Joy Nichols
Joy Nichols was promoted to the rank of deputy chief of the Fairhaven Fire Department in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Nichols is the first woman to hold the position. She also made history in 2015, when she was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, making her the first woman to hold that rank since the department’s inception in 1812. Nichols earned her master’s in emergency services management from CSU.
Andrew Pate
Andrew Pate was recently promoted to sergeant of the Gastonia (North Carolina) Police Department. Pate joined the department in 2011. He served in the U.S. Air Force and still serves the N.C. Air National Guard. He earned a bachelor’s degree from CSU.
Austin Miller
The Van Wert (Ohio) Fire Department recently promoted CSU fire student Austin Miller to the rank of lieutenant. Miller joined the Van Wert Fire Department in 2011 as a reserve firefighter and was hired full-time in May of 2012. Miller is a certified rescue technician with specialties in water rescue, ropes, trench, confined space, automobile extrication, hazardous materials, and structural collapse.
Travis Karicofe
Travis Karicofe, the Harrisonburg (Virginia) Fire Department’s EMS officer and a 28-year veteran of emergency services, has been conferred the Chief Emergency Medical Services Officer credential by the Center for Public Safety Excellence. He is one of only 148 individuals worldwide to achieve this honor. Karicofe earned his bachelor’s from CSU.
Kenneth Willis
Alumnus Kenneth Willis was recently named Firefighter of the Year by the Knights of Columbus. Willis is the fire investigator for the Columbia Fire Department in Columbia, South Carolina,
Michael Strickland
Alumnus Michael Strickland was recently named Troup County, Georgia’s emergency management director. Strickland enters the role with more than 30 years of firefighting experience. He holds an associate and bachelor’s in fire science from CSU.
Disclaimer: These testimonials may not reflect the experience of all CSU students.
Multiple factors, including prior experience, geography, and degree field, affect career outcomes.
CSU does not guarantee a job, promotion, salary increase, eligibility for a position, or other career growth.
