys and develops the interaction and professional relationships with class peers from other countries within the Emergency Management profession.

Fahad is the father of four children; one boy and three girls.

Maureen began the Master of Science in Emergency Management (MSEM) with the inaugural class in August 2007, while concurrently enrolled in Millersville’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. With a background in risk management, she was looking for a program that offered a broad range of coursework in emergency management that would help her pursue a career in the field. 

As a graduate student, she volunteered for the American Red Cross, then began a semester-long internship in their Harrisburg, PA office in the Emergency Services Department. This position, which transferred to the MSEM as an independent study course, was part of the federal AmeriCorps program encouraging community service. While at the Red Cross, Maureen was involved in many aspects of their operations, including response, emergency planning, tabletop and full-scale exercises, and deployment to a federally declared disaster. 

Having completed the internship and on-campus MBA program, Maureen moved to Austin, TX, and continues taking MSEM courses online. She was recently hired by the Governor's Division of Emergency Management, within the Texas Department of Public Safety, as a Mitigation Specialist. Her primary responsibility is working within the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to award and oversee projects that local jurisdictions implement to minimize the damage caused by future disasters. She uses lessons learned from various MSEM classes in her day-to-day work, as well as the comprehensive collection of books required throughout the coursework.

Maureen graduated from the MSEM program in Spring 2010.

Pamela Drake completed her Master of Science in Emergency Management at Millersville University in May 2011. While enrolled in the program, Ms. Drake was the Graduate Assistant for the Center for Disaster Research and Education (CDRE) on Millersville’s campus. While at the CDRE, Pamela was able to work with the South Central Pennsylvania Task Force’s Exercise Working Group where she performed mainly Public Information Officer duties. She also volunteered with Lancaster County’s Emergency Management Agency on a number of exercises, trainings, and real-world activations of their Emergency Operations Center.  Additionally, she and a number of other people developed the Millersville University-Community CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) program that is sponsored by the CDRE.

Pamela is now a Consultant for the Disaster Planning, Preparedness, and Exercise Team at Booz Allen Hamilton’s Aberdeen, MD office. Pamela works on exercise planning for various Booz Allen Hamilton contracts, such as the United States Coast Guard and Transportation Security Administration.

Prior to enrolling in the MSEM program, Pamela earned her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Millersville University, and worked as a Community Educator for the Sexual Assault Prevention and Counseling Center at the YWCA of Lancaster. In regards to the MSEM at Millersville, she says, “The opportunities within the MSEM program are incredible. The faculty and other students set the stage for the best education available today—diverse, applicable, and flexible.” 

Tony Subbio, CEM, a 2009 graduate of Millersville University's MSEM program, began his career in emergency management as the emergency planner for the Dauphin County (PA) Emergency Management Agency.  There, he maintained the County's Emergency Operations Plan and related plans; assisted municipalities, school districts, and other agencies with emergency preparedness; and served in the County Emergency Operations Center. 

In 2008, Tony switched to the private sector, and currently serves as an Emergency Management Specialist for Tetra Tech EM Inc. Tony has assisted public and private organizations with all-hazards emergency planning, training, and exercises, with specialties in hazard mitigation, post-disaster community recovery, and public health. Tony credits the MSEM program for his ability to quickly digest and apply research findings to his work products.