The University and Agency Partnership Initiative (UAPI) is a cornerstone element of the CHDS mission of serving as “the Nation’s Homeland Security Educator.” Its mission: facilitate educational collaboration among institutions and agencies to support development of academic programs that enable a professional workforce and promote critical thinking in homeland security. The Initiative’s primary outcome is…
2017 UAPI Summit Special Issue
Cyber Border Security – Defining and Defending a National Cyber Border
by Phillip Osborn Abstract Concerns stemming from the convergence of border and cyber security threats are nothing new to those involved in both disciplines. Criminals and foreign actors have been exploiting computers and cyber methods to circumvent physical border security for decades. Today nearly every crime or homeland security threat that once required some physical…
Applying an Organizational Framework to Examine Jihadi Organizations as an Industry
by Michael Logan, Gina Ligon, and Douglas Derrick Abstract The Leadership of the Extreme and Dangerous for Innovative Results (LEADIR) project, funded by The Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, Office of University Programs (DHS S&T OUP) since 2010, uses an industrial and organizational psychology approach to assess the characteristics of violent extremist…
Incorporating Prioritization in Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Programs
by Duane Verner, Frederic Petit, and Kibaek Kim Abstract Protecting critical infrastructure, especially in a complex urban area or region, should focus on identifying and prioritizing potential failure points that would have the most severe consequences. Such prioritization can inform targeted planning and investment decisions, such as what infrastructure should be hardened or relocated first…
A Right-Brained Approach to Critical Infrastructure Protection Theory in support of Strategy and Education: Deterrence, Networks, Resilience, and “Antifragility”
By Eric F. Taquechel and Ted G. Lewis Abstract How is the theory behind critical infrastructure/key resources (CIKR) protection evolving? Practitioners who implement strategies should be confident their strategies are based on sound theory, but theory evolves just as strategy evolves. Many theories, techniques, and models/simulations for CIKR protection have been proposed and developed over…
The Roots of Community Resilience: A Comparative Analysis of Structural Change in Four Gulf Coast Hurricane Response Networks
by Thomas W. Haase, Gunes Ertan, and Louise K. Comfort Abstract Despite the emphasis on resilience, disasters continue to challenge the response capacities of communities around the United States. These challenges are generated by the complexities and uncertainties present in the post-disaster environment. This article presents the findings of an exploratory investigation into the development…
Protecting the Right to Be an American: How Pennsylvanians Perceive Homeland Security
by Alexander Siedschlag Introduction Homeland Security is strategically defined as an enterprise based on a concerted national effort: a nation-wide comprehensive activity, including all of government across federal, state, local, territorial and tribal tiers; the public and the private sector; and the whole community of first responders and vigilant citizens. While Homeland Security in addition…
Mass Migration and the Media: Convergence and Divergence of Global Media Narratives Towards a Working Model
by Emily Damm, Amy Jones, Skye Cooley, and Elizabeth Roshelli The size and scope of the Syrian refugee crisis has made it a salient humanitarian crisis for the international community that has given rise to fears among European and U.S. populations and leaders, altered the demographic landscape of the Middle East and Europe, and exposed…
The State of Science Regarding Membership in Terrorist Organizations and Perpetration of Terrorist Attacks
by Sarah L. Desmarais, Joseph Simons-Rudolph, Christine Shahan Brugh, Eileen Schilling, & Chad Hoggan North Carolina State University Background One strategy in the fight against terrorism involves identifying individuals who are at heightened risk of joining terrorist organizations or perpetrating terrorist attacks. Success of this counterterrorism strategy will depend upon knowledge of the factors that increase…
Preparing for the Next Mass Migration: Lessons from the Past and Recommendations for the Future
by Dr. R. B. Watts In 1995 over 60,000 migrants from both Haiti and Cuba attempted to reach the United States through maritime means, primarily vastly overcrowded sailboats and rafts. While it is unclear how many died in the attempt to reach the United States, the vast number were rescued via a huge inter-agency effort…