CEHC Dean Robert Griffin Selected as Homeland Security Trailblazer

Headshot of Robert Griffin, dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity.
Robert Griffin, dean of UAlbany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity. (Photo by Patrick Dodson)

By Mike Nolan

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 2, 2025) — Robert Griffin, dean of the University at Albany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, has been named among Homeland Security Today magazine’s 50 trailblazers of 2025. 

The magazine’s trailblazers list focuses on individuals who are advancing homeland security innovation and building partnerships with government, academic and industry leaders to better prepare our nation for the most pressing threats and vulnerabilities.

Editors and advisors to Homeland Security Today select top leaders each year.

“We are always inspired and heartened by the leadership, innovation and commitment of the heroes selected as Trailblazers,” said Executive Editor of Homeland Security Today Kristina Tanasichuk. “These leaders realize that the future is now and that embracing change and harnessing the power of rapid advancement for their mission protects us all. They truly are blazing new trails – especially in the new world of AI.”

UAlbany appointed Griffin as the founding dean of the nation’s first College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC) in 2017 after spending 25 years in local and federal government management. 

Prior to CEHC, Griffin served as the deputy under secretary for science and technology at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. While there, he managed a diverse $1.1 billion portfolio of homeland security research. In 2016, President Obama awarded him the Presidential Rank Award, the nation’s highest award for career members of the Senior Executive Service.

CEHC was established to help meet a growing need for security and preparedness professionals. Under Griffin’s leadership, the college has grown rapidly, now enrolling more than 2,000 students across its undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs. 

“I’m honored to be recognized among many of the top leaders in our field,” said Griffin. “The true trailblazers are the faculty and staff at CEHC, who have built a world-class college that develops the first responders, data scientists and tech leaders our communities need and deserve." 

Homeland Security Today’s 2025 trailblazers were honored on Tuesday at a reception in Tysons Corner, Virginia.