Homeland Security Focus of Nov. 15 University Forum
Fri, 11/04/2016 - 03:26pm | By: David Tisdale
A leading national security analyst frequently called upon by media for her expertise is the guest speaker for the final installment of The University of Southern Mississippi's fall 2016 University Forum series.
Juliette Kayyem, a former assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), will present “Security Mom: Homeland Security in An Age of Mayhem” Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center Ballrooms on the Hattiesburg campus. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.
In her role with DHS, Kayyem worked closely with state and local governments to coordinate the response to the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, as well as the H1N1 pandemic. She is the author of the recently published book “Security Mom,” described as a plea for common-sense responses to the threats faced in an era of global terrorism.
“Six years ago, Juliette Kayyem criss-crossed Mississippi coordinating the response of local and federal agencies to the BP oil spill,” said Dr. Andrew Haley, director of University Forum and associate professor of history. “We're really excited that she is returning to Mississippi to share the lessons she learned from her experiences at the Department of Homeland Security about how to manage the threats we face as a nation from man-made and natural disasters, as well as terrorism.”
Prior to her stint with DHS, Kayyem was homeland security advisor to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and has also served as a member of the National Commission on Terrorism. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission and DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson's Homeland Security Advisory Committee.
Kayyem is a board member of Mass Inc., the International Centre for Sport Security, and the Red Cross of Massachusetts. She is the Belfer Lecturer in International Security at Harvard Kennedy School, and teaches new leaders in emergency management and homeland security. Her honors and awards include the Distinguished Public Service Award, the Coast Guard's highest medal awarded to a civilian. In 2013, she was named the Pulitzer Prize finalist for editorial columns in the Boston Globe focused on ending the Pentagon's combat exclusion rule against women, a policy that was changed that year.
University Forum is presented by the Southern Miss Honors College. For information about University Forum, visit https://www.usm.edu/honors/university-forum.