New Jersey
Homeland Security
Research
Symposium
Fred Roberts
Rutgers University
smallpox
Beginning with the first
terrorist attack on the WTC in
1993 through the anthrax
attacks in Fall 2001 through
the present, NJ has been
affected by terrorism.
anthrax
Since Sept. 11 and earlier,
NJ’s research universities
have capitalized on a history
of cooperation among
themselves, government,
and private industry
Universities, government
and industry must be
partners in homeland
defense.
Today’s Program
• The program highlights homeland security
research activities in NJ’s universities
• We aim to help stimulate collaborations
between university researchers.
• We aim to connect university researchers
with industrial and governmental partners.
Participating Universities
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Fairleigh Dickinson University
Monmouth University
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Princeton University
Rutgers University
Stevens Institute of Technology
University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
• NJ has over 8
million residents.
• NJ has the most
shopping malls in
the world.
• NJ has over 50
resort towns.
• NJ is close to NYC
and Philadelphia
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
• NJ is home to
numerous sports
and entertainment
events, drawing
large crowds.
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
• NJ’s critical
transportation
routes include sea,
air, and the
densest system of
highways and
railroads in the
country.
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
• Two of the nation’s
cross-continental
highways pass
through bridges and
tunnels to open the
Eastern seaboard to
commerce across the
nation.
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
• A significant
portion of our
nation’s imports
come through the
Newark/Elizabeth
seaport, the largest
port complex on
the East Coast.
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
• NJ is home to one of
the nation’s busiest
airports.
• The Coast Guard
estimates that cost of
security in the NJ
port/airport complex
will rise to over $7.3B
in the next 10 years.
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
NJ’s universities are
working on various
transportation security
projects:
• sensors to detect threats
to our bridges and
tunnels.
• Border and port
surveillance.
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
NJ’s universities are
working on various
transportation security
projects:
• Face, gait and other
biometric detection
systems to protect our
nation’s air travelers.
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
• The vulnerability of our
telecommunications
system is a central
concern.
• NJ is home to famous
telecom research labs that
are partnering with
universities in homeland
security research.
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
• NJ is headquarters for the
nation’s pharmaceutical
industry.
• The industry produces
products and expertise
critical to homeland
defense.
• There is a long history of
partnership with NJ
academe.
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
• NJ is a leading industrial state
with the largest petroleum
containment area outside the
Middle East and a booming
petrochemical industry.
• State government, cooperating
with universities and these
companies, has established “best
practices” for homeland security.
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
• NJ has a multi-billion dollar livestock and agriculture
industry.
• Food warehousing and transportation systems
based in NJ represent a major distribution network
for food supply on the Eastern seaboard.
• Risk-based economic modeling tools developed by
academe are widely used by NJ agriculture.
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
• As events of the 9/11
attack unfolded, NJ’s
waterfront cities (Hoboken,
Jersey City, Weehawken)
were the stage for a mass
decontamination of
victims.
• Over 20,000 people
sought aid.
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
• NJ sent medical and other responders,
environmental and other monitoring and
exposure experts, security and transportation
professionals, to assist.
• Many came from NJ universities.
• These universities are still heavily involved with
assessing the impact of the WTC attack and
providing scientific lessons learned for
response to future homeland security events.
NJ is an Ideal and Realistic
Testbed for Homeland Security
Innovations
• A few weeks after 9/11, NJ
became the epicenter of the
anthrax attacks.
• The State’s laboratories
turned to NJ’s universities to
assist with the large number
of potential anthrax spores.
• This relationship is now
formalized.
NJ Universities are Heavily Engaged
• There are extensive
homeland security research
efforts going at NJ’s
universities. Many predate
9/11.
• NJ’s universities also have
initiated training programs
for first and second
responders, new courses
for students, and the
training of a new
generation of researchers.
NJ Domestic Security Task Force
• NJ Attorney General Peter Harvey,
chairman of the NJ Domestic
Security Task Force, has asked NJ
research universities to coordinate
efforts in homeland security.
• We have seen the beginnings of
formal cooperation and joint
approaches to federal funding.
• A strong spirit of cooperation exists
among the State’s universities.
Today’s Agenda
• Five universities will present
summaries of homeland
security research.
• Panels will investigate:
– new technologies for
homeland defense (sensors,
communication systems, …)
– New tools for homeland
security decision making
(social science tools, risk
communication, economics)
Today’s Agenda II
• There will be posters and
demos during registration,
at lunch time, and during
the reception at the end of
the day.
• Please be our guests for a
luncheon.
• Please also be our guests
for a “networking reception”
at the end of the afternoon.
•Rutgers Office of
Research and Sponsored
Programs: Mike Breton
•Staff:
Leslye Lowen
Maria Mercado
Christine Spassione
•Organizing Committee:
Margaret Brennan
Nabil Adam
Stan Dunn
Rick Mammone
Bob Snyder