Chris Noll ’21

CAPS Commencement Profile
People who know Chris Noll ’21 are likely not surprised that he earned a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Planning and Management. He is following in the footsteps of both of his parents, who have volunteered with disaster response organizations.

Chris has served his community and his country throughout his lifetime. In addition to serving in the U.S. Army during the war in Iraq in 2008 and Afghanistan 2010 and 2011, Chris is also a volunteer firefighter for Station 7 of the Wissahickon Fire Company near his Montgomery County home in Colmar, Pennsylvania.

While earning his associate degree in emergency management at a community college, Chris secured an internship with Montgomery County Division of Emergency Management. His supervisor recommended Immaculata’s bachelor’s program—one of the few emergency management bachelor degrees in the region.

The nuances of this program offer expanded experience. “There have been a lot of different aspects of emergency management that I learned at Immaculata, which were a little surprising that I did not learn before,” he said.

During his final semester at Immaculata, Chris was inducted into the Order of the Sword & Shield National Honor Society, dedicated to homeland security, emergency management and all protective services disciplines. He admits that he was surprised to be among the inductees, but ultimately felt appreciative that his academic achievements were recognized. Chris rated his experience at Immaculata as excellent––taking classes online, on-campus and remotely. He felt supported by his professors and made friends with his classmates that he hopes to connect with as professionals in the industry.

“Chris has been an outstanding student in the EPM program, and his perseverance and resilience have been particularly inspiring,” states George M. Schwartz, Ed.D., who taught Chris in many of his classes.

Working as the security manager for a small pharmaceutical manufacturing and research/development company in Chester County, Chris is seeking an emergency management position with one of the many federal agencies—ideally with the Department of Defense. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for emergency management professionals is projected to grow 4% as the importance of preparing for and minimizing the risks from emergencies will help sustain demand and employment. Emergencies related to weather, terrorism, infrastructure, public health and cybersecurity are constant, evolving threats for emergency managers.

Chris understands that the future of emergency management will continue to change and adapt as the threats and disasters evolve. “The threats we face today will be different than what we face tomorrow and different than what we have seen in the past,” Chris attests.

No matter the challenges, Chris feels prepared and excited to enter the emergency management field and help his fellow Americans—something that is ingrained in him.