People of CGRS
CGRS Key Campus Contacts
WILLIAM LYONS ’90 Jr., JD, MSS, MTUS, MSt.
Colonel (Retired), US Army Reserve
Director, Center for Global Resilience & Security
Adjunct Faculty, Civil Engineering and Construction Management
William F. Lyons Jr. was appointed the director of the Center for Global Resiliency and Security in July of 2022. Bill has more than thirty years of experience in academia, consulting, law, government, and technology. He is a highly respected executive, entrepreneur, and thought leader. A 1990 graduate of Norwich University, Bill earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Within Norwich, Bill has been as a senior fellow in the Center for Global Resilience & Security, an adjunct faculty member in the David Crawford School of Engineering, and a consultant to the Norwich University Applied Research Institutes (NUARI). He has also served the university as the President of the Norwich University Alumni Association and as a member of the Partridge Society. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and the University of Massachusetts Amherst - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, where he is a candidate for a PhD and a Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellow. His previous academic appointments include adjunct faculty positions at Unity Environmental University, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Southern New Hampshire University, and the US Army Command & General Staff College. He holds a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School (with honors in environmental law), a Master of Strategic Studies from the US Army War College, a Master of Transportation and Urban Systems from North Dakota State University, and a Master of Studies in Sustainability Leadership from the University Cambridge (UK). Over the last fifteen years, the consulting firm Bill founded and led has executed projects in nineteen countries on five continents for U.S. government clients, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the special operations community.
In his military career, Bill served in command at all levels from detachment through brigade. He is a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and recently retired in the rank of colonel in the Army Reserves, having served most of his career in human intelligence and strategic military intelligence. He commanded two military intelligence brigades, including the 2200th Military Intelligence Group, Fort Devens, MA, and the 2500th Military Intelligence Group, Jacksonville, FL. His staff assignments include Multinational Division North/Stabilization Forces Bosnia, US Central Command/Combined Joint Task Force 7, the Defense Intelligence Agency, FEMA Region 1 Defense Coordination Office, US European Command CJ2, the National Ground Intelligence Center, and the US Army Corps of Engineers. He is fully joint qualified. His terminal assignment was Deputy G4/Deputy Director of Logistics for the US Army Corps of Engineers. His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and the Combat Action Badge.
Bill’s research interests include environmental security, sustainable urban design, infrastructure and environment in developing countries, and new urban mobility. He is widely published in academic journals, trade journals, and in periodicals. He recently resided in Juba, South Sudan for 14 months, where he was the Director of Design & Construction for the US Embassy.
KAHWA DOUOGUIH, PH.D.
Entrepreneur, Economist, Educator
Director, Center for Global Resilience & Security
Kahwa Douoguih is committed to creating and growing business opportunities and sustainable solutions for the energy, mining, and agribusiness sectors. Over the course of her career, Douoguih has developed interactive modeling and scenario testing tools, harnessing the power of economics and data analytics for executive decision-making. She brings a broad scope of international experience in Africa and the Americas in the areas of economics, development, and finance at both public and private sector institutions and several start-up ventures. As a CGRS senior fellow, she will leverage her international experience to help Norwich students develop a globalized perspective in business and entrepreneurship. Kahwa holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Maryland, an M.S. in mineral economics from the Colorado School of Mines, and a B.A. from Stanford University.
MEGAN LIPTAK, M’09
Assistant Director, Research Centers
Megan Liptak joined Norwich University in 2010 and has planned, managed and executed events and provided various administrative services for over twelve years. She has served on several campus committees, most recently as a member of Staff Council. Previously, she served as the chair of the Staff Retreat planning committee, and co-chair of the International Symposium of Military Academies planning committee. She is currently a member of the Faculty/Staff Campaign Committee and an NU Wellness Ambassador. She holds a bachelor of arts in history with a minor in anthropology/archaeology from Millersville University in Pennsylvania and a master of arts in military history from Norwich University where her capstone project focused on the comparison of combat soldier experiences during World War II and the conflict in Vietnam.
TARA KULKARNI, PH.D.
Founding Director
Associate Provost for Research and Chief Research Officer
Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Tara Kulkarni, Ph.D., P.E., joined the Norwich family in 2011 and served as the director of the Center for Global Resilience and Security at Norwich University from its launch in 2017 through 2022.
For CGRS, Tara co-led the university’s Environmental Security Initiative (ESI), and CGRS efforts in developing an energy resilience and security education track to create generational change in the US
Department of Army. At the state and local level, Tara created and led CGRS’s Dog River Conservancy for three years and CGRS efforts to coordinate the activities of the Resilient Vermont Network, including conducting professional development workshops and conferences for emergency responders, local area hazard mitigation professionals and nonprofit organizations. She serves on Vermont’s State Hazard Mitigation Planning steering committee and, on the science, and data subcommittee of Vermont’s Climate Council. She also serves on the boards of Vermont’s Energy Action Network, and Conservation Law Foundation and is part of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Association of Environmental Health and Sciences Foundation. The funds she has raised for CGRS have also resulted in supporting multiple undergraduate student fellowships. Tara complements her technical expertise with advocating for the humanities through co-directing the Norwich Humanities Initiative.
CGRS Senior Advisors
KAREN GAINES, PH.D.
Dr. Karen Gaines has served as the Provost and Dean of the Faculty at Norwich University since 2022, where she oversees academic affairs and its internal operations. Dr. Gaines’s Ph.D. is in Environmental Toxicology from the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health. She is internationally recognized for her expertise in environmental and human toxicological risk assessment and worked for the Department of Energy prior to entering academia. Dr. Gaines is also a Certified Wildlife Biologist and has consulted for the USEPA, USFWS, USDA, NASA as well as the US Department of Defense and continues to serve these agencies in various capacities.
CGRS Advisory Board
BRIAN BALUKONIS '87
PG, Vice President of EnviroVantage, Inc.
KAYLA FRIEDMAN, PH.D.
Course Director, Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment, Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership, Cambridge University
KEVIN JONES '90, RADM (RET.), US NAVY
Senior Director of Logistics, North and Latin Americas at Meta
ANINA KOSTECKI
Foundation Director, Association for Environmental Health and Sciences Foundation, Inc.
MATTHEW BARRETT, PH.D, MST, MSC, MSC, BSC
Matthew Barrett is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments and Charted Associate of the London Institute of Banking and Finance. He has a PhD in Socially Responsible Investment and has written academic papers in the area. He is also a Chartered Wealth Manager and co-founder of Churchill Ethical investments (CEI). CEI helps people and organisations such as charities invest according to their specific ethical criteria. It is a member of the Social Investment Forum and Ethical Investment Association. Matthew is alumnus of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
CASEY BARTREM, PH.D.
In her work with TerraGraphics International Foundation (TIFO), an international non-governmental organization, Casey Bartrem helps support mining and recycling communities in improving environmental health. Since 2010, Bartrem has worked with international NGOs and state and federal Nigerian governments in responding to severe heavy metal poisoning in artisanal mining communities in Northern Nigeria. She has worked on environmental health projects in Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and the United States, often in close collaboration with local stakeholders, government representatives, humanitarian organizations, and other NGOs.
RAY CARREIRA '96
Ray Carreira is the vice president of Security at a16z where he oversees physical security, intelligence and investigations, residential and executive security, event security, and security support to portfolio companies. Prior to joining a16z, Ray was a head of global security at Meta where he provided strategic direction for event security and operations at international and domestic events. Before that, Ray worked for the Santa Clara Police Department where he was a deputized FBI Task Force Officer, undercover detective, crime scene investigator, and head of intelligence operations for the Special Operations Division.
SCOTT T. FENTON, '90
Scott T. Fenton is a 1990 graduate of Norwich University (MCV). After graduation, Scott attended Ohio Northern College of Law and has been practicing law in Massachusetts for the last 35 years and is currently a Partner at the firm of Holland & Knight in Boston. Scott represents clients in all aspects of commercial real estate, including leasing, environmental, clean energy, permitting and development matters. In addition, he has served as counsel on legal matters related to the redevelopment of former military bases, including Fort Devens and the acquisition and development of retail convenience stores and gas stations throughout the United States.
Gerald R. Gagne
Jerry is a Principal and the firm’s President and Chief Executive Officer where he’s responsible for helping lead Wolf’s overall strategic direction. Jerry was formerly the leader of Wolf’s Financial Institution team and Director of Wolf’s Advisory Group. Prior to joining Wolf in 2001, he held senior management positions at an international accounting firm and in private industry.
Jerry’s expertise includes the evaluation, design, and development of cyber strategy and governance initiatives, as well as the implementation, management, and monitoring of information security frameworks and programs.
Additional InformationWENDI GOLDSMITH, PH.D.
Wendi Goldsmith is the Director of the Center for Urban Watershed Resilience. A seasoned entrepreneur and scientist recognized for leadership in sustainable development and climate resilient design. Proven track record helping business and government to identify and operationalize emerging technology related to the built environment and industrial ecology. Experience spans consulting, R&D, and numerous Board roles for NGO and business.
JIM GOUDREAU '90, CAPT (RET.), US NAVY
CAPT (Ret.) James Goudreau is a senior sustainability consultant. He serves on several advisory boards, including Norwich University’s Center for Global Resilience and Security (CGRS) and Boston University’s Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS). He is the former Vice President, Environmental, Social and Governance at CVS Health. As a former United States Navy Captain, Goudreau brings significant leadership experience in environmental health and recently served as both the Head of Climate and the Head of Environmental Sustainability External Engagement at Novartis.
MICHAEL A. KNODLER JR., Ph.D.
Dr. Michael Knodler is the William W. Boyer Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. Additionally, he is Director of the UMass Transportation Center, which includes the Bay State Roads Program, the Massachusetts Cooperative Research Program and the University of Massachusetts Traffic Safety Research Program (UMassSAFE) and is Co-Director of the Arbella Insurance Human Performance Laboratory (HPL). He is also the Director of USDOT’s Region 1 – New England University Transportation Center, which is focused upon advancing equitable transportation safety. His main areas of research and teaching are related to transportation safety, operations, design, and education.
JOHN R. MULLIN, PH.D.
A Senior Fulbright Scholar, John R. Mullin has written or edited more than one hundred book chapters, book reviews, technical reports, journal articles, and conference proceedings. His research and professional interests include industrial revitalization, port development, and downtown planning. Now retired from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, he continues to teach in the honors program and serves on dissertation and thesis committees. In his capacity as associate director of the Center for Economic Development, he continues to provide technical assistance on economic development to cities and towns across the Commonwealth.
DIANE ZORRI, PH.D.
Dr. Diane Zorri brings a unique blend of military service, academic scholarship, and defense industry expertise to her work, reflecting a career dedicated to advancing global security and strategic education. She has held academic positions at the National Defense College of the United Arab Emirates, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, and John Cabot University in Rome, Italy. Before transitioning to academia, Dr. Zorri served as an officer in the United States Air Force. After her military service, she worked for an Italian-U.S. defense conglomerate, managing projects in foreign military sales, integrated communications, and physical security. Dr. Zorri's educational background includes a degree from the United States Air Force Academy, a graduate degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.
Senior Fellows
BRUNA SOARES
Bruna Soares is a Business Process Engineer and provides project management support for the Defense Health Agency (DHA). She`s passionate about applying her business, language, and program management skills to sustainability issues in developing countries. She`s also interested in catalyzing action on climate change through greener policies in key sectors and helping local communities to become agents of change and market transformation. Before working with DHA, she provided program management support for Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS), facilitated the execution of more than 20 projects in 15 sub-Saharan Africa countries, and coordinated all operational, logistics, and program-related issues during the development and execution of the African Military Education Program (AMEP). Along with degrees in international development and business, she brings over 5 years of experience in planning and coordinating international operations and logistics within the U.S. Government, working with foreign partners. Her expertise includes program monitoring and evaluation, Theory of Change development and budget forecasting and execution. Bruna earned a B.A. in Business Administration concentrated in Finance and a M.A. in International Development from American University. She speaks English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.
STEVEN DAY
Steven Day is a candidate for a Doctorate in Education (EdD) at the University of Cambridge, where he is focusing on sustainability education. He is also a board advisor, entrepreneur, and business angel investor and advisor. He was previously a founder and principal at a clean energy company and now is a director of Smart Energy GB.
He is a TEDx talker, former UNICEF UK trustee with a background in journalism, communications, brand marketing and management.
TIM FORMAN
Tim Forman is a Senior Research Associate and Senior Teaching Associate at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. Tim is Deputy Director of the Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment (IDBE) postgraduate courses, and he leads research into the exemplary retrofit and refurbishment of the Entopia Building by CISL.
He is a partner and founder in Undivided Ventures, investing in companies that are solving for sustainability challenges in the built environment. Tim holds a PhD in Architecture from Cardiff University.
BRIAN LANGDON
Brian Langdon is a humanitarian response professional with experience across Africa and the Middle East, implementing and coordinating multi-sectoral operations and programming for both international non-governmental organizations and the United Nations system. His technical specializations include humanitarian supply chain and logistics, global health preparedness and response, conflict and displacement dynamics, and interagency coordination in sudden onset and complex emergencies.
He holds a Master of Arts in International Affairs from American University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Criminal Justice from John Jay College, together concentrating on global underdevelopment and insecurity. His research interests center on protracted humanitarian crises and their interactions with national, international, environmental, and human security.
ESZTER SZENES, PH.D.
Lecturer, School of Education, University of Adelaide, Australia
Dr Eszter Szenes is a Lecturer at the School of Education, University of Adelaide, Australia and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Resilience and Security, Norwich University, USA. Between 2020-2022 she was hosted by the Norwich University Peace and War Center as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Research Fellow, co-hosted by the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Central European University, Austria. Prior to joining Norwich, Dr Szenes held a post-doctoral researcher position at the Research Collegium for Language in Changing Society (RECLAS), University of Jyväskylä, Finland (2019-2020). From 2013-2019 she was based at the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) and Registrar Portfolio, The University of Sydney, where she completed her doctorate in Linguistics. Dr Szenes incorporates her training in linguistics, education, and sociology into her interdisciplinary collaborations, research and teaching. She has taught in several different countries and contexts; she was a visiting scholar at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) in The Hague, Netherlands. Her research focuses on the role of language and multimodal resources in emerging complex and interrelated societal threats, for example, information disorder, radicalisation and the links between climate change and (violent) extremism. She is especially interested in preventing and countering the effect of disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining democracies from the perspective of computer-mediated communication and critical digital and media literacies. As a Senior Fellow, Dr Szenes assists the Center for Global Resilience and Security in collaborative research activities to support its strategic interests and initiatives.
KRISTINA TOUZENIS
Kristina Touzenis is a consultant to the UN and an advocate and leader on promoting effective implementation of international standards, including expertise in Human Rights. She has a deep understanding of the complexities of addressing sustainability from a variety of perspectives, including basing activities in the international framework to promote rights and further inclusion and participation of a plethora of stakeholders and affected societies. She has extensive experience in advocacy, policy making and strategy development/implementation. She is a highly skilled communicator and advocate working with a variety of stakeholders and partners. She is recognized for her ability to communicate international law in concrete, applicable terms, including in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals.
MICHELE L. TURNER, MBCP, FBCI, CISA, CRISC, CCRP, CRMP
Michele L. Turner, MBCP, FBCI, CISA, CRISC, CCRP, CRMP is an Amazon #1- bestselling author and resiliency leader with over 30 years’ experience in the areas of Governance, Risk, and Compliance. She is the 2022 Disaster Recovery Institute (DRI) International Lifetime Achievement award winner, and Vice President- Business Resilience for Marriott International. This global role includes Corporate Business Continuity, Emergency Response for Marriot managed properties, and Risk Mitigation and Product Management representing Operational Resilience efforts. Prior roles include Head of Global Business Resiliency for Amazon Corporate, as well as Governance, Risk, Compliance and Business Continuity roles within Microsoft. Michele has a Master of Science degree in Business Continuity from Norwich University and is an international speaker on the topic of Business Continuity, Risk Management, Governance, and related areas. In addition, she is a course instructor and Chairperson of the Board, for Disaster Recovery Institute (DRI) International.
Faculty Fellows
MICHAEL CROSS, PH.D.
Norwich University: Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Michael Cross, PhD, teaching classes in the areas of circuits, electronics, energy systems, and engineering design. Cross received degrees from the Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Vermont and began his academic career at UVM, where he taught courses in the areas of analog and digital circuits, electronics, semiconductor physics, power electronics, and engineering design. His doctoral and post-doctoral research at the University of Vermont explored the electrical, structural, optical, and electro-chemical properties of thin films and energetic nanomaterials. His professional experience includes working as a development engineer at IBM Microelectronics in Essex Junction, Vt., where he was involved in the development of state-of-the-art photomasks. His professional and scholarly work has been published both nationally and internationally.
JACKI STRENIO, PH.D.
Norwich University: Assistant Professor of Economics
Jacki Strenio is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Norwich University. Her research and teaching interests are in gender, health, and public policy. Her current research focuses on violence against women and girls, including public space sexual harassment and intimate partner violence. Her research emphasizes that such violence not only constrains a person’s capability for life and bodily health but can also result in other significant unfreedoms including deprivation of the capability for economic well-being. Recent publications on these topics have appeared in the journal Feminist Economics, the Handbook of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Across the Lifespan, and The Routledge Handbook of Feminist Economics.
She earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Utah and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She also holds a Higher Education Teaching Specialist (HETS) designation and is committed to implementing more effective, research-backed practices in her classrooms and encouraging diversity in economics education more broadly. She has published on the necessity of plurality and innovation in economics education, with articles appearing in The International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education and the Journal of Economics Education (forthcoming). At Norwich University, she teaches Public Finance, Health Economics and Policy, Principles of Microeconomics, and The Structure and Operation of the World Economy.
AMY WELCH, PH.D.
Norwich University: Chair, Department of Health & Human Performance; Coordinator, Pre-Health Professions Programming
Amy S. Welch earned her Ph.D. from the Centre for Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Leeds (UK) in 2007, after completing her M.S. and B.S. degrees in sport and exercise science at Sheffield Hallam University (UK). Prior to joining Norwich University in 2019, she held faculty positions at Iowa State University and Northern Vermont University-Johnson.
Early in her career, she explored affective responses to exercise among inexperienced exercisers, with the goal of identifying factors that can predict positive and negative exercise experiences. She has also been involved in developing and testing theory-based interventions designed to increase physical activity behavior. Her current research interests focus on understanding psychophysiological responses to psychological stress, and the use of behavioral strategies to mitigate that stress. For example, her recent scholarship involved using heart rate variability (HRV) as an indicator of autonomic nervous system activity, and the use of aerobic exercise and HRV biofeedback training to reduce stress. Moving forward, Welch is particularly interested in using wearable biometrics to predict the stress, resilience, performance, and well-being of students.