NCSP Interns Boast Homeland Security Skills and Aspirations to Serve America

Spring 2016 NCSP interns, clockwise from upper left, Ryan Mullane, Sharif Koonce, Ian Faria, and Marissa Edelstein.

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 30, 2016) — Four undergraduates from diverse academic backgrounds pursuing different career paths make up the Spring 2016 cohort of National Center for Security & Preparedness (NCSP) interns.

All, however, share a common desire. “These are individuals who want to remain a part of the homeland security enterprise,” said Jeffrey Knaack, NCSP’s editor-in-chief.

The four are Ian Faria, a junior from Monticello; Marissa Edelstein, a senior from Bellport; Ryan Mullane, a junior from the Bronx; and Sharif Koonce, a junior from Peekskill.

“These are highly motivated individuals, selected from an extremely competitive job market after an interview process with NCSP staff and management,” said Knaack. “They are valuable members of our team who have contributed to course development, the production of situation reports and case studies on national and international incidents of consequence, and support the training initiatives of UAlbany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC).”

Ian Faria majors in business administration with a concentration in finance management and a minor at CEHC. He became interested in the NCSP after taking a class with Rick Mathews, CEHC’s director of simulations and training, which featured a video about the Advanced Active Shooters Scenario course at the State Preparedness Training Center. Ian’s study at NCSP includes work on the Improvised Explosive Devices for EMS and Medical Professionals course. He aspires to work for a security consulting firm, first in government and ultimately transitioning to the private sector.

Marissa Edelstein is a political science major concentrating in global politics with a minor in history. Last fall, she studied counter-terrorism in Copenhagen, Denmark, learning about the aims and causes of terrorism, counter-terrorism measures, and how the international community handles these operations. She plans on attending law school and then pursuing a career in the counter-terrorism sector of the homeland security enterprise.

Ryan Mullane is a criminal justice major with minors in CEHC and psychology, who plans to leverage his NCSP experience with his criminal justice education to pursue a career in information security. At NCSP, Ryan researches and analyzes open-source information in order to produce comprehensive case studies of current national and international events having homeland security implications.

Sharif Koonce dual-majors in economics and political science, with an emphasis in globalization. At NCSP, he researches and analyzes national and international events in order to produce case studies and supporting course materials for training. Sharif plans to follow a career in intelligence.

Established in 2007, NCSP has become a global leader and innovator in security and preparedness. Now a research center with CEHC, its mission is to support America’s efforts to be secure from acts of terrorism and to be prepared for response to incidents of high consequence. Interns take part in the NCSP’s multi-pronged approach to this effort, which includes and integrates research, education, training, and technical assistance.

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