Faculty Highlights: Dr. Robert Kirkland

Dr. Robert Kirkland began serving as an instructor at Union Institute & University in the Criminal Justice Management program and in the Emergency Services Management program in 2012. Dr. Kirkland is an exemplary scholar-practitioner with an extensive military background in addition to a robust CV of academic achievements.His life experience as a military officer and as an emergency service provider are inspiring and compelling for UI&U students in the field. One of Dr. Kirkland’s strengths is the ability to see the potential for synergistic partnerships between military services and law enforcement and local emergency services. This kind of “interdisciplinary approach” stems from a desire to meet the security and legal needs at a local level and to train individuals to be able to serve their communities better.Dr. Kirkland received a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1988, and he went on later to earn his Master’s degree and his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, graduating in 2001. 
His interests lie in Latin American Studies, having achieved a certificate in the field and then writing his doctoral dissertation on the history and relationships of the U.S. military with the countries of Guatemala, Cuba, and Bolivia, a topic on which he continues to research and publish.

Dr. Kirkland recently retired from the Active Army and is now drawing on his wealth of experience and knowledge to train others. “Most of the students we have [in Los Angeles] are with law enforcement, fire or other emergency services backgrounds.

Their agencies often work with the military in disaster relief efforts or homeland security operations.   In my courses, I give the students a military perspective that helps them build on their skill sets they already have in their chosen field.”

Along with his military experience and training, Dr. Kirkland is a graduate of the U.S. Air War College with a concentration in Homeland Security. He is passionate about showing students how the different law enforcement department and emergency services at a local level can coordinate with state and federal security departments.

“Since 9-11 there have been a number of federal agencies which have been involved more extensively in Homeland Security issues,” Dr. Kirkland said. “With the myriad of agencies, including the US military, students who study Criminal Justice or Emergency Management need to be aware of these agencies and how they impact their field. The synergistic efforts of all agencies will increase our ability at the federal, state and local levels to deal with threats.”

Dr. Kirkland’s own career has a strong component of integrating different services for the purpose of achieving a common goal. Over the years he regularly employed his military training within the context of emergency relief services. From 1993-1996, he participated in hurricane preparedness for coastal towns in North Carolina and hurricane disaster relief efforts while serving as a military officer at Fort Bragg. He was also member of the Emergency Operations Center for Hurricane Iniki relief efforts in 1992.

Bringing his experience to meet the needs of the local community is at the heart of what it means to be socially responsible for Dr. Kirkland: “To me, social responsibility means to have a keen interest in what is happening in our communities and to actively participate in solving problems. As a CJM/ESM faculty member, by helping to educate practitioners in the field, I can make them better and more proficient in their jobs which in turn helps them to serve their community more effectively.”It is precisely in this area of education and teaching that Dr. Kirkland is investing at present. He is currently working with Dr. Beth Pastores-Palffey to update the Emergency Services Management program, designing the curriculum around the standards set by the Foundation for Higher Education Acceditation (FFHEA). “The FFHEA is really the ‘gold standard’ for Emergency Management program accreditation at the post-secondary level. One of trustees at Union, Kay Goss, serves as President of the FFHEA.  We hope to have the revised curriculum and courses up and running later this year.”