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Home / Academics / Academic Majors / Management / Management Faculty and Staff / LCDR Chris Shih

Christen (Chris) C. Shih, MBA, MSIS, GCCM, Lieutenant Commander, USCG

InstructorDepartment of Management

LCDR Chris ShihLieutenant Commander (LCDR) Chris Shih graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Management. His first assignment was to the USCGC BERTHOLF (WMSL-750) where he served as the ship’s Electrical Division Officer, Damage Control Assistant, a Boarding Officer, an Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection team leader, and an underway Officer of the Deck. In 2014 LCDR Shih reported to District 11 Enforcement working as a Law Enforcement Duty Officer and the Eastern Pacific Operations Section Chief, directing and coordinating counter narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere. In 2017, he reported to Sector San Francisco’s Emergency Management and Force Readiness Department, overseeing the Ready for Operations team, Area Maritime Security Committee, and Port Readiness committee while directing Search and Rescue operations as a Command Duty Officer. During this tour LCDR Shih also received the 2017 Navy League of the United States’ Pacific Central Region’s Junior Officer of the Year award and in his assignment as the Sector’s Public Affairs Officer, played a vital role in the unit being honored with the 2017 Commander Jim Simpson award for Public Affairs excellence. Prior to reporting to the Management Department as a rotating military instructor in 2022, LCDR Shih completed his graduate school education in the David Eccles school of business at the University of Utah, graduating with a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Science in Information Systems, and a Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Management. LCDR Shih also serves as the Coast Guard Academy’s Boxing Club advisor and coach as well as an advisor to Coast Guard Academy’s Asian Pacific American Council.

Education

  • Bachelor of Science in Management, United States Coast Guard Academy, 2012
  • Command and Staff College, Marine Corps University, 2020
  • Master of Business Administration, David Eccles School of Business, 2022
  • Master of Science in Information Systems, David Eccles School of Business, 2022
  • Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Management, David Eccles School of Business, 2022

Courses Taught

  • Introduction to Computing
  • Computer Problem Solving
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Professional Certifications, Affiliations, and Memberships

  • Public Relations Society of America

Honors and Awards

  • Navy League of the United States Pacific Central Region Junior Officer of the Year (Support), 2017
  • Commander Jim Simpson Award, 2017

Contact Information

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Sponsor Family Application

Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.

The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.

Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:

  1. If you are Coast Guard active duty you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  2. If you are a Civilian working for the Coast Guard you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  3. If you are non-Coast Guard Active Duty, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  4. If you are non-Coast Guard civilian who has a current security clearance or National Agency check, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  5. All civilians in the families who are 18 years or older and do not have a security clearance or a National Agency Check are required to be vetted through Mind Your Business, the third party vendor hired by the Coast Guard Academy for the vetting process.

After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Important things to note:

There is a Sponsor Family Training that is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled.

The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August. Please bear with us and remain flexible through this process. There will be a meet and greet scheduled on Campus, typically in late August. This will give families an opportunity to formally meet their cadet if they have not already done so. Details on this will also be via email.

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