Loyola University New Orleans announced the appointment of Stephen Murphy to the newly created position of emergency manager in a March 5 press release. According to the release, Murphy’s new job will include managing university-wide emergency preparedness and business continuity programs such as training and guidance for emergency response, impact analysis and training, and the assessment of response efforts.

 “Universities are particularly vulnerable to any number of emergency situations, as we know from tragic headlines in the news,” Loyola president Rev. Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Ph.D. said in the press release. “The safety and well-being of our campus community is our top priority, and it is essential for us to have an experienced leader in emergency preparedness and business continuity.”

According to the release, Murphy previously served as planning section chief of the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, working on hurricane preparedness, development and maintenance of city emergency operations and public health preparedness. He sits on several state advisory boards for public health preparedness and is an adjunct instructor in Tulane University’s homeland security bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

 “It is an honor and privilege to be a part of such a prestigious university,” Murphy said in the press release. “Loyola has taken great strides in the area of campus preparedness. Given the threats impacting campuses across the country, it is prudent that we take the necessary steps to mitigate against them, ensuring not only student safety, but the safety of every member of the Loyola family as well as the community to the greatest extent possible.”