In light of Hurricane Katrina and the ever-growing concern of another terrorist attack, UB research teams are at the cutting edge of the mounting need for improvements in homeland security.
An array of disciplines - from immunology to environmental and chemical engineering - received over $21 million in grants to investigate methods to improve and combat extreme events, bringing the UB community deeper into the exceedingly real and relevant issue of terrorism.
"We have a comprehensive engineering school and very strong units in the health and natural sciences with a record of collaboration and a willingness to apply our scholarship to important problems," said Mark Karwan, dean of the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. "Many of the ideas, theories and applications in science and engineering are readily adaptable to other sometimes seemingly unrelated problems."
Taking advantage of the diverse UB disciplines, research includes the development of biosensors to sense toxins in any given area as well as the creation of a cyber-terrorism detection software program to protect bank networks and government facilities.
"Varieties of federal, state and private resources, such as the National Science Foundation, the Transportation Security Administration, and the U.S. Department of Defense, have sponsored a multitude of research and testing programs," said John DellaContrada, national media director and senior editor of University News Services.
Some students have mixed feelings towards these programs and their inferred cost.
"In terms of cost-effectiveness, I don't really see a problem with grant funding, provided it's from private sources. I think that tax money could be far better spent," said Kyle Anderson, a sophomore theater technology major. "It is true that terrorism is a threat, but it is one that is nearly impossible to anticipate. Like with computer viruses, a cure can't be released until after the problem occurs."
Prevention and detection will always be an issue in which hindsight dominates and affords criticism, but other advances dealing with response have come out of this research.
With a $2.5 million grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, UB is also researching methods to improve decision-making when responding to extreme disaster events. With these refined protocols and innovative techniques, ineffective response should no longer be an issue with future emergencies.
Students said that while the research is for the greater good, the fact that it is conducted on campus is worrisome.
"There's always the possibility that we are put in more danger because of the research and systems we're implementing," said Meghan Swartz, a sophomore biological science major. "UB is a huge university and therefore a lot of research goes on here, but if there is any concern that we would be in danger, I don't support it."
UB officials disagree, claiming that this research does not single out the campus for any kind of terrorist attack.
"This type of research is being carried out by several major research universities nationwide," DellaContrada said. "And no, there isn't any further risk for our campus."
With that in mind, a conference in Albany called "Scholarship on Homeland Security" is scheduled for Sept. 29, and UB is taking the lead in collaboration among researchers at other SUNY universities.
"No one thinks anti-terrorism is an application for basic and applied research that will ever go away," Karwan said. "It is very ripe for multidisciplinary work, such as the development of biosensors, and we have a good group of folks who work well together and who can apply their expertise to critical issues of the day."
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
