Denmark, F., & Paludi, M. (Eds.). (2018). Ā Women and leadership.Ā New York:Ā Springer.Ā Ā 1
An overview of current research on women and leadership in a variety of disciplines; an overview of research on gender stereotyping, recommendations for organizations for eliminating discriminatory treatment of women leaders.
Denmark, F. & Paludi, M. (Eds.). (2017). Psychology of women:Ā Handbook of issues and theories. 3rd ed. Santa Barbara, CA:Ā Praeger.Ā .
An overview of career, health, mental health, education, and family issues in the psychology of women.
Estwick, A. (2020, Nov.) Virtual Fraud, Forensics, and Cybersecurity Panel hosted by 91æģ²„ College and Sienna College
Press Release: /article/cybersecurity-expert-panel-discussion/
Estwick, A. (2020, Oct.) Co-chair of the National Centers of Academic Excellence Cybersecurity Education Diversity Initiative.
Press Release:Ā /article/excelsior-college-takes-lead-in-initiative-to-establish-cybersecurity-pipeline/
Press Conference:Ā
Estwick, A. (2019, May) Growing and Diversifying the Cyber Talent Pipeline. Witness presentation before a Congressional Hearing of the Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation Subcommittee of the House Committee on Homeland Security.
Description: We are at a critical point in the cybersecurity evolution. The United Statesā strategic competitors are conducting cyber-enabled campaigns to erode U.S. military advantages, threaten our infrastructure, and reduce our economic prosperity.Ā This panel of esteemed cybersecurity experts from industry and academia will discuss cross-cutting perspectives on complex technology, cyber, policy, and national security.
MODERATOR:Ā Chris Brown, acting NGA chief information security officer
PANELISTS:Ā Priscilla Moriuchi, security engineering and architecture at Apple, fellow at Harvardās Belfer Center; Major General (ret) Ed Wilson, president at Pinnacle Strategic Consulting and former deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy; Lauren Zabierek, head of the Cyber Project at Harvard and former NG, and Amelia Estwick, director of national cybersecurity institute.
Estwick, A. (2020, October) Next-Gen Cybersecurity Challenges: Is the National Defense Apparatus Prepared for the Future Cybersecurity Environment? Panel hosted by National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
This review offers a perspective on the accuracy of history portrayed as in the show Mrs. America. The show, which portrays the fight for and against the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s, features a star-studded cast, including Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Uzo Aduba, Elizabeth Banks, Tracy Ullman, and Sarah Paulson to portray activists Phyllis Schlafly, Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, and others.
Berkery, M. Huluās Mrs. America and the Real History of the Battle Over the ERA. Clio and the Contemporary.
This presentation examined the implementation, design and impact of a new, required online first-year experience seminar. The Cornerstone course is offered at the upper and lower levels to provide a pathway to successful degree completion for all 91æģ²„ students.
Berkery, M. (2020, October) The Cornerstone: A Smart Start for Online Adult Degree-Completion Students. Presentation at the National Conference on Students in Transition.
This presentation examined the implementation, design and impact of a new, online required FYS. It also provided takeaways for institutions moving their FYS online due to COVID, and those adapting to the increasing numbers of adult students at their institutions.
Berkery, M. (2021, February). Supporting Non-Traditional Adult Students with an Online First-Year Seminar. Presentation at the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience.
Many working professionals in criminal justice-related fields reach a point in their careers where they want a bigger role in determining policy and managing how a department is run. Earning a masterās degree in criminal justice opens the door for them to achieve those goals.
91æģ²„ College provides online education with working adults in mind. The College offers an online Master of Science in Criminal Justice program that gives graduates an opportunity to bolster their careers, qualify for advanced criminal justice jobs, and earn higher criminal justice salaries.
And because the masterās program in criminal justice is online, students can earn the degree while maintaining their current job.
Students in the program learn how to address workplace legal and ethical dilemmas, and conduct research and analyze crime statistics. Students also can quickly put what they learn to use on the job.
Nicole Lopez, who earned a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from 91æģ²„ College in 2019, said the program immediately changed her standing at her job. āI can actually talk to my chiefs and upper management and use what [I learned] in my coursesā¦and Iām applying it to my job. It was pretty cool just to get to do that.ā
There is a wide range of occupations required to ensure the criminal justice system functions smoothly. By earning a masterās degree in criminal justice, graduates are prepared for leadership positions in different career fields related to criminal justice. In addition to working for law enforcement, the courts, and corrections systems, graduates also can work for private companies, such as insurance companies and law firms, as well as nonprofits.
Some of the most popular careers that graduates enter are described below. All salary and job growth information comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) .
This field includes detectives and police officers who typically work with city police departments and transit and railroad police, sheriffās deputies, and fish and game wardens. Those with a masterās degree can qualify for leadership jobs in these areas, such as police chief. Salary for criminal investigators reached $86,030 in May 2019. The BLS the number of criminal investigators to increase by 5 percent through 2029.
Emergency management directors develop plans to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies. They also oversee emergency services during and after a disaster occurs. The salary for this occupation reached $82,530 in May 2019. The BLS projects the number of emergency management directors to increase by 4 percent by 2029.
This field is for those who have earned an undergraduate degree in forensic science or natural science like biology or chemistry. Earning a masterās degree positions graduates to lead departments that specialize in forensic science. Salaries for forensic science technicians $63,170 in May 2019. The BLS projects the number of forensic science technicians to grow 14 percent by 2029.
Earning a masterās degree prepares graduates to lead people who work in including correctional officers and bailiffs, private detectives and investigators, security guards, and gambling surveillance officers. The BLS does not track management salaries in these fields.
Graduates from a criminal justice masterās program can qualify for positions as special agents in different federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, and Secret Service. The BLS does not track salaries in these fields, however, you can download various law enforcement pay tables through the .
91æģ²„ Collegeās online masterās programs in public service disciplines, including the masterās degree in criminal justice graduate program, is designed for working professionals who want to boost their criminal justice career or transition into it from another field.
Students earn 30 credit hours in the program. 91æģ²„ās generous credit transfer policy allows students to transfer up to 15 credits. Students graduate from the program with expertise in important areas of criminal justice, including the following:
Students learn the details of how police departments, the court system, and correction facilities operate. They also learn the history and science of criminology while conducting criminal justice research projects and writing data-based reports.
All this culminates in earning a graduate degree that improves the chances of getting a promotion and earning the jobs students aspire to hold in the criminal justice system.
When she first thought about entering an online degree program at 91æģ²„ (then 91æģ²„ College), Anna Truss experienced many of the doubts felt by other potential students. She wondered if she could juggle earning a degree with work and parenting.
She finally made the leap after realizing why she wanted to do it in the first place. āYou need to understand that you are doing this for yourselfānot someone elseāand you really need this, because I really do believe that getting a degree changes the personality of the person and really helps you out,ā Truss said.
Truss graduated in 2014 from the 91æģ²„ Bachelor of Science in Information Technology program with a concentration in cybersecurity. She is now CEO of her own company, DefSec Solutions LLC.
Truss spoke about the degree program, what helped her succeed, and her favorite class.
The 91æģ²„ BS in Information Technology with a concentration in cybersecurity provides graduates the specific skills they need to succeed in the cybersecurity field. The degree is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.
The online program teaches students about software development, computer systems, database management, network communication, system administration, human-computer interaction, and project management.
91æģ²„ also offers a BS in Cybersecurity that is aligned with cybersecurity standards developed by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.
Truss said at first she wasnāt sure about pursuing a degree, a concern she thinks other adult students must have
āI guess some of the things people get nervous about, especially if you wait a little bit after you graduate from high school to start your degree, are āShould I do it? How is it going to go? Maybe Iāll do it next year,āā Truss said. āIt happened to me at first, as well, and I couldnāt really find a good college that I wanted to go study at.ā
However, once she found the 91æģ²„ program, she committed to earning her degree. In addition to realizing she needed to do it for herself, Truss said, āItās really great for the future, as well.ā
Truss said her husband, Peter, offered her support as she worked her way through the online degree program.
āHe was always there for me and understood how important it was to me,ā Truss said. āHe was there always by my side saying, āHey, you can do this, come on!āā
She said being a parent also presented challenges: āThere were a lot of times that were really tough for me to study when the baby was crying or something else was going on in life.ā
Of her many 91æģ²„ opportunities, Truss noted her Ethical Hacking class experience as tops.
āIt was definitely my favorite course of them all, and the reason is because it was actually hands-on,ā Truss said. āWe had a lot of labs we were working on. It wasnāt just something out of a book that you research and write papers. It was more of [access to] some computers, go ahead and hack, and see what you can find out.ā
Truss is co-founder and CEO of DefSec Solutions and is a digital forensic and security engineer. The Seattle-area company offers services such as digital forensic analysis, data recovery and tracking, digital forensic imaging, and website development. Learn more about 91æģ²„ās Technology degrees.
Debi Briggs of Hanover, Pennsylvania, never imagined the music principles she learned as a voice major in community college more than 30 years ago would apply to her future career in health care administration. But the similarities are there: Just as a conductor brings out the best in each musician to create a harmonious blend, Briggs orchestrates her leadership and project management skills to help others succeed.
But her personal success wasnāt guaranteed. Initially, music served as a welcomed outlet for Briggs, who describes her formative years as being marked by adversity. Among her childhood challenges was growing up in the foster care system. She soon realized that despite her abundant talent, a music career was not something she wanted to pursue full-time. She admits it took time to accomplish her educational goals and to get her priorities in order. āNo one in my family even graduated from high school,ā the two-time 91æģ²„ College grad explains. āIām the first one whoās ever got a masterās degree. Iām truly blessed.ā
When a music career didnāt play out for Briggs, she fell back on the licensed practical nursing certification that she earned in high school. She credits nursing as being the mainstay in her life as she explored other opportunities. A self-described āentrepreneurial soul,ā she built her business acumen with several endeavors as owner and founder of a gift shop, a restaurant, and an aerial photography business.
Briggs credits a job at New Beginnings, a faith-based social work organization, with laying the groundwork to define her future goals. āI got a lot of experience in leadership and in dealing with people there,ā she explains.
During her decades-long nursing career, she initiated several attempts to earn a degree in 91æģ²„ās nursing program. But she had already gained high-level experience in health care administration, working as a director of nursing. This led her to eventually shift gears and enroll in a Bachelor of Health Sciences program, which better matched her business background and innovative spirit. While she admits working as a nurse in a Level I Trauma Center was exciting, she has found greater fulfillment in a leadership role. Briggs explains, āI get a lot of excitement by building people up and helping others achieve. And I think thatās what leaders do. And thatās kind of my heart. Itās not just strengthening the health care system but also helping people to become leaders. Itās very important to me.ā
While Briggsā primary objective is to help others, there came a time when she had to focus on helping herself. Soon after she began her undergraduate studies, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. But, she explains, āI worked through that. Thank goodness the cancer was removed.ā
After earning her bachelorās degree in 2017, Briggs explored graduate programs at other institutions. But when she discovered the curriculum in 91æģ²„ās Master in Science in Health Care Administration, she said, āI ran back.ā She found the coursework to be the perfect match for her career aspirations and welcomed the user-friendly online learning environment she had come to love during her undergraduate studies. But once again, Briggs was challenged with a personal crisis. During her graduate work, she suffered an un-ruptured cerebral aneurism and underwent brain surgery to have it repaired. But Briggs, who had triumphed over obstacles big and small, was not deterred. It may be an understatement when she says, āIām kind of driven. Even if I was busy or not feeling well, I would find a way to push through. It was very important to me to finish my goal. I didnāt know if I was going to live or die.ā The day after her brain surgery, she was in the ICU using her laptop to write a paper. She continued on to successfully complete her masterās degree in February 2020.
Briggs finds her 91æģ²„ degrees closely match the skills needed in her contract and consulting work. In her most recent position as a risk manager at Hebrew Homes of Greater Washington, she tackled issues related to quality intervention and process improvement. She specifically cites the project and quality management courses as being integral to her profession and described her leadership class as a āknockout.ā Briggs explains, āI canāt think of a class that didnāt impact me, even with all the work experience I had. It [the curriculum] offered a lot of really good reinforcement in addition to a lot of new things. 91æģ²„ gave me the tools.ā
Professional Advice from Debi Briggs
On Attitude
Go for it! Donāt be afraid. There are a lot of people to support you. I like the old clichĆ©, āThereās nothing to fear, but fear itself.ā Step out in the water; donāt be afraid youāre going to sink. Anything can be accomplished if you set your mind to it.
Tips for Succeeding
When youāre an adult learner and working full-time, I think the important thing is time management. You really have to prioritize your schedule. There were mornings when I would get up at 5 a.m. so I could do a little bit of schoolwork. Donāt try to overdo the classes. Itās very manageable. Think about it: I had brain surgery and I worked through it.
Diligence helped me the most. I just made up my mind no matter what came in my life, I wasnāt going to quitāI would just persevere. I think you have to take a look at your values and decide what you want the outcome to be. The rewards of diligence, setting goals, and utilizing time management are so worth it because you can move forward in your career.
Networking Advice
Iāve made a lot of positive contacts through LinkedIn. Keep connecting with your local network and expand out. Whatever your interest is in business, join organizationsāyou meet people through those organizations and it gives you access to tools to help you grow.
91æģ²„ Experience
The structure of the classes was brilliant; it helped you with time management. For example, it helped that assignments are due on Sunday nights. It was very user-friendly. I never felt pressured that I wouldnāt get things done on time.
Leadership: Accentuate the Positive
A good leader sees people and their potential and builds on it. Itās important to help people feel that they can own something and to make them feel valued. Focus on the positives and usher in an atmosphere where weakness becomes less and less the center of attention.
