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JERSEY CITY, N.J. | The  (NJCU) Department of Professional Security Studies proudly inducted four new students into the Order of the Sword and Shield National Honor Society during a ceremony held on April 29, 2025. This marks the fifth class of inductees since the chapter's establishment in 2020.

The Order of the Sword and Shield is the nation's premier honor society for academic disciplines in homeland security, intelligence, emergency management, and protective security studies.

Hazel Cerra, a 1998 NJCU graduate and current Resident Agent in Charge at the U.S. Secret Service, delivered the keynote address, sharing insights from her distinguished career in federal law enforcement.

The 2025 inductees include:

• Olumide Emmanuel
• Oliver Maxwell Garcia
• Tajudeen Odejoke
• Josef Paul Zierer Jr.

The induction ceremony featured opening remarks from Dr. Michael T. Wiltsey, faculty advisor for the honor society, and welcomes from the Professional Security Studies department co-chairs Dr. Michael Krantz and Dr. Abdullah Al-hayajneh. Dr. Esther Nir, Interim Dean of the College of Professional Studies, and Dr. Donna Breault, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President, also offered congratulatory remarks.

 

Student officers presiding over the ceremony included President Katherine Mary Scamarone, Vice President Ana Belen Guevara-Romero, and Secretary Alexis Vega, Jr., all of whom were inducted into the honor society in 2024.

Established in 2010 at St. John's University by Prof. Jeffrey Grossmann, the Order of the Sword and Shield (Omicron Sigma Sigma) was created to be the first national honor society dedicated exclusively to homeland security, intelligence, emergency management, and all protective security disciplines. The mission of the Society is to promote critical thinking, high scholarship and professional development; to further enhance the ethical standards of the protective security professions; and to cultivate a high order of personal living.

In addition to its academic purpose, the Society is strongly committed to helping communities prepare for safety and emergency conditions. More than an honor society, The Order of the Sword and Shield serves its communities through volunteer programs and sponsors many types of informational events throughout the year.

For more information about NJCU's Professional Security Studies programs, visit.

ÃÛÌÒtv NJCU: 
New Jersey City University is a comprehensive public regional institution committed to providing a high-quality education to a diverse student population. Located in Jersey City, New Jersey, NJCU offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and ÃÛÌÒtvive environment for learning, professional development, and community engagement. Recognized as a top university for improving upward economic social ÃÛÌÒtv, students enrolled in our undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs have access to an affordable, diverse environment, and an exceptionally ÃÛÌÒtvive faculty. This prepares them to go on to become the next generation of workers and leaders who improve their communities and the State of New Jersey.

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Contact: 
Ira Thor, Associate Vice President for University Communications and Marketing | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301