Robert Brzenchek, Ph.D.

Robert M. Brzenchek, assistant teaching professor of cybersecurity, received his Ph.D. in public service leadership and criminal justice, with a research focus on gangs from Capella University. Also the founder of the Brzenchek Foundation Corp, he holds a master’s degree in strategic intelligence and terrorism from the American Military University and an undergraduate degree from George Mason University. He has held academic positions and has taught courses in criminal justice, emergency management, unmanned aerial vehicles, and areas of the intelligence community. He has conducted research for varied public and private sectors for over a decade. Along with Michael Penders, Brzenchek pioneered the International ISO 27k standard development and use of innovative techniques and alternatives to traditional risk assessments.

Brzenchek's experience as a law enforcement officer in Washington, D.C., military member in the intelligence community, emergency management specialist at both the state and federal levels, UAV instructor, and higher education administrator affords him a unique perspective in the development of policy and procedure. In the public sector, he worked with dozens of national agencies, governments, and international organizations in the use of advanced technologies and information sharing to detect violations of international laws. In the private sector, he has worked with organizations as diverse as DHS, DOD, major corporations, ports, and public utilities on security matters, risk management, policy, and technologies.

Brzenchek has had many opportunities to conduct gang situational awareness presentations, including to an audience of International Fellows at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. He also was invited to conduct a Social and Cultural Awareness (Gangs) presentation for the Marines 3D Civil Affairs Group at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois.

He has published many articles on emergency management, threat assessments, gangs, and homeland/international security. Brzenchek has authored books, including Homegrown: the New Age of Terrorism (Cognella), Transnational Organized Crime and Gangs: Intervention, Prevention, and Suppression of Cybersecurity (Roman and Littlefield), and The Gang Life: Laugh Now, Cry Later: Suppression and Prevention (CRC Press, Taylor and Francis).

Brzenchek is a member of many professional associations, including the OSS Society, and Masonic Lodge #591. He participated with an international group of experts on the ASIS Investigative Technical Committee to advance the development of the standard for integrated Security Management Systems (SMS). He serves as a Board Member for SERAPH and served as a board member of the South Florida Chapter of Infragard, Philadelphia Crime Prevention Council, and was chair of the HLS/Cyber Group for the Congressionally-mandated Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow (SMART).