Homeland Security Education @ TAMU

A recent article by Jessica Portner entitled “Terror U: What’s Behind the Boom in Homeland Security and Emergency Management Majors?”, attempts to shed light on this question.  The author notes that there has been a substantial increase in the number of Universities that are offering Homeland Security, or Emergency Management majors, while at the same time the demand for individuals with experience in Homeland Security related fields has not been filled, with many important positions within various government agencies unfilled.  This need is being filled by students from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds that are being drawn together by an unprecedented level of interagency and interdisciplinary collaboration. 

According to Portner, the traditionally slow to change academic structure in the United States has rapidly worked to fill this need for qualified individuals, and the last time academic institutions adjusted to workforce demand this quickly was during the late 1950’s and 1960’s when the US developed its space program.  Just like in that era, the government provided universities with substantial funding to develop programs to meet the nation’s needs, and not only did this result in an effective space program, but a whole host of new technologies and products were developed during this same process.  

The author concludes by noting that the government’s investment in Homeland Security and Emergency Management education will only be truly valuable if individuals within the government are willing to work with and accept the advice of this new generation of Homeland Security academics. 

To view the full article, go to: http://www.slate.com/id/2187648.

The Department of Homeland Security’s science and technology directorate recently hosted the second annual DHS University Network Summit in Washington DC.  The conference focused on the need for cooperation between universities and various levels of government, as well as the importance of innovations developed through university research.  The conference also served as an opportunity for individuals within DHS to meet and network with individuals from diverse academic backgrounds from around the world.

To read the full article about the conference, visit the Government Security News Magazine website at: http://www.gsnmagazine.com/cms/features/news-analysis/619.html. 

The Homeland Defense Journal has released its 2008 Homeland Security Grants Handbook, which provides detailed information about the various Homeland Security Grants available as well as advice on how to write successful grant applications.  The guide also details the various trends in federal grants that demonstrate changes in how the grants are offered as well as what type of proposals receive funding. 

The handbook also provides information on other resources for grant writing information and a special subsection on writing “Regional Interoperable Communication Grants.”

The guide is available free for download from the Homeland Defense Journal’s website: http://www.homelanddefensejournal.com/hdl/home.asp.

The Texas Regional Infrastructure Security Conference (TRISC) will be held in San Antonio from April 21-23.  The conference will focus on six main areas of infrastructure protection, including: business continuity, forensics, audit tools and techniques, infrastructure and physical security, information security, and homeland security.  Individuals interested in any of these topics from the public or private sphere are encouraged to attend.  

To register for the conference, or for more information, go to http://www.trisc.org/. 

On April 29th, the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) will host its “Small Business Industry Day” in Washington DC.  The purpose of the event is to allow small business to network with DTIC’s Information Analysis Center, to inform businesses of what serves the DTIC can provide them, and to demonstrate technology and products developed by Information Analysis Centers.

For more information on the conference, including how to register and a full list of conference activities, go to http://www.sbid2008.com/. 

Updated every two weeks, the Homeland Security Digital Library provides users with access to presidental directives, policy information, and other homeland security related documents and multimedia.  Users can also access links to other recommended homeland security related research sites and resources.

The site is maintained by the Naval Post-Graduate School, FEMA, and the Department of Homeland Security and may be accessed at https://www.hsdl.org/.

Fresno State University has announced its Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security will begin in the fall semester of 2008.  The program will cover topics ranging from Terrorism and its historical context to geophysical analysis of natural disasters.  Currently the program is designed for students in residence at Fresno State, but it is anticipated that the program will be offered online next year.

Questions about the program may be directed to Keith Clement at kclement@csufresno.edu. 

The Department of Homeland Security has announced five new Centers of Excellence, institutions that are designated to lead research and development in homeland security related fields, as part of the department’s continuing effort to foster the development of new technology and advancements in homeland security.  In total eleven universities will be directly involved in the five new Centers of Excellence. 

The University of Texas El Paso and the University of Arizona at Tucson will serve as the co-leads for the Center of Excellence for Border Security and Immigration.  The Integrative Center for Homeland Security at Texas A&M was involved in the proposal with the University of Texas El Paso, and is expected to be involved in the educational programs associated with this Center of Excellence.

For more information on Centers of Excellence, or other DHS university programs, visit the DHS website at: http://www.dhs.gov/xres/programs/editorial_0555.shtm.

On March 5th at 1:30 PM (EST) Dennis Schrader, Deputy Administrator - FEMA National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) and Al Fluman, Acting Director - FEMA Incident Management System Integration (IMSI) Division will host a webcast providing information on the National Response Framework (NRF). The NRF replaced the National Response Plan (NRP) on January 22nd, 2008 and the webcast will cover the differences between the NRF and the NRP, as well as the purpose, and scope of the NRF.

Individuals may view the broadcast by going to http://www.vodium.com/goto/fema/nrf.asp and clicking the “National Response Framework” button that will be displayed there. Or, individuals with Dish TV receivers can tune to Channel 9602 and view the program via the National Preparedness Network.

Individuals viewing the broadcast can submit questions can be submitted during the broadcast by sending an e-mail to: PREP...@dhs.gov. Or questions can be submitted by calling 1-800-527-4893 during the broadcast.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has released the 2009 Fiscal Year Budget Request.  The request outlines five main goals for DHS, “Protect the nation from dangerous people; Protect the nation from dangerous goods; Protect critical infrastructure; Build a nimble, effective Emergency Response System and a culture of preparedness; and Strengthen and Unify DHS operations and management.”

Chertoff’s testimony then outlines the progress that has been made, as well as the challenges that still exist in meeting these goals.  Specifically, he outlines how the 2009 budget will help to address the areas where the government has yet to meet these goals. 

To view Secretary Chertoff’s testimony in its entirety, go to the Department of Homeland Security’s webpage at http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/testimony/testimony_1203022523404.shtm.