I S S E ll ,r 1~ I) Sam Jeffrey, a former multi-discipline security officer for the CL.I\, brought his unique skillset to Harding as a new assistant professor of behavioral science. Jeffrey received his bachelor's in communications from Abilene Christian University before attending Pepperdine University to receive his master's in public policy, specializing in international relations and American politics. Jeffrey was at Pepperdine on Sept. 11, 2001, and wanted to join the military after the attacks on the World Trade Center. Although he was denied for medical reasons, he decided to move to the Washington, D.C. area. "In July 2003, my wife was six months pregnant with our first child, and I did not have a job, and we decided to move to Virginia," Jeffrey said. "She got a job as a nurse, and I worked as a waiter ... one ofthe only waiters with a master's ... until I was hired by Science Applications International Corporation." Jeffrey's experience at the SAIC resulted in the CIA recruiting him to the position of a Multi-Discipline Security Officer (MDSO). "I had different assignments where I would do different jobs, but the whole time I was a MDSO," Jeffrey said. "That is kind of how CIA works. They will give you a title, and the idea behind Multi-Disciplined Security Officer is that you have different disciplines. The (disciplines) I focused in on were interview and interrogation." Although the bulk of his work was in interrogation, he also had experience in force and protection. "When the CIA sends people overseas, they are often times going into really ugly areas where bad people are," Jeffrey said. "My job was to figure out how to secure them, take care of them and get them from point A to point B safely." BJ Houston, directorofthe criminaljustice department at Harding, said they were looking for someone to fill the position who was experienced in his area of study, had a vast knowledge of the subject material, and could effectively communicate it to students. "He knows what he is talking about, and he relates well to the students," Houston said. "Students speak very highly of him as a person, Christian and educator." Senior criminal justice major Andrew Palmer had Jeffrey as his forensic science professor. Palmer had several years' experience in the military before attending Harding and explained how grateful he was to have a Christian professor who had been in the field teaching him. "In this field, specifically at Harding, the criminal justice world is a very real world," Palmer said. "It can be a violent, evil world out there, so for somebody to come into this school from having real-world experience, plus also being a Christian man ... It's almost necessary ... It makes or breaks the degree." By ;11udl!!ine .Jonl's Assi.~tunt professor of bl'hai1iora/ sciences SC1m Jcjfrey sen•<'ci in the CIA before teaching in the criminal justice department ot /forcling. I Photo hy Owen B,-ou.m '! 0 B I. E .\ I> E H S 111 P
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