Disasters That Shaped Emergency Management: Case Studies for the Homeland Security/Emergency Management Professional

David Hughes McElreath is a professor and former chair of the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Mississippi. A native of Oxford, Mississippi, his academic degrees include a PhD from the University of Southern Mississippi, Master degrees from the University of Mississippi and the United States Army War College. Previously he served on the faculty of Washburn University, Southeast Missouri State University, the United States Marine Corps University, the University of Southern Mississippi, and Itawamba Community (Mississippi) College. He is the author or co-author of fourteen textbooks in the field of criminal justice, intelligence, emergency management and homeland security and numerous professional papers. He lives outside Oxford, Mississippi and is married to the former Leisa Stuart McElreath of Hazlehurst and Jackson, Mississippi.

Dr. Daniel Adrian Doss is the Director of the Ph.D. Program in Technology Management at National University (San Diego, CA). He possesses a Ph.D from Jackson State University and a Ph.D. from the University of South Africa. His research involved a variety of studies in multiple disciplines, ranging from criminal justice to economics. He is published in notable journals, including The Prison Journal and Journal of Education for Business. He co-authored several textbooks, including Introduction to Homeland Security (Taylor & Francis CRC Press). He also serves as a Colonel in the Mississippi State Guard, Mississippi Military Department.

Dr. Jeffrey M. Van Slyke maintains an inclusive background of emergency management/crisis response, threat assessment, law enforcement services, and special security details. During his career as a Chief of Police, Dr. Van Slyke has experientially managed and responded to such emergencies as tornados, bomb threats, Hurricane Katrina, nor’easter storms, plane crash, suicides/homicides, chemical spills, residence hall fires, and mitigated two credible active-shooter scenarios. Dr. Van Slyke also assisted with facilitating 21 Presidential visits, and was responsible for maintaining the security of a Presidential library, a nuclear laboratory, a university airport, athletic events, concerts, and movie sets. While serving as Chief of Police at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Van Slyke assisted the United States Secret Service with the protective responsibilities of President George W. Bush’s daughter (Jenna), and was awarded the U.S. Secret Service Certificate of Appreciation by President Bush in recognition of his efforts. Dr. Van Slyke attended Auburn University on a track/cross-country scholarship, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice; a Master’s degree from Western Carolina University in Public Administration; and a Doctorate in Higher Education from the University of Texas at Austin – Police Ethics Training: Preferred Modes of Teaching in Higher Education Law Enforcement, (4.0 GPA). Dr. Van Slyke attended the F.B.I. National Academy, and the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center, and has co-authored four textbooks: Foundations of Emergency Management (1^st edition), Introduction to Homeland Security (2^nd edition), Introduction to Terrorism (2^nd edition), and Disasters That Shaped Emergency Management Response (1^st edition). 

“Sometimes it’s not about trying to correct the wrong thing; but rather,

it’s about trying to get through the wrong thing the correct way.”

Dr. Jeffrey M. Van Slyke

Dr. Jensen is Professor and Director of the Intelligence and Security program at The Citadel. His former professorship occurred at the University of Mississippi where he was Director of the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies. He served in an adjunct capacity as a senior behavioral scientist with the RAND Corporation. Dr. Jensen served as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for 22 years; his FBI career included service as a field agent, a forensic examiner in the FBI Laboratory, and an instructor and assistant chief of the Behavioral Science Unit. He has published extensively and lectured throughout the world. Dr. Jensen received a BS degree from the U.S. Naval Academy, an MA from Kent State University, and a PhD from the University of Maryland.