There are no cameras or cell phones allowed in Alex McClain’s office, so he had to talk on a landline to be interviewed for this story.
McClain, an alum of the USC Price School of Public Policy, works in what’s called a SCIF – a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility – a building designed with rigorous security measures to prevent leaks of classified information.
McClain, who has worked for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for 17 years, is not exactly James Bond. Asked to describe one of his career achievements, he noted he never put anyone in handcuffs. Still, his accomplishments are sensitive enough that he can’t divulge much.
“I guess the most I can say is there was a piece of threat intelligence and we were able to get that intelligence out to unique people and the government was able to adjust some of its policies to mitigate the threat,” he explained.
The details are, presumably, classified.
From student to professor
McClain is currently a Professor of Practice and DHS Chair at National Intelligence University, a university just outside of Washington, D.C., for professionals in national security. Students must have a top security clearance to enroll, allowing them to use classified information for academic research. For example, one of his students recently wrote a policy analysis on combatting maritime smuggling.
It’s a fitting role for McClain, who credits higher education for his career at DHS. While earning his Master of Public Administration (MPA), he took a homeland security class taught by Professor Erroll Southers that motivated him to pursue a career in that field. McClain also credits Price with helping him land a policy fellowship at DHS, sparking his career.
“Price has positioned me to really excel at my career,” McClain said. “Not just getting a foot in the door, but because I’m still using some of the skills that I’ve learned at USC today.”
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Find Out MoreHis career has taken him around the world. McClain spent four months in Australia helping the country’s Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet foster science and technology that could boost that nation’s security. More recently, he was DHS’ Office of Intelligence and Analysis’ Deputy Director of Private Sector Engagement, where he worked with the likes of Disney and Amazon to identify and address threats to major industries. Following an attack at a hotel, for example, he worked with hotel chains on an intelligence report that identified security vulnerabilities.
“Alex was one of the exceptional students who I had the privilege of teaching in my courses,” Southers said. “It was always a delight to see our students become interested and pursue careers as a result of our curriculum. I thank all of them for their service.”
Career advice for Price students
There is a lot of uncertainty at federal agencies as the U.S. government downsizes staff, but McClain said students shouldn’t be discouraged from pursuing a career like his. In fact, it might be a good idea to apply for a security clearance sooner than later. The process can take well over a year to get approved, McClain noted. By then, the uncertainty at federal agencies may be over.
“Clearances take a long time. It’s not uncommon that people will take about 18 months from application to actually getting hired,” McClain said. “So putting your resume in now, especially for the intelligence field, might not be a bad thing.”
