AT&T foundation donates $25,000 to Virginia Commonwealth University’s Homeland Security undergraduate program

The AT&T Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AT&T Inc., announced today it is donating $25,000 to Virginia Commonwealth University’s new undergraduate degree program in Homeland Security, one of the few such programs in the nation.

“We’re delighted to be able to support a program that is so vitally needed in today’s world,” said Lou Addeo, president of AT&T Government Solutions.

Launched this fall as part of VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, the Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness undergraduate degree is designed to address the area of the national security strategy for homeland security.  A graduate program is envisioned for next year.

“We’re very grateful for AT&T’s gift, which will help us establish our program and respond to the need for trained professionals in homeland security and emergency preparedness,” said William H. Parrish, coordinator of VCU’s program.  “Our hope is for VCU to lead the nation in this field and AT&T’s gift will certainly get us headed in the right direction.”

Parrish said that his vision for the AT&T donation will be to assist in the creation of state-of-the-art “virtual classrooms” to allow students outside of the Richmond area (including those serving in the Armed Forces) to participate in the program, earning college credits while gaining  skills that will help them better serve our country.  In addition, the funds will be used to bring guest lecturers from homeland security agencies, the intelligence community and private industry to VCU to participate in the classes.

VCU’s program will be the first in the nation to teach theoretical and practical knowledge in preparing for natural disasters, critical system failures and terrorist attacks.  The curriculum will address the six critical mission areas of the National Security for Homeland Security: intelligence and warning, border and transportation security, domestic counterterrorism, protecting critical infrastructure, defending against catastrophic terrorism and emergency preparedness and response.

Parrish, a retired Marine Corps colonel, joined the VCU faculty in October 2004.  Before joining VCU, he had served the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in several senior positions, including the department’s senior representative to the FBI, acting assistant secretary for information analysis in the department’s Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate and first associate director for homeland security at the Terrorist Threat Integration Center.