Dr. Kenneth Christopher

Dr. Kenneth Christopher is Professor and Academic Program Director for the B.S. and M.S. degrees in Homeland Security and Emergency Management. He was previously Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and a member of the Criminal Justice faculty at Park University in Parkville, Missouri. He has held teaching positions at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida and St. Thomas University, Miami, Florida.
Dr. Christopher completed his Doctor of Public Administration at Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He holds a Master of Public Administration from Florida International University and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Dayton. He is a graduate of the Administrative Officers Management Program at North Carolina State University and the Executive Contemporary Education for Leadership Program at the University of Miami.
Prior to his work in higher education, Dr. Christopher served 26 years in law enforcement, completing service as a Captain with the Miami-Dade Police Department and as Chief of Seaport Security Enforcement of the Port of Miami, Florida. His police experience includes patrol, media relations, team policing, contract management, forfeiture and auctions of seized property, planning and research, training, special events, transportation and seaport security.
Dr. Christopher has worked with the U.S. Maritime Administration and the Organization of American States in the Inter-American Port Security Training Programs in Barbados and Jamaica. He has consulted on and developed educational programs and curricula in seaport security, criminal justice administration, security administration, terrorism and domestic preparedness, community safety, police management and organizational behavior. He was a member of a faculty-led, US State Department-funded interdisciplinary Peace Journalism/Anti-Terrorism education program in Uganda. His research interests include cooperative leadership strategies for port security management and convergence of business and security technologies for seaports. He has produced a series of educational podcasts for homeland security interviewing subject matter experts in information technology, security design, corporate and transportation security. He is the author of the book Port Security Management published by CRC Press.
Dr. Christopher is a Certified Protection Professional by ASIS-International and has been an invited speaker at national and international conferences on maritime and homeland security, including SecurePort, the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement, Maritime Security Outlook, the MacDonnell Group and ASIS-International’s Asia-Pacific Security Conference.

Memberships

• Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
• American Society of Industrial Security

Honors and Awards

• 2010, Park University, Parkville, MO
• 2010, Outstanding Program Coordinator
• 2010, Security Professional of the Year (ASIS-IntL)
• 2001, County Manager¿s Grand Award Semi-Finalist
• 1999, Sigma Beta Delta National Honor Society in Business
• 1982, Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and

Publications

• Christopher, K.. (2020). Organizational Strategies for Building Community Among Remote Adjunct Faculty. Handbook of Research on Inclusive Development for.
• Christopher, K.. (2019). Community Oriented Policing: Security in the Domestic Counter Terrorism Environment. Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences, 31(1): 114-124.
• Christopher, K.. (2015). Criminal Justice Education Competencies for a Global Perspective. Criminology and Criminal Justice for the Curious:.
• Christopher, K.. (2014). Port Security Management, 2nd Ed,.
• Christopher, K.. (2012). Media Officials Unite Against Terrorism. The Peace Journalist, 1(2): 16-17.
• Christopher, K.. (2010). Kansas Business and Industry Forum Stresses the Value of Private Sector-Government Partnerships in Disaster Response and Recovery. ASIS International Greater Kansas City Newsletter,, 9: 6.
• Christopher, K.. (2009). Port of Miami Cargo Gate: Using Technology to Improve Throughput and Enhance Security: Part 1. Port Technology International, 43: 112-114.
• Christopher, K.. (2009). Port of Miami Cargo Gate: Using Technology to Improve Throughput and Enhance Security: Part 2. Port Technology International, 44: .
• Christopher, K.. (2009). Port Security Management.

Presentations

• Christopher, K. (2019). Robotics and Unmanned Systems Developments in the International Maritime Security Domain: 2020 and Beyond. Paper presented at the Western Association of Criminal Justice Annual Meeting, Coeur d’Alene, ID.
• Christopher, K. (2019). Comprehensive Academic Program Review: Homeland Security and Emergency Management Degrees. Conference presented at the 21st Annual Emergency Management Higher Education Symposium, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Emergency Training Center, Emmitsburg, MD.
• Christopher, K. (2018). Recommendations from the Front: CAEL Assessors share best practices in portfolio assessment. Panel Discussant. Conference presented at the Council of Adult and Experiential Learning, International Conference, Cleveland, OH.
• Christopher, K. (2018). Jobs and Internships Special Interest Group. Panel Discussant. Conference presented at the 20th Annual Emergency Management Higher Education Symposium, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Emergency Training Center, Emmitsburg, MD.
• Christopher, K. (2018). Internships for Nontraditional Students: Blended Homeland Security and Emergency Management Programs. Paper presented at the 20th Annual Emergency Management Higher Education Symposium, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Emergency Training Center, Emmitsburg, MD.
• Christopher, K. (2018). Automate General Research Information Collection With These Two Free Tools. Roundtable Discussant. Conference presented at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
• Christopher, K. (2018). Resources and Techniques for Engaging Students in Asynchronous Criminal Justice and Security Education. Roundtable Discussant. Conference presented at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
• Christopher, K. (2017). Homeland Security and Emergency Management: Aligning Training, Higher Education and Career Opportunities for Students. Poster presented at the 19th Annual Emergency Management Higher Education Symposium, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Emergency Training Center, Emmitsburg, MD.
• Christopher, K. (2017). Robotics Development and Applications in the Maritime Security Domain. Paper presented at the Academy of Criminal justice Sciences Annual Meeting, Kansas City, MO.
• Christopher, K. (2016). Interagency Collaborations in Emergency/Disaster Planning and Response. Conference presented at the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, Midwest Regional Conference, Hinckley, MN.
• Christopher, K. (2016). Managing the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Threat in US Domestic Seaports. Paper presented at the Academy of Criminal justice Sciences Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.
• Christopher, K. (2015). Managing Security Planning with Diverse Agencies in Port Facilities. Conference presented at the Port Security Operations Conference and Expo, Long Beach, CA.
• Christopher, K. (2014). Infrastructure and Port Security: Meeting the Maritime Security Threat Challenge. Conference presented at the ASIS-International/Greater Kansas City Physical Security Showcase, Kansas City, MO.
• Christopher, K. (2013). Security Capability Assessment: Assessing Human and Technology Resources in Meeting the Maritime Security Challenge. Conference presented at the Maritime Security Caribbean 2013, Turks and Caicos.
• Christopher, K. (2013). Creation of Security Zones and the Design Methodology Behind It. Conference presented at the Maritime Security East – 2013, St. Petersburg, FL.
• Christopher, K. (2013). Peace Journalism and Criminal Justice: Interdisciplinary Counterterrorism Messaging Education in Uganda. Paper presented at the Academy of Criminal justice Sciences Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX.
• Christopher, K. (2005). Managing Security Planning with Diverse Agencies in Port Facilities. Conference presented at the Port Security Operations Conference and Expo, Port Canaveral, FL.