1 Welcome from the Chair
Rita Morehouse started as Chair, Emergency Management and Public Safety in the School of Community and Health Studies on February 16, 2021. Rita will provide leadership to courses and programs in both full-time and/or part-time delivery formats offered by the Emergency Management and Public Safety department of the School of Community and Health Studies. Rita will also lead the Emergency Management and Public Safety Institute (EMPSI) which is part of the department.
Prior to joining Centennial College, Rita Morehouse has enjoyed a successful policing career of 33 years. She had leadership roles within Uniform- and Investigative Branches, as well as Research and Development and Emergency Management and Public Safety Units within the Toronto Police Service, recently retiring at the rank of Detective Sergeant. Rita Morehouse has been recognized for her dedication and efforts in crime prevention and teamwork, receiving three Team Commendations from the Toronto Police Service (1999, 2002 and 2016), as well as an Award of Excellence from the Ontario Commission of Crime Prevention (1999).
Since 2001 Rita Morehouse has been teaching on a contractual basis (part-time) in the Police Foundations Programs of several Ontario Colleges. Rita Morehouse completed her MSc in Criminal Justice Administration from Niagara University (2013), a BA in Justice Studies from the University of Guelph-Humber(2010), a Police Foundations Leadership with Honours Diploma (2008) from Humber College, a Teaching Effectiveness Certificate from Humber College 2014, as well as Certificates in Incident Management: IMS 100, 200 and 300 (2013) from the Toronto Police Service.
Rita Morehouse’s interests include social justice issues in diversity, equity and educational projects. Examples include being an Executive member of the Police Enabling Action through Education (PEACE) program: assisting and financially supporting students from diverse, low-income families, in acquiring a higher education (2001-2011); and being part of a police team, which built homes for Habitat for Humanity, (2009).
