The 2026 Phishing Award Trophy was presented to University Police Communications Dispatcher II Jennie House in the President’s Conference Room recently during October CyberSecurity Awareness Month. 

“We send out roughly 1,000 emails per month for everyone on campus,” said Director-Chief Information Security Officer Eric Boughton of the Technology Department. “Every month we do one and (House) reported 11 out of the 12 months.”

House admitted she was surprised and also thrilled to win the trophy. "I do try to help my team,” said House. “I’m honestly humbled. Teamwork makes the dream work. It’s not one of us, it’s all of us.”

Additional notes. This past year, the university had ~1,000 malicious emails reported to the technology team and removed from inboxes. Overall in the past fiscal year, the university has received 26 million messages; 535k messages were rejected before getting into inboxes and 1.5 million messages were sent to spam.

Engineering Technology Professor Ana Mesquita-Emlinger worked with students in her Engineering Graphics course to the quad for observational hand-drawing focused on the buildings and landscape. In this course, Students are introduced to traditional and modern methods in engineering and technology graphic visualization, drawing, drafting, CAD software, and 3D modeling. Emphasis is placed on how visualization is used in both design and production.

This morning, on this National Coffee with a Cop Day, the Fitchburg State University community had the chance to meet with Chief Michael Cloutier and members  of the Fitchburg State University Police as they hosted Coffee with a Cop in the Falcon Hub. Fitchburg State University Police therapy dog Officer Zara was there as well. The mission of Coffee with a Cop is to break down the barriers between police officers and the citizens they serve.

This morning President Hodge, Fitchburg State University Police Chief Michael Cloutier, members of the University Police, Fitchburg Police Department,  university faculty and staff, local dignitaries, and more joined with Fitchburg Fire Department (FFD) at their North Street Headquarters, adjacent to the university, to commemorate lives lost during the attacks on 9/11/2001. The ceremony was held at the 9/11 memorial outside Fire Department headquarters - a piece of a steel beam from the North Tower of the World Trade Center anchors the memorial.

This morning, Fitchburg State University Police Chief Michael Cloutier and Fitchburg Fire Department Assistant Chief Patrick Haverty co-hosted a joint disaster preparedness exercise alongside partners from the Fitchburg Police Department and Fitchburg Public Schools.

Today’s scenario focused on a coordinated, multi-agency response to a simulated gas leak near a local elementary school.

True emergency readiness requires breaking down operational silos. By training side-by-side with our city partners, emergency responders, and school officials, we ensure our entire community is prepared, connected, and safe.

This morning, Chief of University Police Michael Cloutier conducted a Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) training session for Orientation Leaders and Resident Assistants. The course, designed and built on the Avoid, Deny, Defend (ADD) strategy developed by Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) in 2004, provides strategies, guidance, and a proven plan for ideally avoiding, surviving an active shooter event. 

Last week, the Fitchburg State University Police Department hosted an Active Attack Integrated Response (AAIR) course through ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training).

This intensive 16-hour, two-day program brought together regional police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and dispatchers to enhance tactical coordination during critical emergencies. The curriculum focused on integrated rescue task force concepts, unified command, and point-of-injury medical intervention.

Special thanks to the Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC), the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA), and ALERRT for facilitating this essential training. Inter-agency collaboration remains vital to ensuring the safety and preparedness of our campus and surrounding communities.

Orientation isn’t just for our newest Falcons—it’s for their support systems, as well. While our incoming students spent the day diving into information sessions to prep for the fall, their parents and families participated in their own comprehensive transition programming — including campus safety with UPD Deputy Chief Lamarche, student services, and meeting with our Academic Deans. 

The Fitchburg State University Police Department is proud to announce the formal promotion of Andrew Lamarche to the rank of Deputy Chief. Following his official appointment on July 12, Deputy Chief Lamarche was sworn into his new role during a ceremony held at Hammond Hall’s Main Lounge.