The NDSU Department of Emergency Management has received the 2014 Academic Recognition Award from the International Association of Emergency Managers-USA Awards and Recognition Committee.
The organization honored the department for its “significant contribution to the formal education of both undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a career in emergency management practice, policy or teaching.”
The department was recognized for helping to shape and advance the academic discipline, further the goals and professionalization efforts of emergency management and serving public, private and nonprofit partners.
Department personnel are excited about being selected for the prestigious honor.
“The award provides affirmation of the productive work that has taken place on the NDSU campus in developing and continually enhancing innovative undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs that are so critical to our state and nation,” said Dan Klenow, professor and head of emergency management. “Citizens everywhere are subject to hazard risks and vulnerabilities and programs such as ours are absolutely foundational to a secure society as the local, state of North Dakota, national and international disaster news reports continually show. We are extremely fortunate to have such a high quality program in North Dakota.”
Klenow added, “The award also reflects positively on NDSU’s senior administrators who have provided continuing support over the years.
NDSU’s program offers the only doctoral degree in the United States specifically granted in emergency management.
With five faculty members, the department has more than 50 undergraduate students and about 25 resident graduate students. The first bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees were awarded in 2004, 2006 and 2009, respectively.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.