The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ryan Sand as its new Emergency Management Planner. Sand began working for the university part-time in January, working remotely until he could make the move to Juneau and assume the position full-time on April 27. Sand has been instrumental in leading UAS through the challenges of COVID-19 since he began work in January. 

Ryan Sand comes to UAS from Phoenix, Arizona where he was a campus emergency manager and, more recently, a full-time professor in justice studies. Prior to working in the university setting, Sand served as a municipal law enforcement officer, academy trainer, utilities safety director, and fire department liaison. Sand earned his Master of Science degree in Leadership with Emphasis in Disaster Preparedness from Grand Canyon University in 2016, and also holds a bachelor’s degree in justice studies from Arizona State University.

His career experience is extensive and includes emergency manager, police instructor, and international security subject matter expert. He has managed and trained various professionals in the corporate sector, institutions of higher learning, military and government sectors, K-12 schools, utility companies, public health, fire protection, and law enforcement. In these roles he has regularly led and created business continuity and emergency management plans in accordance with local, state, and federal mandates. He has directly supervised first responders and civilians during active shooter incidents, hazardous release responses, fires, avalanches, floods, a plane crash, and explosions. Sand has taught active shooter response programs, crime safety awareness programs, firearms, and self-defense lessons for thousands of college students and staff, international law enforcement members, and security personnel.

Sand intends to increase safety and emergency preparedness for the entire UAS community in the areas of all-hazard emergency planning and self defense tactics. “These procedures will greatly assist the overall UAS campus community in being emergency ready and will allow us to extend our best practices to our greater community,” he explained.

UAS Chancellor Rick Caulfield comments “we’re very fortunate to have a person of Ryan’s background and experience as our new emergency management planner. He will help our leadership team ensure that our campus community is safe and healthy, and he will be an important link between university emergency planning and that in the communities in which our campuses are located. I’m excited to have him on board!”