Assistant Professor and Director of the Public Administration and Undergraduate Organizational Leadership Programs
1307 West Penn Building, 412-392-6153
rskertich@pointpark.edu
Robert Skertich, Ph.D., an assistant professor of public administration in Point Park's School of Business, was part of the National Disaster Medical System, which coordinates federal medical response during disasters. He led a group of 25 physicians, nurses and paramedics from the Pittsburgh area to staff a temporary hospital in Petionville, just outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Skertich also provides teams to travel with the U.S. Army to help people in need of health care.
Biography
Skertich has an extensive background in public and nonprofit administration, serving at the municipal, county and national levels, with a primary focus on public safety and emergency management.
He currently serves as a deputy commander with the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT-PA1) based in Pittsburgh, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Disaster Medical System, and is a life member and former chief of the Hampton Township Fire Department in Allison Park, Pa. Skertich is also a Pa. state fire instructor and a certified paramedic.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in vocational education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Public Policy Management and a Ph.D. in public administration and public policy from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.
His current research, in conjunction with the Public Health Adaptive Systems Studies Project (PHASYS) through the Center for Disaster Management at the University of Pittsburgh, is on socio-technical situational awareness and decision support in disaster management.
Recently, Skertich was featured in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article "Group examines former Cold War missile sites" and the Pine Creek Journal article "Hampton firefighter proves it's never too late to earn a degree."