At Lander, students receive personal attention from professors, who carefully guide them toward graduate school programs and rewarding future careers. After earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Lander, emergency management graduate Macy Sinner is now at the center of helping create resilient communities in the face of disasters.
A former hazard mitigation specialist with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCMED), Sinner recently was hired as the infrastructure coordinator for Pinellas County, Florida, a coastal community which is no stranger to natural disasters, including hurricanes, tropical storms and flooding.
A Perfect Path to Grad School
As Sinner was completing her bachelor’s degree in criminology and sociology in 2021, Dr. Matthew Malone, associate professor of political science and homeland security, recognized that Sinner had many of the skills necessary for a career in emergency management.
“Macy was always an excellent student. Communication is an essential skill in emergency management, and her ability to communicate her thoughts and ideas were superb,” said Malone, program coordinator for Lander’s M.S. in Emergency Management.
The opportunity to pursue this career field interested Sinner. “Dr. Malone led me into this professional field while I was an undergraduate student. He thought I would be a good fit for it, so I decided to pursue emergency management. Little did I know I would end up enjoying it as much as I have.”
Unlimited Career Opportunities
After earning her master’s degree in 2023, Sinner went straight to work at SCEMD where she developed a keen knowledge of working with municipalities, utilities and critical infrastructure to mitigate against disaster. She also was on the supply desk in the Palmetto State’s Emergency Operations Center, and in the field doing damage assessment for 13 days during Hurricane Helene.
Trained to be a team leader in damage assessment, Sinner already has put her skills to work in her new role. “In the first month of my job, we had a tornado event in the county,” she said.
Having her emergency management degree from Lander has put Sinner on the front lines of helping communities in need before and after the devastating effects of disasters. “Looking back on my double major in criminology and sociology, with a minor in homeland security, I realize each played a role in preparing me for these positions,” she said. “But my emergency management master’s degree was the biggest preparation for the career as one would assume.”
Malone said the prospects for Sinner’s career are unlimited. “The local and state level emergency managers are the lifeblood of emergency management,” he said. “Her success since graduating from Lander is unsurprising, and I would expect nothing more than for her to continue to excel as a professional. If someone has a passion for helping others and giving back to their communities, emergency management is one of the most rewarding fields.”