NSU Horizons Spring/Summer 2008

Gregory M. Vecchi, Ph.D. Continued from page 31 Vecchi left the army in 1992 and secured work as a special agent in the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and subsequently in the U.S. Department of Justice, where he worked food stamp and public corruption cases, respectively. With this valuable experience, Vecchi joined the FBI in 1996, where he worked on drug cases and Russian organized crime cases in Miami, Florida. During his time with the FBI’s Miami Division, Vecchi took a keen interest in hostage-taking after observing a negotiator talk a violent individual out of a house. Vecchi explained, “I was fas- cinated by the way the negotiator used his verbal skills to influence this violent individual to surrender to agents without a fight.” Vecchi subsequently became a certified FBI negotiator and a graduate of the London Metropolitan Police Service’s National Negotiation Course. He gained experience in barri- caded captive situations while working in Miami. Vecchi was able to take advantage of programs offered at the University of Alabama, allowing him to attain a Master of Science in Criminal Justice in 1999. Vecchi’s attraction to hostage negotiation is what led him to attain his Doctor of Philosophy in Conflict Analysis and Resolution in 2006 from NSU’s Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences. He says that the curriculum’s theory and qualitative approach has been central to his understanding of hostage negotiation, perpetrator motivation, and crisis manage- ment, “understanding how to effectively deal with another person’s needs and perceptions is paramount to understanding his or her motivation and crisis commu- nication response.” Because of his distinguished service to the FBI and the law enforcement community, Vecchi was presented with NSU’s Graduate School of Humanities and Social Science’s 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award. Between leaving Miami and accepting his current position with BSU, Vecchi spent time in Iraq in support of the FBI’s counterterrorism mission. As a member of the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Unit, he gained experience in overseas kidnapping situations. He believes that his interest and passion for global hostage-taking and crisis management, backed up by his experiences and education, have led him to the Behavioral Science Unit. “It is a dream come true to work where I can make significant contributions to street agents, law enforcement officers, and others who put their lives on the line for us every day. I am honored to serve them in this unique capacity.” n FELECIA HENDERSON IS NSU’S ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS. to the Nova Southeastern University Women’s Basketball Team, Women’s Golf Team, and Women’s Rowing Team 2008 Sunshine State Conference (SCC) Champions Congratulations!