IHSONLINE.ORG - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Administrative Associate III
- Associate for the Institute for Homeland Security
Bethany Mitchell currently serves as the Administrative Associate for the Institute for Homeland Security at Sam Houston State University where she also obtained her bachelor's degree in health care administration with a minor in military science. During her undergrad, she served as a student assistant to the CFO and VP of Operations while participating fully in SHSU ROTC. In her IHS role, Ms. Bethany performs key administrative functions in support of the department. She also serves in the US Army Reserves as a Quartermaster Officer and is pursuing a second bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences.
Clyde Loll has spent over 40 years of his professional life in the private industry sector. He has served in diverse decision-making roles from mid management to the C-suite level. Within the bandwidth of an 18-year period Clyde was influential in building an international team working within 39 countries, orchestrating professional development, creating, and implementing strategic plans, organizational collaboration, regulatory compliance, and crafting certifiable quality management systems. Over the course of his career, He and his teams designed, developed, and implemented quality, health, safety, environmental and security programs within the domestic and international business sectors of the electric utility, healthcare, transportation and oil and gas industries. Clyde currently serves as a Project Manager-I within the Institute of Homeland Security at Sam Houston State University.
Clyde is a master-level board-certified hazard control management professional (CHCM), a certified quality management system lead auditor (RABS-Q), a State of Texas certified volunteer firefighter and a certified Zenger-Miller trainer in leadership development. Mr. Loll's specialized training has ranged anywhere from disaster preparedness, emergency response, crisis management, security vulnerability and threat level assessments to critical infrastructure resiliency. Clyde has been a guest instructor at Texas A&M University's municipal and industrial fire schools on numerous occasions over the years. He was appointed by the Governor of Texas, Hon. Greg Abbott, in 2020 to serve as a State Commissioner on the Texas Commission of Fire Protection. Clyde is an inventor and holds a patent with the US Patent Office, Registration #5281067.
He attended Sam Houston State University where he studied Agribusiness/Kinesiology. He continued pursuing his education at San Jacinto College in Fire Protection, Emergency Management and Safety. He currently serves on the SHSU Industrial Advisory Board within the Engineering & Technology department. In addition, Clyde serves as a long-standing board member for the International Board for Certified Safety Managers.
Clyde is married to his wife Stacey of 24 years. He has two adult children, his son Christopher, who's married to Emily and his daughter Alexis, whose husband is Dylan Poindexter. He currently has two grandsons, Wesley, and Noah and is hoping for more grandchildren down the road.
Job Titles:
- Web Developer
- Undergrad Research Assistant - Web Developer
Derek Minchew is an Undergraduate Web Developer for the Institute for Homeland Security since February, 2024. Derek is also a full-time student at Sam Houston State University, studying Computer Science with a focus on Information Systems, and graduating in the Fall semester of 2026. While working at SHSU, Derek has learned to program in many languages and implementing some of them to help develop the IHS website.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Research Director
Dr. Ryan Randa is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Sam Houston State University. He is the Co-Editor of the Journal of School Violence, the Research Director for the Institute for Homeland Security and an active member of both the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and the American Society of Criminology. His research interests include victimization, fear of crime, communities and crime, and behavioral adaptation. His recent work can be found in Justice Quarterly, Crime and Delinquency, Victims and Offenders, Journal of Criminal Justice, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, and Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice
Job Titles:
- Project Manager II - Research
Dr. Shannon M. Lane, Ph.D., brings a wealth of experience and a dedication to community engagement to her role as the Program Manager for research at the Institute for Homeland Security (IHS) at Sam Houston State University (SHSU). Throughout her career, Dr. Lane has exemplified a strong commitment to understanding and addressing the diverse concerns of communities, integrating their feedback into research and policy initiatives.
Known for her collaborative approach, Dr. Lane works closely with stakeholders to develop tailored solutions that effectively tackle specific challenges faced by communities. Even while self-employed and working with senior citizens, she remained active in academia, serving as a member of the SHSU Institutional Review Board (IRB) and ensuring research proposals adhered to ethical guidelines and regulations to protect the rights, safety, and well-being of participants in research studies.
During her tenure at SHSU's Center for Rural Studies, Dr. Lane played a pivotal role in constructing strategic plans and research projects benefiting rural communities across Texas. Additionally, she managed the Texas Rural Internship Program through collaboration with the Texas Department of Agriculture. Before returning to her native Texas, Dr. Lane served as the Undergraduate Coordinator in the Department of Sociology at Mississippi State University. In this capacity, she oversaw various aspects of undergraduate education, including student orientation, registration, program marketing, and publications.
Currently, Dr. Lane is actively engaged in coordinating outreach efforts at IHS and facilitating the work of external researchers on special topics projects. In her leisure time, she enjoys indulging in college sports, movies, and spending quality time with her rescue dog, Ms. Kami Sue.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Center for Intelligence
- Director, Center for Intelligence and Crime Analysis
Dr. William Wells is Director of the Center for Intelligence and Crime Analysis in the Institute for Homeland Security at Sam Houston State University. He is also a Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology and Director of Research in the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas, also at SHSU. Dr. Wells has worked collaboratively with criminal justice system organizations in the United States and internationally since 1995. In 2021 Dr. Wells received the SHSU Award for Excellence in Scholarly and Creative Accomplishments. He is currently collaborating on projects with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, the Houston Police Department, and the Harris County (TX) Sheriff's Office. His projects have been funded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the National Institute of Justice, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the Office of the Governor of Texas. His published research has appeared in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Injury Prevention, Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Criminology, Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency, Justice Quarterly, Crime & Delinquency, and American Journal of Public Health.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager for Transportation Systems at the Institute for Homeland Security
- Project Manager II - Transportation Sector
Grant Threatt is the Program Manager for Transportation Systems at the Institute for Homeland Security at SHSU. He has also served as the Education Projects Manager helping to establish the Institute's adult learner programming. Grant is completing his MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from Sam Houston State University.
Also, a mechanical engineer, Grant earned his undergraduate degree from Auburn University and has decades of experience in both the aerospace and oilfield industries, providing engineered solutions, leadership, and project management for client needs from the seafloor to low Earth orbit. Oilfield opportunities have allowed Grant to lead diverse multi-national teams in West Africa and the Middle East.
Grant earned his MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas and has had a hand in successfully launching small businesses. Grant has also served in the Texas State Guard, rising to a leadership role in the Medical Brigade based in Galveston County.
Heberto Villarreal holds an M.S. in Homeland Security and currently serves as a Project Manager I at the Institute for Homeland Security (IHS) at Sam Houston State University (SHSU). His responsibilities in this role include assisting other Project Managers in various fields such as transportation, energy, chemical, and healthcare, among others. Some of his recent projects include crisis management, border security, and port security initiatives. He is dedicated to providing value-added research and professional development to underserved communities enabling them to become more resilient. Mr. Villarreal is also responsible for leading the development and coordination of tabletop exercise initiatives using an interactive simulation table that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of various industries and communities.
Job Titles:
- Undergrad Research Assistant - Web Developer
James Willis is in the process of obtaining his B.S. in Cybersecurity and is an Undergraduate Research Assistant at the Institute of Homeland Security. He is knowledgeable in various software tools used in the field of cybersecurity and in web development.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager II - Health & Public Health Sector
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director of the Sam Houston State University
Michael Aspland is the Executive Director of the Sam Houston State University, Institute for Homeland Security. The overall goal of the Institute, both through its educational and research efforts, will be to enhance the security and resilience of the transportation, energy, chemical, and healthcare sectors, and thus contribute to the security and resilience of Texans and the Texas economy.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager at Sam Houston State University 's Institute for Homeland Security
- Project Manager I - Supply Chain
Scott Lynn is a Project Manager at Sam Houston State University's Institute for Homeland Security. Scott earned BAs in Environmental Studies (focus on energy) and Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara and a master's degree at Arizona State University (solar energy). He is based in Ventura, California.
Job Titles:
- Executive Coordinator for the Institute for Homeland Security
- Executive Director I
Ms. Cindy Martinez is the current Executive Coordinator for the Institute For Homeland Security (IHS) at Sam Houston State University (SHSU). In this capacity Cindy oversees multiple high level administrative projects while also managing scheduling and agendas for IHS leadership. As a former Administrative Associate at Prairie View A & M and after years in the field, Cindy brings to the team much needed knowledge in higher education policy and procedures. In addition to her full - time role at IHS, Cindy is currently pursuing her Bachelor's Degree.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager for the Water and Wastewater Sector at the Institute for Homeland Security
- Project Manager II - Water / Wastewater Sector
Reyna Loosmore is the Program Manager for the Water and Wastewater Sector at the Institute for Homeland Security at Sam Houston State University. Reyna served for approximately 10 years in the public sector, serving as an Environmental Investigator for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). During her time with the TCEQ, she served as an Industrial and Hazardous Waste Investigator and later as an Environmental Crimes Investigator. These roles provided in-depth knowledge of environmental issues, interpretation of state and federal environmental laws, and strengthening relationships with federal, state, and local enforcement partners.
Job Titles:
- Program Executive - Public Sector / Project Manager II - Energy Sector
Job Titles:
- Program Executive - Private Sector / Project Manager II - Chemical Sector
Job Titles:
- Coordinator
- Coordinator III
Shelby Payne currently serves as the Coordinator for in-person and virtual trainings at the Institute for Homeland Security. She received her bachelor's degree from Cedarville University in Business Administration with minors in both Biblical Studies and Spanish. Ms. Payne is currently working towards her MBA at Sam Houston State University. Ms. Payne is very passionate about professional development and wants all members in a course to have a seamless experience. As a key member of the IHS team, Shelby works with all levels of IHS personnel, university administration and IHS partners in private industry on various projects throughout the year.