UMMC Police, SOD researchers earn honors

Published on Monday, March 6, 2023

Photos By: Joe Ellis/UMMC Photography

UMMC Police Captains Krump, Kehoe selected for prestigious programs

Captain Jenn Krump and Captain Nick Kehoe of UMMC’s Police and Public Safety Department have been chosen for programs that will give them additional tools to serve and protect.

Krum has been accepted to the Center for Homeland Defense and Security Naval Postgraduates Master’s Degree Program. Kehoe has been accepted to the FBI National Academy.

“They pave the way for our leaders to excel in their law enforcement career development,” said Mary Paradis, UMMC Police and Public Safety chief and executive director of public safety.

The Center for Homeland Defense and Security Naval Postgraduates Master’s Degree Program is an intensive, 18-month endeavor designed to equip leaders in the Homeland Security and National Defense fields with the education they need to excel in their roles.

Krum and fellow students will gain an in-depth understanding of Homeland Security, including threat identification, intelligence analysis, emergency management, cybersecurity, crisis management and terrorist threat analysis. Students will learn about the legal and policy considerations for Homeland Security, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the agencies and organizations involved in the field.

 The program is offered by the Naval Postgraduate School, a research university located in Monterey, California, that is home to a variety of renowned researchers and scholars.

“This is a great stepping-stone in Captain Krump’s career and will provide her with invaluable knowledge to bring to her role at UMMC,” Paradis said of the training that begins in May and concludes in September 2024.

The FBI National Academy is an intensive, 10-week program offered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Quantico, Virginia, that focuses on leadership, management and communication skills. The program is designed to equip law enforcement officers with the tools they need to become successful leaders in their departments.

Less than 1 percent of law enforcement officers receive an invitation to attend the academy during their career. Sessions include 265 officers including up to 35 international students who take undergraduate and/or graduate courses at the Academy campus. The curriculum is designed to give officers a well-rounded education in law enforcement, criminal justice and homeland security and covers topics ranging from ethical leadership and effective communication to administration and organizational structure.

They take part in a fitness challenge, the Yellow Brick Road, a grueling 6.1-mile run through a hilly, wooded trail built by the U.S. Marines. They must climb over walls, run through creeks, jump through simulated windows, scale rock faces with ropes, crawl under barbed wire in muddy water, maneuver across a cargo net and more.

“The National Academy is an incredibly valuable opportunity for Captain Kehoe to hone his skills and bring the best of his talents to the UMMC PD,” Paradis said of Kehoe’s Sept. 24-Dec. 7 training.

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Budding student scientists lauded at School of Dentistry Research Day

Students in the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry are also budding scientists and researchers, and their work was in the spotlight during the SOD’s Research Day.

The Feb. 28 event gave students and faculty the opportunity to present research that will improve oral health and the field of dentistry, said Dr. Jason Griggs, associate dean for research and professor of Biomedical Materials Science at the School of Dentistry.

Students gave poster presentations that summed up their research. They also gained valuable knowledge from keynote lecturer Dr. Richard B. Price, a professor in the Department of Dental Clinical Sciences in the School of Biomedical Engineering at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.

This year’s Research Day winners:

• Dentsply Sirona SCADA (Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application) Award for “A Study of Localized Deformation Mechanisms in Y-TZP Dental Ceramics,” third-year SOD students Paul C. Savage III and Colton T. Terrell; Dr. Kartikeya S. Jodha, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Biomedical Materials Science; Dr. Michael D. Roach, professor of Biomedical Materials Science; and Griggs.
• Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society Award and American Association for Dental Research Award for “Chrōm Toothpolish: Is It Safe for the Enamel?” fourth-year SOD student Logan Pitfield; Jodha and Griggs; Dr. Amol V. Janorkar, professor and chair of Biomedical Materials Science; dental hygiene educator Lauren H. Bain; and Dr. Jennifer L. Bain, associate professor and chair of the Department of Periodontics and Preventive Sciences.
• Hinman Student Research Award for “Prevalence of Fusobacterium Nucleatum Among Various Periodontal Disease Severity States,” second-year SOD student Michael A. Bierdeman; Jennifer Bain; School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences graduates Charlie G. Cook and Kaitlin A. McNeely; and Dr. John T. Bates, assistant professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology.
• Ivoclar Vivadent People’s Choice Award for “Effect of Silver Doping on the Photocatalytic Activity of Titanium Implants,” Aya A. Ali, a doctoral student in Biomedical Materials Science; Janorkar, Griggs and Roach; Dr. Mary Marquart, professor of Cell and Molecular Biology; and Dr. Joel D. Bumgardner, professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Memphis.