Skip to content
Artwork for Structurally Sound - Institute for Homeland Security
EducationTechnologyNon-Profit

Structurally Sound - Institute for Homeland Security

Michael Aspland and Marcus Funk

Structurally Sound is a podcast produced by the Institute for Homeland Security (IHS) at Sam Houston State University. The podcast will be a game-changer for small to medium-sized businesses looking for the latest best practices in security and resilience. We want to inspire professionals like you to help you achieve your goals. New episodes are available on first and third Wednesdays each month!

Play
  • 26 episodes
  • fortnightly
  • Avg 51 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • October 15 · 55 min· Video

    Batteries, Recruiting & Resiliency in the Electrical Grid with Donald Wright

    <div>Resiliency is key for any electrical grid. That includes breadth and modernization, along with savvy recruiting. This week, we chat about battery storage, electric lines and updates to the grid with Donald Wright, the director of operations for Quanta Infrastructure Solutions Group.</div>

  • October 7 · 50 min· Video

    Insider Threats with Dave Pezzutti

    <div>The phrase "insider threat" calls to mind&nbsp;high-profile conflicts, like corporate sabotage or international espionage. Those definitely count - but garden variety accidents do, too. This week, we've got part two of&nbsp;our conversation with Dave Pezzutti,&nbsp;a senior official for insider threats and counterintelligence at Lockheed Martin.</div>

  • September 30 · 53 min· Video

    International Supply Chain Security with Dave Pezzutti

    International supply chains are critical to any business - and disruptions vary from subtle to very high profile. This week, we've got part one of our chat with Dave Pezzutti, a senior official for insider threats and counterintelligence at Lockheed Martin, about evolving supply chain risks, artificial intelligence and resiliency.

  • September 16 · 47 min· Video

    Special Pathogens & MCI Training with Kara Marshall

    Everyone in healthcare knows training is important. How do you quantify or measure that training, though - and make it engaging? This week, we chat about pernicious bugs and mass casualty incident training exercises with Kara Marshall, the program manager for institutional preparedness at UTMB's&nbsp;Special Pathogens Excellence in Clinical Treatment, Readiness &amp; Education Program&nbsp;(SPECTRE).

  • September 9 · 50 min· Video

    Healthcare Continuity Planning & Risk with Adam Lee and Lisa Spivey

    Sooner or later, a disaster will strike your business. Business continuity plans are common but they're uniquely critical in healthcare, where natural crises or cyberattacks could complicate or compromise patient care. This week, we explore those challenges with Adam Lee, the director of emergency management and organizational resilience for the Memorial Hermann Health System, and Lisa Spivey, senior project manager for disaster preparedness and business continuity at the Harris Health system.

  • September 2 · 1 hr 3 min· Video

    "STEM Had Its Moment" - Workforce Training & AI

    What does job training look like in the age of artificial intelligence? What about education? This week, we replay a panel discussion from our recent "AI at the Crossroads: Impacts at the Nexus of Critical Infrastructure, Security &amp; the Future of Work," a webinar exploring AI as emerging critical infrastructure. This panel, on workforce training and development, offered an engaging conversation about necessary traditional skillsets needed to balance out and manage generative AI - even for en

  • August 26 · 49 min· Video

    Critical Infrastructure & Talking Dogs with Dr. Judy Clemens-Smuckers, Dr. Brandon West & Erik Peterson

    School is finally back in session - from college all the way to preschool -&nbsp;<i></i>and my daughter's&nbsp;long-awaited new favorite movie is in theaters. "Paw Patrol 3: The Dino Movie" presents an offbeat opportunity to talk about kid-friendly portrayals of critical infrastructure protection and careers, and how grown-up portrayals of the same jobs on "NCIS" and "CSI"&nbsp;shape expectations&nbsp;and perceptions among adults. This week, we're joined by one of our new IHS Project Managers, E

  • August 5 · 47 min· Video

    Calculating Criminal & Structural Social Networks with Dr. Nathan Jones and Braell Dotson

    Every actor is within&nbsp;six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon. We can measure and chart that professional network - and we can do it with Mexican drug cartels and critical infrastructure assets. This week, we chat with Dr. Nathan Jones, professor and chair of the Security Studies department at Sam, and Braell Dotson, an enterprising recent graduate who coded a plugin to open-source software used by law enforcement to measure and track criminal networks.

  • July 29 · 32 min· Video

    Emerging Threats & Risk Management in Trucking with John Contestabile

    The trucking industry faces myriad modern challenges. Some are conventional, but plenty of others are emerging and evolving quickly. This week, we're podcasting a keynote address from our transportation symposium earlier this summer. John Contestabile, the director of public safety solutions at Skyline Technology Solutions, explores that changing threat landscape and how it affects risk management and prudent planning.

  • July 15 · 58 min· Video

    Risk Management in Critical Trucking Infrastructure with Angelica Garcia and Daniel Sandoval

    <div>Trucking and transportation are all about logistics - and risk management. How can you run lean while keeping your eyes on the road? This week, we're revisiting a panel from our livestreamed transportation symposium in May with John Suarez from the Institute for Homeland Security and Angelica Garcia and Daniel Sandoval from&nbsp;Cocoon Consulting and Logistics Services.</div>

  • July 1 · 42 min· Video

    "No Pasa Nada" and Crisis Preparedness with Catherine Martin-Trujillo

    <div>In a crisis, knowing who to call is critical - and when to call for backup. This week, we unpack a crisis management and tabletop hurricane exercise down in the Valley with Catherine Martin-Trujillo, the emergency preparedness coordinator for the Brownsville Public Utilities Board, and explore big takeaways for emergency exercises and preparation.</div>

  • June 17 · 1 hr 9 min· Video

    Screwworm Eradication & Hurricane Preparation with Dr. Monty Dozier, Heberto Villarreal & Dr. Robert Gauthreaux

    The new world screwworm is a nasty pest that's back in Texas for the first time in decades. Monitoring and communication are key - but so is old-school technology to eradicate the parasite without pesticides. Also, the Institute for Homeland Security is headed to Brownsville this week to help strategize hurricane preparations and response. We're bringing along an interactive "Simtable" and our resident meteorologist as well. <br><br>We're joined by Dr. Monty Dozier, the program director for disa

  • June 3 · 54 min· Video

    Everybody's Getting Too Much Information All The Time with Dr. Robert Gauthreaux & Dr. Tony Yao

    <div>Information is everywhere. Do you have a plan to cut through the noise in a crisis? This week, we chat about information overload&nbsp;and effective communication strategies with Sam Houston State's&nbsp;Dr. Robert Gauthreaux, an assistant professor of practice of journalism and emerging media, and Dr. Tony Yao, an assistant professor of emerging media.</div>

  • May 27 · 59 min· Video

    Predicting and Managing Risk in the Energy Sector with Brandon Martin

    There's always some subjectivity in security assessments, but translating that expertise into business speak and statistical equations can make a world of difference in corporate security. This week, we chat with Brandon Martin, the executive director of the Energy Security Council, about his organization and&nbsp;lessons learned from his years in law enforcement and the private sector.&nbsp;

  • May 20 · 59 min· Video

    Decoding AI Processes & Networking at INFORMS Analytics+ Conference

    Generative artificial intelligence has the potential to upend most industries - but it only works if you know how to work with it, not hide behind it. This week, we look back on last month's INFORMS Analytics+ conference with Daniel Windle, director of sales operations at Trinity Industries; Andrew Hartley, a data analyst with Navy Federal Financial Group; and David Stone, a research associate with the Institute for Homeland Security.

  • April 15 · 1 hr 10 min· Video

    Wastewater Monitoring and Viral Alerts with Dr. Michelle Crum & Dr. Blake Hanson

    <div>Imagine a ladle on a stick. Now imagine you're dipping in untreated waste water. How many viruses would you pull up - and what could those pathogens say about local health? This week, we chat about wastewater monitoring, viral DNA and public health with Dr. Michelle Crum, the interim chair of the department of preventative medicine and population health at the University of Texas at Tyler, and Dr. Blake Hanson, assistant professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center.</div>

  • April 8 · 47 min· Video

    Innovating MCI Hospital Training with Donald Berger & Joel Hendryx

    <div><div>How do you plan for mass casualty incidents, especially in healthcare? Tabletop exercises and planning are a good start - especially when they prompt unexpected or innovative questions. This week, we chat with Donald Berger,&nbsp;Administrative Director of Safety Operations at University Medical Center and El Paso Children’s Hospital, and Dr. Joel Hendryx, the recently retired chief medical officer at University Medical Center of El Paso, about the importance of adapting and developing

  • April 1 · 48 min· Video

    The Importance of Trust Networks with Dr. JD and Mike Maloney

    <div>Who do you trust? Who would you call&nbsp;<i>right now&nbsp;</i>if your industry took a sudden left turn? If a name isn't springing to mind, then you might want to work on building your trust network. This week, we chat with Dr. Jason Davis and Mike Maloney about the importance of trust, how to build likeability and memorability, and the importance of strong and weak ties.</div>

  • March 25 · 42 min· Video

    Retained Losses & Conflicting Terminology with Safety Bob

    Everyone notices when something expensive breaks. Smaller issues, like water leaks and electrical issues, can fly under the radar - but those charges&nbsp;<i>really&nbsp;</i>add up. They can also fall under different terms or onto different expense reports, making them harder to track and prevent. This week, we chat with Dr. Robert Emery, the&nbsp;vice president for safety, health, environment &amp; risk management for The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and professor of occ

  • March 18 · 56 min· Video

    Trust & Crisis Communication in Agriculture with Blair Fannin

    <div>Effective communication is all about cutting through the noise and providing accurate information - especially during a crisis. This week, we chat about agricultural crises, trust networks and a bit of farm economics with Blair Fannin, the media relations manager and disaster assessment and recovery public information officer for the&nbsp;Texas A&amp;M AgriLife Extension Service.</div>

Showing 1–20 of 26 episodes