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Emergency Preparedness Leader Earns Special Degree
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Scott Minarcine, public health emergency preparedness grant program manager with DPH, graduated Friday with a master's degree in security studies from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. |
On the morning of Friday, March 30, in front of a crowd of students, faculty and
families, Public health's Scott Minarcine joined the 30 other members of his
cohort to graduate with a master's degree in security studies from the Center
for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey,
California.
Minarcine, now in the Division of Health Protection finished high school and
joined the navy to allow "some time to think about what to do next." He had no
way of knowing that he would end up attending a prestigious program at the Naval
Postgraduate School that is only open to local, tribal, state or federal
government agency employees who hold significant homeland security-related
responsibilities.
As the public health emergency preparedness grant program manager in the
emergency preparedness and response section, Minarcine's position and past role
as an emergency preparedness specialist for the Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale
County Health Departments and the Cobb and Douglas Public Health made him an
excellent candidate for the program.
"What intrigued me about those who completed the program was how they learned to
focus on critical thinking in emergency preparedness. The program seeks to
challenge preconceptions about homeland security as just following protocol,"
said Minarcine.
Minarcine's path to the Center for Homeland Defense and Security started during
his time as a Naval Hospital Corpsman in the United States Navy.
"I was very interested in the preparedness exercises that we would conduct,"
said Minarcine. "I started to research how this training translated to the
civilian side. That's why, after receiving a bachelor's degree in political
science from North Carolina State University, I started an internship with the
Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency."
Minarcine then went on to positions with the state, and started the security
studies program 18 months ago. To accommodate the time constraints of the
students who all have full-time emergency preparedness positions back home, the
program requires students to be in residence only two weeks every quarter (for
12 weeks for the whole program) with the remainder of their coursework completed
online.
The Center for Homeland Defense and Security's programs and resources have been
developed to advance the study of homeland security research, scholarship, and
professional discipline to enhance U.S. national security and safety and
Minarcine has enjoyed every minute of it.
"The program has absolutely blown away any expectations I had about it," said
Minarcine. "It has been a phenomenal experience."
Students in the program learn organizational and management skills, development
of interagency cooperation, and actionable policy and strategy.
"It has been amazing to apply the information I receive through to courses to my
position with DPH," said Minarcine. "For instance, we [DPH] are looking at
restructuring emergency preparedness in Georgia and I just completed a course in
strategy and innovation in homeland security. I have been able to apply those
strategies from the class to the work we are doing in Georgia."
Students are also required to complete a thesis that is of significant benefit
to the students' jurisdictions. Minarcine's thesis centered on how partners of
public health can take the data that we in public health collect and use it in
the homeland security realm.
"For example, we have all kinds of epidemiologic data on emerging infectious
diseases that could be beneficial to law enforcement in the event of a
biological attack," explained Minarcine.
Students must make a commitment to continue to serve in a public service,
homeland security capacity for at least two years following graduation, and
Minarcine is ready to return to DPH with his wealth of knowledge.
"I'm excited to really use the information I've learned to make the emergency
preparedness section an even better, stronger program that continues to protect
the health and safety of the people of Georgia."
-Story by Kimberly Stringer, DPH Communications
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