Jennifer Carlson
Assistant Professor, Emergency Management and Co-Director Honors Program
Fire Science and Emergency Management
(508) 849-3268
Office: Trinity West 204
Dr. Jennifer Carlson, Ph.D., CEM®, LCSW
Assistant Professor of Emergency Management
School of Professional Studies – Department of Emergency Management
(508) 849-3268 • jcarlson@annamaria.edu
Office: Trinity West 204
Education
Ph.D., Doctor of Philosophy in Public Safety (Specialization: Emergency Management) Capella University – School of Public Safety Leadership
M.S.W., University of Connecticut
B.S.W., Elms College
Biography
Dr. Jennifer Carlson, Ph.D., CEM®, LCSW, is an internationally recognized emergency management scholar-practitioner with more than two decades of experience in disaster leadership, higher education, professionalization research, and legislative advancement. She joined Anna Maria College in 2020, bringing with her a deep commitment to strengthening the emergency management field through evidence-based practice, professionalization efforts, and academic rigor.
Her global standing is reflected through her leadership roles with the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), her editorship of an international scholarly volume with Palgrave Macmillan, and her collaborations with emergency management scholars and practitioners worldwide. She is also the Principal Investigator for an international research study presented at the 2025 World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM) Congress in Tokyo, Japan.
She has held senior leadership roles including Senior Disaster Program Manager for Massachusetts, Director of Emergency Services for Cape Cod and the Islands, and leader of multi-state incident management teams. Her operational portfolio includes key leadership roles during major disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, the Boston Marathon bombing, wildfires in British Columbia and Napa Valley in California, the Western Massachusetts tornadoes, and Massachusetts’ response to Hurricane Sandy — a mission on which she served in the New York State Operations Center as part of the national EMAC A-Team, functioning in a planning chief capacity.
As an educator, Dr. Carlson has taught emergency management, homeland security, public safety, public health, research, and policy at MIT (with FEMA), Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Eastern Kentucky University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Anna Maria College. She has also taught FEMA’s Continuity of Operations (COOP) course. At Anna Maria, she teaches across the B.S., M.S., emergency management, and graduate certificate programs.
Her research centers on the professionalization of emergency management, including accreditation, licensure, competency development, emotional intelligence, professional identity, and the sociology of professions. She is the creator of the Carlson Emergency Management Professionalization Model™, an emerging conceptual framework integrating U.S. professional pathways with global resilience and governance principles.
She has multiple peer-reviewed publications in the Journal of Emergency Management, is editor of Advancing the Professionalization of Emergency Management (Palgrave Macmillan, 2026), and serves as Guest Editor for a 2026 special issue of the Journal of Policy Practice & Research. Her national research also applies the Sendai Framework to U.S. emergency management, linking global standards to domestic professionalization and workforce readiness.
Dr. Carlson contributes to the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM®) exam development and serves as an IAEM Certification Mentor. She completed national leadership terms as Immediate Past Co-Chair of the IAEM Higher Education Academician Caucus, Past Co-Chair of the IAEM Training and Education Committee, and Past Lead of the IAEM Professionalization Subgroup.
Dr. Carlson also serves as a Special Advisor to the Board of Governors of the U.S. Disaster & Emergency Management Commission (USEDMC).
At Anna Maria College, she served as Chair of the Institutional Review Board (2023–2025) and was elected to the Faculty Development Committee in 2025. She will begin serving as Co-Chair of the College’s Strategic Planning Committee in January 2026, following prior service on the committee (2021–2022) and as Academic Faculty Representative to the Board of Directors (2021–2022). She has developed more than 20 courses, advised more than 70 completed research projects, and serves as a four-year Advisor to the UMASS Chan Medical School Futures Program.
In addition to her academic work, she operates a private consulting practice specializing in emergency management and organizational restructuring, through which she redesigned a major Catholic Charities program in 2022. She is also the author of Write Your Story (2019), New England’s Seasonal Echoes (2025), and a forthcoming children’s book (2026).
Courses Taught at Anna Maria College
Master of Science – Health Emergency Management
HEM 616 – Health Emergency Management: Operations & Quality
HEM 619 – Health Emergency and Environmental Risks
HEM 634 – Public Health Hazards Planning & Response
HEM 636 – Intentional Threats and Disasters
HEM 646 – Building Sustainable Coalitions for Emergency Management
HEM 652 – Theory and Logistics of Mass Gathering Disasters
HEM 655 – Health Informatics and Public Education
HEM 709 – Graduation Seminar Project
Bachelor of Science – Emergency Management
EMG 101 – Introduction to Emergency Management
H-EMG 202 – International Disaster Response and Emergency Management
EMG 210 – Leadership in Emergencies/Disasters
EMG 250 – Disasters in a Social Context
EMG 301 – Emergency Planning: Hazard Analysis, Mitigation, Sustainability
EMG 307 – Action Research Project
EMG 310 – GIS in Emergency Management
EMG 349 – Professional Foundations in Emergency Management
EMG 490 – Capstone Project
Additional Programs
Courses taught in the Master of Public Administration (Emergency Management), Master of Social Work, and Bachelor of Social Work programs.
Research Interests
Professionalization of emergency management
Accreditation, licensure, and national standards
Crisis leadership and emotional intelligence
Emergency management professional identity
Higher education curriculum development
Sendai Framework–aligned governance and resilience
Legislative and regulatory development in emergency management
The Carlson Emergency Management Professionalization Model™
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Carlson, J. (2024). Finalizing emergency management professionalization in 2024. Journal of Emergency Management, 22(3), 225–234.
Carlson, J. (2024). Advancing emergency management professionalization: National pathways, regulatory considerations, and future directions. Journal of Emergency Management. https://wmpllc.org/ojs/index.php/jem/article/view/3923
Carlson, J. (2015). Exploring the professionalization of the emergency management field: A qualitative analysis (Publication No. ATT 3735146) [Doctoral dissertation, Capella University]. ProQuest Digital Dissertations.
Professional White Papers & Policy Contributions
Carlson, J. (2023–2025). Higher Education Academician Professionalization Subgroup Recommendations [White paper]. IAEM Higher Education Caucus.
Carlson, J., & IAEM Training and Education Committee. (2023–2025). Accreditation Recommendations for Advancing Professional Standards in Emergency Management [White paper]. IAEM.
Carlson, J. (2023–2024). Legislative analysis and testimony for Massachusetts HD.740 and HD.1268: Advancing emergency management licensure and regulatory development.
In Press / Forthcoming (2026)
Carlson, J. (Ed.). (2026). Advancing the professionalization of emergency management. Palgrave Macmillan. (Forthcoming)
Carlson, J. (2026). Chapter contribution. In D. Miller & R. Dippy (Eds.), Emergency Management and the Building of a Resilient Profession: From Emergence to Regulation. Routledge. (In press)
Carlson, J. (Guest Editor). (2026). Special issue on emergency management professionalization. Journal of Policy Practice & Research. (Forthcoming)
Carlson, J. (2026). National exploratory study on emergency management professionalization. Manuscript submitted for publication to the Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Carlson, J. (2026). Emotional intelligence and professional identity in emergency management leadership. Manuscript submitted for publication to the International Journal of Emergency Management.
Carlson, J. (2026). Rebuttal: Understanding challenges in emergency management practice and theory. Journal of Emergency Management. (In press)
Opinion, Editorial & Professional Publications
Carlson-Ostroff, J., & Ostrander, J. (2024). Social work and emergency management: Climate change, disasters, and why we need to work together more now than ever. Journal of Policy Practice & Research, 5, 3–8.
Carlson-Benoit, J. (2010). Regional sheltering paradigm shift. IAEM Bulletin, 27(10), 12–13.
Carlson, J. (2006). On the front lines of disaster relief. Interaction, 18(1), 4–5.
Grobman, L., & Carlson, J. (2006). Weather the storm: Social workers and the 2005 hurricane season. The New Social Worker, 13(1), 15–17.
Personal Books & Creative Works
Carlson, J. (2025). New England’s seasonal echoes. Bookleaf Publishing.
Carlson, J. (2019). Write your story: A self-start, write your own biography. Amazon Publishing.
Carlson, J. (2026). [Children’s book forthcoming].
Memberships, Appointments & Professional Service
Professional Roles
Special Advisor, U.S. Disaster & Emergency Management Commission (USEDMC)
Affairs Director, Department of Defense / ESGR – Massachusetts
Reviewer, Journal of Emergency Management
Member, Team Rubicon – Operations & Training
International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM)
IAEM Certification Mentor
Contributor, CEM® Exam Development
Immediate Past Co-Chair, Higher Education Academician Caucus
Past Co-Chair, Training and Education Committee
Past Lead, Professionalization Subgroup
Institutional Service — Anna Maria College
Co-Chair, Strategic Planning Committee (2026–present)
Chair, Institutional Review Board (2023–2025)
Faculty Development Committee (2025–present)
Academic Representative, Board of Directors (2021–2022)
Member, Strategic Planning Committee (2021–2022)
Developer of 20+ courses
Advisor to 70+ completed research projects
Advisor, UMASS Chan Medical School Futures Program (2021–present)
Assistant Professor of Emergency Management
School of Professional Studies – Department of Emergency Management
(508) 849-3268 • jcarlson@annamaria.edu
Office: Trinity West 204
Education
Ph.D., Doctor of Philosophy in Public Safety (Specialization: Emergency Management) Capella University – School of Public Safety Leadership
M.S.W., University of Connecticut
B.S.W., Elms College
Biography
Dr. Jennifer Carlson, Ph.D., CEM®, LCSW, is an internationally recognized emergency management scholar-practitioner with more than two decades of experience in disaster leadership, higher education, professionalization research, and legislative advancement. She joined Anna Maria College in 2020, bringing with her a deep commitment to strengthening the emergency management field through evidence-based practice, professionalization efforts, and academic rigor.
Her global standing is reflected through her leadership roles with the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), her editorship of an international scholarly volume with Palgrave Macmillan, and her collaborations with emergency management scholars and practitioners worldwide. She is also the Principal Investigator for an international research study presented at the 2025 World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM) Congress in Tokyo, Japan.
She has held senior leadership roles including Senior Disaster Program Manager for Massachusetts, Director of Emergency Services for Cape Cod and the Islands, and leader of multi-state incident management teams. Her operational portfolio includes key leadership roles during major disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, the Boston Marathon bombing, wildfires in British Columbia and Napa Valley in California, the Western Massachusetts tornadoes, and Massachusetts’ response to Hurricane Sandy — a mission on which she served in the New York State Operations Center as part of the national EMAC A-Team, functioning in a planning chief capacity.
As an educator, Dr. Carlson has taught emergency management, homeland security, public safety, public health, research, and policy at MIT (with FEMA), Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Eastern Kentucky University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Anna Maria College. She has also taught FEMA’s Continuity of Operations (COOP) course. At Anna Maria, she teaches across the B.S., M.S., emergency management, and graduate certificate programs.
Her research centers on the professionalization of emergency management, including accreditation, licensure, competency development, emotional intelligence, professional identity, and the sociology of professions. She is the creator of the Carlson Emergency Management Professionalization Model™, an emerging conceptual framework integrating U.S. professional pathways with global resilience and governance principles.
She has multiple peer-reviewed publications in the Journal of Emergency Management, is editor of Advancing the Professionalization of Emergency Management (Palgrave Macmillan, 2026), and serves as Guest Editor for a 2026 special issue of the Journal of Policy Practice & Research. Her national research also applies the Sendai Framework to U.S. emergency management, linking global standards to domestic professionalization and workforce readiness.
Dr. Carlson contributes to the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM®) exam development and serves as an IAEM Certification Mentor. She completed national leadership terms as Immediate Past Co-Chair of the IAEM Higher Education Academician Caucus, Past Co-Chair of the IAEM Training and Education Committee, and Past Lead of the IAEM Professionalization Subgroup.
Dr. Carlson also serves as a Special Advisor to the Board of Governors of the U.S. Disaster & Emergency Management Commission (USEDMC).
At Anna Maria College, she served as Chair of the Institutional Review Board (2023–2025) and was elected to the Faculty Development Committee in 2025. She will begin serving as Co-Chair of the College’s Strategic Planning Committee in January 2026, following prior service on the committee (2021–2022) and as Academic Faculty Representative to the Board of Directors (2021–2022). She has developed more than 20 courses, advised more than 70 completed research projects, and serves as a four-year Advisor to the UMASS Chan Medical School Futures Program.
In addition to her academic work, she operates a private consulting practice specializing in emergency management and organizational restructuring, through which she redesigned a major Catholic Charities program in 2022. She is also the author of Write Your Story (2019), New England’s Seasonal Echoes (2025), and a forthcoming children’s book (2026).
Courses Taught at Anna Maria College
Master of Science – Health Emergency Management
HEM 616 – Health Emergency Management: Operations & Quality
HEM 619 – Health Emergency and Environmental Risks
HEM 634 – Public Health Hazards Planning & Response
HEM 636 – Intentional Threats and Disasters
HEM 646 – Building Sustainable Coalitions for Emergency Management
HEM 652 – Theory and Logistics of Mass Gathering Disasters
HEM 655 – Health Informatics and Public Education
HEM 709 – Graduation Seminar Project
Bachelor of Science – Emergency Management
EMG 101 – Introduction to Emergency Management
H-EMG 202 – International Disaster Response and Emergency Management
EMG 210 – Leadership in Emergencies/Disasters
EMG 250 – Disasters in a Social Context
EMG 301 – Emergency Planning: Hazard Analysis, Mitigation, Sustainability
EMG 307 – Action Research Project
EMG 310 – GIS in Emergency Management
EMG 349 – Professional Foundations in Emergency Management
EMG 490 – Capstone Project
Additional Programs
Courses taught in the Master of Public Administration (Emergency Management), Master of Social Work, and Bachelor of Social Work programs.
Research Interests
Professionalization of emergency management
Accreditation, licensure, and national standards
Crisis leadership and emotional intelligence
Emergency management professional identity
Higher education curriculum development
Sendai Framework–aligned governance and resilience
Legislative and regulatory development in emergency management
The Carlson Emergency Management Professionalization Model™
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Carlson, J. (2024). Finalizing emergency management professionalization in 2024. Journal of Emergency Management, 22(3), 225–234.
Carlson, J. (2024). Advancing emergency management professionalization: National pathways, regulatory considerations, and future directions. Journal of Emergency Management. https://wmpllc.org/ojs/index.php/jem/article/view/3923
Carlson, J. (2015). Exploring the professionalization of the emergency management field: A qualitative analysis (Publication No. ATT 3735146) [Doctoral dissertation, Capella University]. ProQuest Digital Dissertations.
Professional White Papers & Policy Contributions
Carlson, J. (2023–2025). Higher Education Academician Professionalization Subgroup Recommendations [White paper]. IAEM Higher Education Caucus.
Carlson, J., & IAEM Training and Education Committee. (2023–2025). Accreditation Recommendations for Advancing Professional Standards in Emergency Management [White paper]. IAEM.
Carlson, J. (2023–2024). Legislative analysis and testimony for Massachusetts HD.740 and HD.1268: Advancing emergency management licensure and regulatory development.
In Press / Forthcoming (2026)
Carlson, J. (Ed.). (2026). Advancing the professionalization of emergency management. Palgrave Macmillan. (Forthcoming)
Carlson, J. (2026). Chapter contribution. In D. Miller & R. Dippy (Eds.), Emergency Management and the Building of a Resilient Profession: From Emergence to Regulation. Routledge. (In press)
Carlson, J. (Guest Editor). (2026). Special issue on emergency management professionalization. Journal of Policy Practice & Research. (Forthcoming)
Carlson, J. (2026). National exploratory study on emergency management professionalization. Manuscript submitted for publication to the Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Carlson, J. (2026). Emotional intelligence and professional identity in emergency management leadership. Manuscript submitted for publication to the International Journal of Emergency Management.
Carlson, J. (2026). Rebuttal: Understanding challenges in emergency management practice and theory. Journal of Emergency Management. (In press)
Opinion, Editorial & Professional Publications
Carlson-Ostroff, J., & Ostrander, J. (2024). Social work and emergency management: Climate change, disasters, and why we need to work together more now than ever. Journal of Policy Practice & Research, 5, 3–8.
Carlson-Benoit, J. (2010). Regional sheltering paradigm shift. IAEM Bulletin, 27(10), 12–13.
Carlson, J. (2006). On the front lines of disaster relief. Interaction, 18(1), 4–5.
Grobman, L., & Carlson, J. (2006). Weather the storm: Social workers and the 2005 hurricane season. The New Social Worker, 13(1), 15–17.
Personal Books & Creative Works
Carlson, J. (2025). New England’s seasonal echoes. Bookleaf Publishing.
Carlson, J. (2019). Write your story: A self-start, write your own biography. Amazon Publishing.
Carlson, J. (2026). [Children’s book forthcoming].
Memberships, Appointments & Professional Service
Professional Roles
Special Advisor, U.S. Disaster & Emergency Management Commission (USEDMC)
Affairs Director, Department of Defense / ESGR – Massachusetts
Reviewer, Journal of Emergency Management
Member, Team Rubicon – Operations & Training
International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM)
IAEM Certification Mentor
Contributor, CEM® Exam Development
Immediate Past Co-Chair, Higher Education Academician Caucus
Past Co-Chair, Training and Education Committee
Past Lead, Professionalization Subgroup
Institutional Service — Anna Maria College
Co-Chair, Strategic Planning Committee (2026–present)
Chair, Institutional Review Board (2023–2025)
Faculty Development Committee (2025–present)
Academic Representative, Board of Directors (2021–2022)
Member, Strategic Planning Committee (2021–2022)
Developer of 20+ courses
Advisor to 70+ completed research projects
Advisor, UMASS Chan Medical School Futures Program (2021–present)
