MEPD Alum Assists National Guard in Albany

A graduate of CED’s Master of Environmental Planning and Design (MEPD) program has answered the call of duty by serving in the Georgia State Defense Force alongside the National Guard in Albany, Georgia. First Lieutenant Christopher Sirmans, who is now a dean at Gwinnett Tech, and his unit are assisting another unit with decontamination operations at several elderly primary care facilities in the south Georgia city.

The Georgia State Defense Force, "an auxiliary unit of the Georgia Department of Defense,” is a “rapid response volunteer force to assist state and local government agencies and civil relief organizations in impending or actual emergencies to assure the welfare and safety of the citizens of Georgia.” At times, the Georgia State Defense Force serves alongside the National Guard to assist during emergencies.

Sirmans believes his education in Planning and Design has helped in his career in academia, as well as the armed forces. “I can say that my master’s in planning [and design] has definitely helped in my military career as well. Environmental and critical needs assessments are being done on a daily basis. Logistics and infrastructure delivery systems are being assessed as well.” An education in environmentally-conscious planning can help tremendously when assessing the needs of a particular population and landscape.

Georgia State Defense Force training, credit PAONews

Sirmans entered the MEPD program when it was still in its infancy. The program, according to its founder and former dean Jack Crowley, was to teach planning and design for practical implementation. The MEPD, then, was attractive to students like Sirmans and James Bradley, who were professionally involved elsewhere before deciding to further their education via the MEPD program.

After graduating, Chris became Dean of Construction Management at Gwinnett Tech. His current title is Dean of Engineering, Construction, Manufacturing, and Design.

Sirmans is in the midst of working toward his PhD. Though our current situation and other factors have put that on hold for now, CED would like to express its pride and admiration for having such an example of what our graduates are capable of.