Fall 2020 Newsletter
A Word from Librarian Fred Smith
Despite the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the library continues to work diligently to serve doctoral students and faculty in their research endeavors. Users can access a wide range of relevant titles along with hundreds of monographs, reports, documents, and studies by visiting this portal. In the advent of no or limited access to interlibrary loan, needed materials can be secured here.
State library systems provide a suite of databases to their cardholders for them to access remotely. In New Jersey, it is called JerseyClicks; in Texas, it is called TexShare. The website of each state library provides a list of resources available to users. Doctoral students and alumni are reminded that the Homeland Security Digital Library is available as well as the Directory of Open Access Journals as quality (and free) sources.
Departmental News
As NJCU’s PSS Department continues to grow with the hiring of several full-time faculty members and the introduction of new majors, coordination of the D.Sc. in Civil Security Leadership, Management and Policy Program has been on the move. Dr. Kathleen Rennie, who led the D.Sc. program for several years, has accepted a new leadership role as Chair of the Marketing Department at the NJCU School of Business. Dr. Rennie, fortunately, remains affiliated with our program and will continue to teach courses and serve on dissertation committees as a mentor and reader. Dr. Graig Klein, who codirected the D.Sc. program with Dr. Rennie since January 2020, also recently accepted a new position at the Institute of Security & Global Affairs at Leiden University in the Netherlands.
Dr. Juste Codjo has assumed the role of Coordinator of the D.Sc. program. A scholar-practitioner with 20+ years of international military experience, Dr. Codjo holds a Ph.D. in Security Studies from Kansas State University and a Graduate Certificate in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He specializes in national and international security with a regional focus on Africa. His teaching and research interests revolve around political violence, U.S. and French national security policy toward Africa, peace operations, U.S. security cooperation policy, as well as governance and stability in the developing world. Dr. Codjo previously taught security studies and political science at the American University, the University of Kentucky, and Kansas State University. Prior to joining academia, he served as an army officer in the Benin Armed Forces for more than 20 years. He is a graduate of the German Offizierschule des Heeres and of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. While on active duty in Benin, he participated in a U.N. peacekeeping operation in 2004 that helped restore peace in Liberia. Dr. Codjo is fluent in six languages, including French and German.
Faculty Research
Recent Publications:
- Obaidat, M. A., Suhaib, O., Holst, J., Al Hayajneh, A., & Brown, J. (2018). A Comprehensive and Systematic Survey on the Internet of Things: Security and Privacy Challenges, Security Frameworks, Enabling Technologies, Threats, Vulnerabilities and Countermeasures. Computers, 9(2): 44.
In the Works:
- Second-Level Defense for Protecting an Identity Management Framework
- Assigning Privilege in a Network Using IPCOP
- Authorization Checks in Static Code Analysis
- Development of Machine Learning based Ensemble Solution for Intrusion Detection Systems
Recent Conference:
- Obaidat, M. A., Brown, J., & Al Hayajneh, A. Web Browser Extension User-Script XSS Vulnerabilities. Report of the 2020 IEEE Cyber Science and Technology Congress Conference. Canada, 2020.
Interest Areas:
Cybersecurity: Biometric Authentication, Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) Security, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) Security, Algorithms and Protocols, and Internet of Things (IoT) Security and Privacy.
Recent Publications:
- Codjo, J. (2020). Confronting Rebellion in Weak States: Government Response to Military Mutiny in Benin. African Studies Review, 1-27.
In the Works:
- They Shall Not Be Free: Eisenhower’s National Security Strategy and Decolonization of Africa, Journal of Cold War Studies (revisions underway).
- Assessing the French Influence in Africa in the Context of the Increasing US-Chinese Presence, conference paper to be presented at the 2020 ISA Annual Conference.
- Conditional Democratic Peace: Political Competition, Governance, and Civil War.
- Consencracy: An Institutional Key to Lasting Peace in Africa (Book Project)
- Foreign Patronage and Civil War, with Long, A.
- Diversionary Behavior & Expulsions of Foreigners in Africa, Kisangani E.
Recent Conferences:
- Codjo, J. Consencracy: A Consensus-Based Model of Democracy to Improve Governance and Stability in African Countries, November 2020; African Studies Association (virtual).
- Codjo, J. UN Security Council’s Instruments for Regulating International Security, February 2020; Regional Dialogue on International Security, Niamey, Niger.
- Codjo, J. Current Issues in African Security: Libya, the Great Lakes, & the Horn of Africa, February 2020; Regional Dialogue on International Security, Niamey, Niger.
Interest Areas:
International & U.S. National Security: Civil Conflicts and Armed Rebellions, Government Response to Political Violence, African Security, Political Institutions & Governance in Africa, US-Africa Strategic Relations, France-Africa Strategic Relations, U.S. Security Cooperation, Civil Military Relations.
In the Works:
- The development of a departmental level PACC assessment for the undergraduate PSS degree program at NJCU. This involves the development of a culminating level Capstone Project and rubrics to assess students in the capstone course (SECU 154 Careers in Professional Security Studies). The assessment will provide feedback for the development of curriculum within the courses taught in the degree program.
- PSS Program Review: NJCU has undertaken the responsibility for providing direction in conducting regular reviews of its academic programs. The purpose of the PSS program review is to study this particular discipline, concentrating on not only its strengths and weaknesses but also serving to celebrate accomplishments. This PSS program review has offered the faculty and staff an opportunity to analyze a myriad of challenges, highlighting all annual comprehensive assessments along with an opportunity to plan for future initiatives. The report represented the PSS Department in the Middle States evaluation process.
Interest Areas:
- Learning Modalities: The concept of using a compilation of teaching modalities in a classroom is based on the understanding that a portion of the content will be presented in a manner suited to every type of learner within a given classroom. A common definition of learning style is the relatively stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with, and respond a particular learning environment. The best practice model would therefore accommodate multiple dimensions of all learning styles. Developing a course of instruction that provides multiple learning styles would provide an instructor a greater chance of reaching a larger number of students in a class setting. The utilization of multiple sound learning modalities within a classroom will better serve the student. The ability to deliver relevant materials at all program levels has allowed the students to discover significant topics through critical thinking and problem solving. This ultimately lends itself to fostering an atmosphere of self-directed learning.
- Other Topics: Domestic Terrorism, Extremism, Leadership, Policy, and Decision-Making Processes.
Recent Publications:
- Fisher, S. & Klein, G. (2020). Russia’s Sputnik News (1st Edition) [data file].
- Fisher, S. & Klein, G. (2020). Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs English Data, Jan 2018 - 15 February 2020. Harvard Dataverse, V1. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/QAJOUV.
- Fisher, S. & Klein, G. (2020). Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency Articles from 22 Dec. 2011 to 15 Feb. 2020. Harvard Dataverse, V1. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/K233EA.
- Fisher, S. & Klein, G. (2020). Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) Articles from Oct. 2008 - Feb. 2020. Harvard Dataverse, V1. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/BUJUJP.
- Fisher, S. & Klein, G. (Ongoing). “FOCUSdata Project”, https://focusdataproject.com/.
Recent Conferences:
- Information Environments and Affecting Authoritarian Regimes’ Mindsets, with Klein, G. American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Meeting, Virtual, 2020.
- Foreign Official Communication Using Sentiment Analysis, with Klein, G., pre-conference short course on big data and sentiment analysis, American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Meeting, Virtual, 2020.
- Big Data Analysis in National Security. A Workshop Conducted for Graduate and Undergraduate Students at the Rutgers IC [Intelligence Community] CAE [Center of Academic Excellence] Certificate in Intelligence and National Security: Critical Technology Studies Program. New Jersey, 2020.
In the Works:
- [Forthcoming] Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Operations in the Information Environment at the Tactical Level, RAND Corporation, Research and Develop Tactical-Level Information Warfare Products for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.
Interest Areas:
International & National Security, North Korea, East Asia, Foreign Policy, Information Operations/Warfare, Digital Humanities, Open Source Intelligence, Sentiment Analysis.
In the Works:
- On-going applied research regarding best practices for curriculum, faculty development, and articulation agreements for university partnerships with community colleges.
- Distance Education Accrediting Commission; Subject Specialist accrediting universities and colleges around the country in homeland/national degree programs.
- MCC Criminal Justice/Homeland Security Advisory Board: research and development for program growth development.
Interest Areas:
Student Learning Models, Human Behavior, Chaos Theory
Recent Publications:
- Zsarnóczky, M., Molnár, L., & Garamvölgyi, L. (2019) Bűnmegelőzés a turizmus által érintett közösségekben (in Hungarian, English translation: Crime Prevention In Communities Affected By Tourism, ISBN 978-963-396-119-3) III. International Scientific Conference on Tourism and Security, Pannon University, Hungary, May 2019
Recent Conferences:
- Molnar, L. Data, The New Commodity, Laws & Regulations (From NJ to California & Around the World), NJCU School of Business, Panelist, September 5, 2019
In the Works:
- Development of a new degree program entitled: "M.S. in Diplomacy for Global Security."
- Ongoing Contributions on Mediation as a Tool for Soft Diplomacy, as a Member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Dispute Resolution at NJCU.
- Ongoing Contributions as a Member of the Board of Directors of the International Mediation Institute.
Interest Areas:
- Diplomacy, Foreign Policy, International Negotiations, International and National Security, Nuclear Nonproliferation, Cybersecurity
Recent Publications:
- Cannon, D. & Rennie, K. (2020). Blueprint for the APR Examination, Universal Accreditation Board.
- Liberman C.; Rennie, K.D. & Byrum, K. (2020). Ninja and Myth: Case Studies from the Gaming World, a chapter in Liberman –Wright: Casing Mediated Communication, Kendal Hunt Publishing.
Recent Conferences:
- Rennie, K. Crisis Communication and Reputation Management: Preparing for and Communicating Through Crisis Events, March 2020; June 2020; Performing Arts Readiness (virtual)
- Rennie, K., Fouratt M.E. & Ostmann, R. Engaging Audiences in the COVID-19 Era, May 2020, Discover NJ Arts (virtual)
In the Works:
- Rennie, K., Cannon, D., Forde, J. & Byrum, K. The Practice Analysis: A Reality Check on Knowledge, Skills and Abilities of Entry and Mid Level Public Relations Professionals.
- Rennie, K. & Byrum K. Strategic Communication in MBA Programs, quantitative data collection phase.
- On two research teams through the Commission on Public Relations Education to result in publication: Diversity and Inclusion and Public Relations Nomenclature.
Interest Areas:
Integrated Marketing Communication, Crisis Communication, Teaching Strategic Communication to Graduate Students in Non-Communication Programs, Diversity and Inclusion
Recent Publications:
- Thakur, K., & Pathan, A-S. K. (2020). Cybersecurity Fundamentals: A Real-World Perspective, 1st Edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
- Thakur, K., & Kumar, G. (2020). Nature Inspired Techniques and Applications in Intrusion Detection Systems: Recent Progress and Updated Perspective. Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering: 1-23.
- Gupta, S., Thakur, K., & Kumar, M. (2020). 2D-Human Face Recognition Using SIFT and SURF Descriptors of Face’s Feature Regions. The Visual Computer: 1-10.
- Kumar, G., Thakur, K., & Ayyagari, M. R. (2020). MLEsIDSs: Machine Learning-Based Ensembles for Intrusion Detection Systems—A Review. The Journal of Supercomputing: 1-34.
- Dargan, S., Kumar, M., Garg, A., & Thakur, K. (2019). Writer identification system for pre-segmented offline handwritten Devanagari characters using k-NN and SVM. Soft Computing, 1-12.
In the works:
- Thakur, K., Alqahtani, H., & Kumar, G. (2020). IDGADS - An Intelligent DGA-Generated Domain Detection System. Computers and Electrical Engineering, (UNDER REVIEW).
Interest Areas:
Cybersecurity, Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence, including wireless networking security, system’s security, information assurance and privacy, cyber-attacks, IoT security and privacy, cyber-physical systems and WBAN security, algorithms and protocols, cloud-computing security.
Recent Publications:
- Wiltsey, M. (2020, March 31). Resiliency & Mental Health Wellness Quick Tips#1: Resiliency: A Brief Explanation. Resilient Minds on the Front Lines. https://onthefrontlines.us/quick-tips
- Wiltsey, M. (2020, April 7). Resiliency & Mental Health Wellness Quick Tips#2: Anxiety – What is It? Resilient Minds on the Front Lines. https://onthefrontlines.us/quick-tips
- Wiltsey, M. (2020, April 15). Resiliency & Mental Health Wellness Quick Tips#3: Combatting the Brain’s Negativity Bias. Resilient Minds on the Front Lines. https://onthefrontlines.us/quick-tips
- Wiltsey, M. (2020, April 21). Resiliency & Mental Health Wellness Quick Tips#4: Social Resilience. Resilient Minds on the Front Lines. https://onthefrontlines.us/quick-tips
- Wiltsey, M. (2020, April 29). Resiliency & Mental Health Wellness Quick Tips#5: Meaning and Meaning Making. Resilient Minds on the Front Lines. https://onthefrontlines.us/quick-tips
- Wiltsey, M. (2020, May 12). Resiliency & Mental Health Wellness Quick Tips#7: Mindset. Resilient Minds on the Front Lines. https://onthefrontlines.us/quick-tips
Recent Conferences:
- Salfati, C. G., Wiltsey, M.T., & Korzun, E. Law Enforcement Resilience Training Impact, November 2020, Society for Criminal & Police Psychology (Virtual).
- Wiltsey, M. New Jersey Resiliency Program for Law Enforcement. September 2020, Police Resilience Symposium, New York, NY (Virtual).
- Wiltsey, M. Resiliency Concepts Refresher & Program Overview, June 2020, Master Resiliency Trainers: Rising to the Challenge (Virtual).
- Wiltsey, M. Webcast 14 – Fixed vs. Growth Mindset, May 2020, Resilient Minds on the Front Lines (YouTube). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29f_BB50OMQ
- Wiltsey, M. One of Five Executive Staff Trainers who trained the Master Trainers (187) for the New Jersey Resiliency Program, Burlington County, NJ, March 9-10, 2020
- Wiltsey, M. Presentation at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Officer Wellness Conference, February 2020, Miami FL.
In the Works:
- Current Research Project: Cross-Institution collaboration with colleague Dr. C. Gabrielle Salfati from John Jay College of Criminal Justice involving a research study on the impact of the resilience training on individual and organizational outcome factors. Numerous presentations and papers expected to come from this project.
Interest Areas:
Crime Scene Investigation, Analysis, and Reconstruction; Forensic Analysis; Investigations and Analysis; Forensic Psychology; Investigative & Police Psychology; Clinical Psychology; Positive Psychology/Resilience.
DSc Program Alumni Research
Current: Director, American Military Families Immigration Services, NJ; Director, Hamburg Borough Board of Health, NJ
Recent Publications:
- Alakpa, GEU. (2020). CoVID-19 Outbreaks, a Wakeup Call for health and National Security Preparedness; How Prepared is the World for a Bioagent Medical Emergency? EC Microbiology, 16.6: 26-32.
- Alakpa, GEU. (2020). Does Vaccination/Immunization in the Military Equals a Loss of Basic Medical Rights to informed Consent? Perception of a Retired US Combat Army Medic Veteran. EC Microbiology, 16.4: 57-64.
- Alakpa, GEU. (2019) The Dual Use of Synthetic/Artificial Microorganisms and Terrorism, as a National Security Issue. EC Microbiology 15.11:162-164.
- Alakpa, GEU. (2019). Human Migration with Disease Dissemination in Our Current Global Movement and National Security; My Opinion. EC Microbiology, 15(7):575-581.
Interest Areas:
National Security, Bioterrorism, Biosecurity, Immigration, Medical Microbiology and Parasitology.
Current: Executive Director of Enterprise Resiliency, Educational Testing Services
Recent Conferences:
- Mathews, T. J. Looking for Emerging Risks, Listening across Functions and Stakeholders, December 2020, The Conference Board - Return to the Workplace Conference (Virtual).
Interest Areas:
Security Leadership, Crisis Management and Enterprise Resilience