The Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s Emergence Program Cohort 2501 celebrated its graduation on January 16, 2026. After six months of intensive learning and problem‑solving, the 24 homeland security professionals gathered in the La Novia room in Hermann Hall (and one celebrated remotely), to mark this academic and professional milestone.
For Marco Sciove, a firefighter with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), the program opened unexpected doors.
“I would highly recommend this program to anyone seeking to challenge themselves both personally and professionally,” he said. “Collaborating with individuals from diverse disciplines has reshaped my perspective on homeland defense and security.”
The Emergence Program challenges students to rethink assumptions, expand leadership strategies, approach stakeholders, and identify practical solutions tied directly to their agency’s mission. Each participant develops a Change Initiative aimed at real operational improvement.
Sciove’s Change Initiative centers on firefighter health and well-being. He identified a high rate of cardiovascular line‑of‑duty deaths within his department and proposed equipping FDNY firefighters with wearable health‑monitoring devices to improve early detection of health risks, identify workforce‑wide trends, and give chiefs the ability to proactively pull members from operations before a medical emergency occurs.
“The biggest value I bring back to FDNY is the ability to recognize small vulnerabilities before they become large failures, and to implement change in a way that’s operationally realistic and culturally sustainable,” he said.
“This cohort is unparalleled in my opinion. It’s the greatest professional opportunity I’ve ever had. I’ve gained lifelong friendships and feel like I’ve been mentored to be a better person and a better professional.”
LTJG Teegan Cordova, U.S. Coast Guard
For LTJG Teegan Cordova of the U.S. Coast Guard, Emergence also provided something rare for an officer at her level: access to senior‑level professional education and a network of multi‑disciplinary practitioners.
“It’s unparalleled for someone of my rank to have access to this kind of professional education,” she said. “Building a shared network with people from very different backgrounds helps the Coast Guard, especially given our broad mission set, jurisdiction, and geographic distance.”
Cordova, who also serves as a volunteer victim advocate developed a Change Initiative focused on improving access to sexual‑assault forensic exam resources across the Coast Guard’s widely dispersed units. She created a simple tracking tool and an annual check‑in process that helps victim advocates verify which medical facilities can provide these exams, ensuring survivors know where services are available and allowing the Coast Guard to spot gaps and make future improvements.
“This cohort is unparalleled in my opinion. It’s the greatest professional opportunity I’ve ever had. I’ve gained lifelong friendships and feel like I’ve been mentored to be a better person and a better professional.” she said, adding that her concept of a “call down drill” and tracking tool will be implemented in this year’s Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) in April.
It’s no surprise that all 25 cohort graduates will return to their agencies motivated and ready to drive change. They now join the nationwide CHDS alumni community, a network dedicated to collaboration, resilience, and advancing the homeland security enterprise. The Emergence Program is the catalyst for agency change.
Emergence Program 2501 Graduates:
- David Baker – Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer, DHS/ICE- Greensboro, NC
- Evan Bart- Security Manager, Walt Disney World – Clermont, FL
- Teegan Cordova – Operations Officer, U.S. Coast Guard – Key West, FL
- Brianna Dahm – Medieval Pilot and Operations Officer, Colorado Army National Guard – Lakewood, CO
- Natallia Diessner – Operations Research Analyst, CISA – Farmington, NH
- Evan Fernandez – Federal Air Marshal, Federal Air Marshal Service – Medieval Pilot and Operations Officer, NY
- Christina Gering – Crime Analyst, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office – Sanford, FL
- Daniel Glaser-Reich – Branch Manager- Planning, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management – Charlotte, NC
- Julia Goar – Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Missoula City-County Health Department – Missoula, MT
- Marc Hachey – Lieutenant/Paramedic, South Burlington Fire Department – Colchester, VT
- Katherine Heffner – Consultant at DHS S&T Office of National Laboratories, LMI – Charlotte, NC
- Adam Hiatt – Special Agent, US Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General – Hoboken, NJ
- Andrew Kasten – Supervisory Transportation Security Officer, Department of Homeland Security – Montrose, CO
- James Kent – Intelligence Analyst, California State Threat Assessment Center – Sacramento, CA
- Elizabeth Kravig – PIO/Traffic Management, California Highway Patrol – Los Angeles, CA
- Elisabeth Matuska – Emergency Preparedness Coordinator/ Health Educator, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator/ Health Educator – Branford, CT
- Rachel McGrath – Critical Infrastructure Specialist, North Carolina Department of Public Safety; Division of Emergency Management – Raleigh, NC
- Jillian Oppegard – Education, Exercise, and Response Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Health – Eagan, MN
- Joseph Ryder – Detective / PIO, New York City Police Department – West Babylon, NY
- Marco Sciove – Firefighter (Foam Specialization), FDNY – Staten Island, NY
- Eric Stoessel – Director of Analysis and Evaluation, NYC Emergency Management – Brooklyn, NY
- Katherine Tenaglia – Assistant Legal Attache, FBI – DPO, AE
- Leena Warsi- Adjudication Officer, USCIS – Washington, DC
- Christopher Webb – Police Officer, Salinas Police Department – Salinas, CA
- Emily Wible – Detective/ Auxiliary Crisis Negotiator, Metropolitan Police Department – Washington, DC
