Faculty Focus - Linda Kiltz

 

Linda Kiltz is a favorite instructor within the School of Management. Linda is an expert in HSEM crisis management, with years of experience in the field and the classroom. Her unique experience stems from serving in the military, being a certified law enforcement officer, and working to improve various training programs. Linda also owns an organic farm in Montana, where her FEMA master training helps her raise cattle and supports her research regarding climate change impacts on food security and resilience. We recently spoke to Linda about her HSEM experience. 

What attracted you to the emergency management field? 

Emergency management is an exciting and dynamic field that enables me to act as a public servant when communities are in a crisis. As a person who has also served in the military and in law enforcement, I enjoy protecting people from a broad range of disasters and crises, as well as providing assistance to those that may need it.

What have you learned by teaching classes at UAF?

I have learned that it is critical to meet the needs of each individual student in the classroom so they can be successful beyond UAF. We do that in our HSEM program by getting to know each student as a person and understanding their individual learning and professional goals.  

 



 

What are you learning from your students? 

I have learned that our students are incredibly resilient and dedicated to their studies. Many work full time, support families and volunteer in their communities while also taking classes. This has been particularly challenging for many during a global pandemic, yet they persist in their efforts and have succeeded in completing their degree programs.

Setting aside the classroom, what advice do you have for your students regarding the HSEM field? 

The field is constantly changing and evolving with current events. After 9/11, the focus in homeland security was on the threat of international terrorism. After the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina, greater focus was placed in our field on responding to catastrophic disasters. The threats posed by climate change, global pandemics, cyber crimes, domestic extremism, and racial and social inequality in the U.S. require that we look at a new paradigm of homeland security. As a result, students will have to be lifelong learners in order to have the knowledge and skills to effectively mitigate and respond to these threats in the future.  To stay current in their field, I would recommend joining professional associations such as the International Emergency Management Association, attending professional and academic conferences in the field, and constantly reading to identify new threats and vulnerabilities we are likely to face.