News

January 2, 2025

Tulane School of Professional Advancement Reminds New Orleans About the Emergency and Security Management Team

NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Tulane University’s media contact, Linzy Cotaya, has issued a list of the Tulane School of Professional Development’s Emergency and Security Management subject matter experts who specialize in hurricane response, terrorism, intelligence, cyber security, IT security, and hospital emergency management. The list is provided as a resource to address the Jan. 1 tragedy on Bourbon Streeet.

Comprised of active industry leaders assembled as adjunct professors, the Emergency & Security Studies program provides homeland security and emergency management expertise and training. According to Tulane University, recurrent natural disasters, infrastructure attacks, and the ongoing threat of terrorism to the continental United States have made homeland security a rapidly growing field with a high demand for skilled leadership and informed management, both in the public sector and within private industries.

The following is a list of Tulane University’s Emergency and Security Management team members.

Dr. Michael Wallace, professor of practice and program director, Emergency & Security Studies, is a retired military intelligence officer with twenty years active service. His military assignments included Naval Special Warfare, Defense Human Intelligence, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Office of Naval Intelligence. Post military, he worked as a senior intelligence analyst in the Joint Chiefs of Staff Intelligence Directorate. He holds a Doctorate in Education, a Master of Military Arts and Science, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies. Additionally, he was awarded a certificate of completion for the General and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Program, at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Dr. Wallace has experience in counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, special warfare and intelligence collection and analysis.

Dr. Rebacca Rouse, professor of practice and associate program director, Emergency & Security Studies, retired from the US Army after nearly 22 years, subsequently working with the Department of Defense, FEMA, and several universities the past 12 years. She holds a Doctor of Management in Homeland Security, a Master of Arts in Political Science, and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. Dr. Rouse has experience in a wide range of homeland security and emergency management topics.

Mark Richards, program faculty, Emergency & Security Studies, has worked for the Louisiana State Police for over 24 years. In the capacity of Crisis Response Commander, he served as Public Safety and Security Lead for Louisiana, Emergency Manager for the State Police, and held command authority over the agency’s Emergency Operations Center, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, and Air Support Unit. Mark led the agency’s preparedness and response efforts for a wide variety of natural and technological disasters, as well as directed the agency’s planning efforts for high-level security events held in the state. Mark holds a Master of Public Administration from Louisiana State University and is a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command Program and Executive Management Program.

Michael Antoine, associate vice president for Campus Safety, Emergency Preparedness & Response at Louisiana State University, is a New Orleans native with over 22 years of comprehensive public safety experience in homeland security & emergency preparedness, planning, safety, incident management, search and rescue, hazardous material, training, and liaison support activities. Antoine started his career in public safety in 2002 at 19 years of age joining the New Orleans Fire Department as a Firefighter/EMT and worked his way up the ranks through continued training and education. He is also a senior advisor on the Advisory Board at the Institute for Diversity & Inclusion in Emergency Management, and an adjunct professor of Homeland Security & Emergency Management at Tulane University. Prior to LSU, Antoine served as director of Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness at Tulane Health System; chief of staff of Public Safety, Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, City of New Orleans; deputy director Homeland Security/Emergency Preparedness, City of New Orleans and served in numerous positions with the New Orleans Fire Department such as Fire Captain, Training Officer, Compliance Officer, and lead the departments Incident Management Team.

Nina Cleveland, program faculty, Emergency & Security Studies, began her career in nursing and social work, working 15 years in the alcohol and drug treatment field. She has worked in emergency preparedness and response and with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Quarantine Branch. She has achievements in public health disaster preparedness as well as awards in regional trauma system development, Medical Reserve Corps start up and vulnerable population preparedness training development. Additionally, she was awarded a certificate of completion for the General and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Program, at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Ronald Magee, program faculty, Emergency & Security Studies, has worked with NASA at the John C. Stennis Space Center as the emergency manager. In that role he developed the facility’s environmental management program. He received a NASA Distinguished Leadership Medal for his efforts on this project and served for 12 years as environmental officer. He later served as deputy director and assistant to the director of Center Operations, in which he developed a Continuity of Operations Program, became a FEMA Master Professional Continuity Practitioner, achieved Storm Ready National Weather Service Certification for the facility, and worked in the Emergency Operations Center during and after hurricane Katrina.

Michael Antoine, director of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness for HCA Healthcare Tulane Health System/adjunct professor, School of Professional Advancement, has 22 years of experience in Public Safety, Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness. He currently serves as the executive director of Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness at Louisiana State University (LSU). Prior to LSU, he served as director of Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness at Tulane Health System. Appointed as Chief of Staff, Public Safety, Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, City of New Orleans; appointed as deputy director Homeland Security/Emergency Preparedness, City of New Orleans; and served in numerous positions with the New Orleans Fire Department including Fire Captain, Training Officer, Compliance Officer, Lead Incident Management Team, Deputy Chief of Planning. Antoine also currently serves as a senior board advisor at the Institute for Diversity & Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM), and a member of FEMA’s National Advisory Council (NAC).