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| navigate: home: magazine: fall 2003: article | |
| Confronting Terrorism Pennsylvania universities form alliance to address homeland security By Melissa W. Kaye | ||||||||||
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It is uncommon that experts from a vast number of fields—from communications to agriculture to engineering—would gather together at the same time in one room to further the same cause. But when that cause has to do with the nation’s safety in a post-September 11 world, many scholars and scientists are eager to contribute their talents. That was clear this spring at the kick-off summit for the Keystone Homeland Security University Research Alliance, a meeting hosted by Penn State to set the stage for a collaborative relationship among four universities to tackle together the challenge of the threats to national security. “In this room is the brainpower that depends on the future of not just Pennsylvania, but this great country,” U.S. Congressman John Peterson said in his welcome remarks, referring to participants from Penn State, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. The four universities formed the alliance to contribute to Pennsylvania’s response to the new U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s education and research needs. Dr. Eva Pell, vice president for Research and dean of the Graduate School at Penn State, commended the collective strength of the four institutions, noting that together the universities execute more than $1.5 billion worth of sponsored research grants and contracts each year. Although the formal alliance is based on collaboration among these institutions, it is expected to include additional partners both in and outside of Pennsylvania, including other universities and representatives from government and industry. “We want to bring attention to the Commonwealth and the capabilities that we have,” Pell said, adding that the alliance has much to contribute to homeland security and hopes to win a research center for the region. The legislation that created the U.S. Department of Homeland Security also calls for the establishment of several university-affiliated research centers across the country. The agency is expected to initiate this fall the competition for the centers, which will be funded out of fiscal year 2004 dollars. “I don’t know if anybody in Washington has a greater challenge than Tom Ridge,” said Peterson, referring to the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s daunting task of building a federal agency from scratch. “We have to have the best minds come together, and these four institutions bring great capacity. My hope is that the Department of Homeland Security sees that in you.” Keynote speaker Dr. Charles E. McQueary, undersecretary for science and technology in the Department of Homeland Security, said that a key goal of his office is to identify cutting-edge technology in the field of homeland security. “We are going to spend a lot of time out on the road and identify what folks like you are doing,” he said. Researchers are preparing for a wide range of enemy assaults—in the cyber world, against buildings, on airplanes, in the air, in crowded gathering places, such as Grand Central Station, and infectious attacks on food and water systems—as well as seeking to understand the workings of terrorist networks. In describing the outreach task of the alliance, Pell said, “Ultimately, in order to make our homeland secure, we have to fortify the environment for the community.” At the summit, a representative from each university outlined its resources in such areas as biology, biomedicine, agriculture, engineering, information management and security, and public policy, and a showcase displayed current research projects. “When you look at our four institutions, our capacity is complementary,” Pell said. “Penn State is interested in maximizing our ability to contribute. But we can’t do it all. We are not equally strong in all areas. We will be able to be responsive to societal problems in collaboration.” Penn State’s largest strength lies in defense research, with its Applied Research Laboratory. The lab expends more than a hundred million dollars annually, conducting research for the U.S. Department of Defense. For example, the lab has a 50-year history of working with “underwater acoustics,” a field that allows for the ability to detect movement of intruders in the water. At the summit, Penn State showcased its underwater surveillance research, along with other projects, including research for detecting and monitoring biotoxins, pathogens and air contaminants. One display demonstrated helmets equipped with noise sensors for use in emergency rescues. Another showed the use of heat detection for night vision. Other initiatives highlighted at the summit included the University of Pittsburgh’s Ridgway Center, which is conducting research on the links among terrorist groups and individuals and their supporting infrastructure. Pitt’s Jurist Web site (http://www.jurist.law.pitt.edu/) focuses on law-related homeland security issues. The University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication is researching communications issues: Dr. Harvey Rubin, professor of medicine and director of the university’s Institute for Strategic Threat Analysis and Response, noted that the issue played a key role in the September 11 terrorist attacks. “Communication was the key aspect of vulnerability,” he said. Penn’s Wharton School of Business is studying the financing of terrorist groups. Carnegie Mellon, whose robotic helicopter mapped the Flight 93 crash site in Somerset County, has a Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center whose goal is to create secure computer network environments. Undergraduate students from the university displayed a robotic snake. Its camera can survey an area while hiding in a small space, such as an air duct. Dr. Robert McGrath, associate vice president for Research at Penn State, noted he has already seen new collaborations and proposals among researchers since the summit. “We can do things together that we couldn’t do individually. The summit served as a venue for making these collaborations possible. ”For example, the four universities are partnering on biotechnology, having submitted a proposal to the U.S. Army on collaborative work in that area. In addition, the four universities’ medical centers are working together on health information management and communication issues. The centers plan to coordinate data collection, such as on the frequency of respiratory ailments and skin rashes, and Carnegie Mellon, Pitt and Penn State scientists are working together on the Institute for Defense Robotics, a center that brings together many active technologies. In addition, the alliance has a Web site (http://www.keystone-alliance.org) that serves as a collaborative tool for researchers and faculty. Members can post documents and participate in online discussions, making project details available to the public as they see fit.“ It’s a convenient and easy avenue to connect,” McGrath said. “It helps with total inventory.” He reported the Penn State faculty is thrilled about the alliance. “Faculty members are delighted we’re taking the steps to organize regionally. Because emergency response will have to be implemented on a regional basis, it makes sense to coordinate regionally,” he said. McGrath added that while the researchers are always being driven by the science and technology they’re working on, “most are motivated by a sincere desire to strengthen national security.” The challenge, said Keith Martin, director of the Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security, is for participants to remain focused.“ We have to make sure what we’re doing is not duplicative. We have to cut through the smoke and not be deflected by motivations that are not pure,” Martin said, adding that ultimately the mission of the alliance is to make exportable—and accessible—the work of the researchers. An outreach initiative of The Pennsylvania State University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University | |||||||||
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