HAWAII – Dr. Alberto Morales Jr., branch chief for the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, was honored as Distinguished Alumni Award winner for the Hawaii campus of Wayland Baptist University during a fall commencement ceremony.
A native of New York, Morales served 24 years in the U.S. Military in all areas. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico and earned two graduate degrees from Wayland, a Master of Arts in Management in 2011 and the Master of Education degree in human resources in 2013. His doctorate in education is in organizational change and educational leadership from the University of Southern California.
Morales currently serves as the Applied Research and Information Sharing Branch Chief at CFE-DM, part of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. There, he manages research, academic outreach, assessments and information-sharing programs focused on disaster management capacity building for 36 partner nations in the region. He also co-chairs the Regional Consultative Group’s Information Sharing Working Group for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. In an effort to stay current on trends and research in his field, he facilitates other working groups, one on climate change and one on information communication and technologies. Morales is also a member of the Pacific Resilience Partnership Academic Taskforce and a member of the United Nations’ University Student Surge Group.
When he’s not busy working, Morales likes to volunteer through programs like the U.S. Air Force Key Spouse Program to support Air Force families and increase resiliency and community. He has also served on the school board at St. Michael’s Catholic School and the Youth Ministries Program for the Parish in Waialua. He teaches as an adjunct for Wayland’s education and business schools and at the Japan-America Institute of Management Science.
“It is no secret that Dr. Morales has made an impact on his country through military service and his role in the disaster management field with our military now. He is a professional that prides himself on staying current and being part of the solution, and that’s part of what makes him such a great choice for our Distinguished Alumni honor for Hawaii,” said Teresa Young, Director of Alumni Relations for Wayland. “He’s a man of faith, family and service, and that is the epitome of Wayland graduates in so many ways. We are so proud he is part of our Wayland family and that we could honor him in this way.”
The Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented annually to a graduate of each of Wayland’s 12 campuses and an Alumnus of the Year is chosen from among those, honored at the university’s homecoming celebration to be held February 18-19. For more information, visit the school’s website at www. wbualumni.com.
####
Above: Wayland Baptist University – Hawaii campus director Dr. Henrique Regina, left, presents the Distinguished Alumni Award for 2021 for Hawaii to Dr. Alberto Morales, branch chief with the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, during a recent commencement ceremony.
Copyright © 2024
