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Release Date: 01/10/05 00:00:00
University of Maryland
College Park, MD
January 10, 2005
(Remarks as Prepared)
Thank you, Chuck, for your kind words. And special thanks to Dr. Maureen McCarthy, Dr. Mel Bernstein, and Laura Petonito from your team for their leadership on this project and welcome to the members of the Maryland Congressional Delegation: Thank you for coming. We appreciate your support.
Plenty of people have reasons to “Fear the Turtle” - and it's about time the terrorists did, too. And that’s because the Department of Homeland Security has selected the University of Maryland to be our fourth Center of Excellence to combat terrorism.
A critical aspect of fighting terrorism is understanding terrorism. Understanding how terrorist groups form and operate, how they grow and sustain themselves, and the social and psychological impacts of terrorist attacks. This outstanding university and its consortium of academic partners will now help lead this effort as the “Homeland Security Center of Excellence for Behavioral and Social Research on Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism.”
This Center joins the three other leading universities and their partners with programs devoted to specific aspects of the terrorist fight. The University of Southern California’s Center, named first, focuses on the study of risk analysis related to the economic consequences of terrorist threats and events. At the University of Minnesota’s Center, food protection and defense is the main focus. And Texas A&M University’s Center studies foreign animal and zoonotic disease defense. These vital research partners bring the intellectual capital of our higher educational institutions to bear on our highest calling – to ensure the security of our Nation.
We rely on the academic community to develop enduring national research capabilities in homeland security, and we are pleased to add Maryland’s vast resources to this effort. Foremost of these resources is its team of dedicated and distinguished experts and investigators from institutions across the nation and across the world. From Vice President Gansler and Dr. Gary LaFree on down, you have assembled a remarkable, knowledgeable, and talented group of leaders. And not only leaders from the University of Maryland, but also from UCLA, the University of Colorado, the Monterey Institute of International Studies, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of South Carolina.
All of these fine institutions are partners in this Center – and also crucial to the success of this Center will be the contributions of individual faculty investigators from over two dozen colleges and universities. Each of these institutions brings key resources, unique expertise, and new ideas to help train the next generation of homeland security specialists.
In addition to having an exceptional, international team, the University of Maryland is also uniquely located. Its proximity to the Department of Homeland Security offers opportunities to enhance training and collaboration with Homeland Security experts. Important interactions and exchanges with staff are just a few Metro stops away. UMD also possesses an impressive array of already collected databases, such as their Global Terrorism database and the International Crisis Behavior database. And UMD has a dynamic culture for the development and application of behavioral and social science research.
All of these many strengths will enable this Center to hit the ground running to facilitate knowledge sharing and information exchange. This Center will make an immediate contribution to the homeland security mission.
This is why Maryland is a perfect choice as our newest center focused on helping us understand and improve the prediction, timely detection, and prevention of terrorist attacks and terrorist behaviors. This Center, like the others, will also conduct multi-disciplinary research, and will develop innovative educational programs to fill scientific and technological gaps by bringing together the Nation’s best academic experts on this subject.
Additionally, this Center will play a major role in nurturing the next generation of public-service-oriented scientists and technologists in the social sciences by mentoring dedicated and talented students and by providing meaningful research opportunities – thereby helping address the Nation’s need for well-prepared and highly-specialized researchers.
Already, the University of Maryland is home to several of our Homeland Security Scholars and Fellows, supported by our Science & Technology directorate – including Kevin Valsi, a Junior studying psychology; Joshua Kaufman, a Junior studying physics; Jamie Hurley, a Senior studying biology; and Elizabeth Patton, a PhD candidate in microbiology. And the Center will be receiving a substantial sum of funds with which to develop their broad and interconnected research and education programs.
We are proud to select Maryland to receive $12 million over a three year period to establish and develop this Center that will build the intellectual capital and workforce capacity at all levels for research, education, and training on homeland security issues. So while the bronze statue of the turtle Testudo, guardian and guide of Maryland students for the past 71 years, protects the UMD campus, UMD will work to protect our homeland from terrorism.
As we approach the second inauguration of George W. Bush, we’re reminded of what he said during his first inaugural address. He said, “America has never been united by blood or birth or soil. We are bound by ideals that move us beyond our backgrounds, lift us above our interests and teach us what it means to be citizens.”
The University of Maryland and the other collaborating universities share this commitment to good citizenship. You share the spirit of service that has been woven into the fabric of American character throughout our history. You also share the awesome responsibility to help preserve and protect and perpetuate it. We must all continue to come together to protect our country from those who seek to do us harm. Homeland security depends upon the integration of our nation.
The Homeland Security Centers of Excellence program is a vital part of this integration. And we will continue to seek the unique contributions universities can make toward research that can and will make us more secure. So while we announce the establishment of this “Homeland Security Center of Excellence for Behavioral and Social Research on Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism,” we should point out that today we are also announcing that we are seeking proposals for another Center of Excellence.
This next center will study high-consequence event preparedness and response – yet another layer of integration, communication and protection added to the great work being done by so many citizens in every field of study and walk of life in our country.
We again thank all of you for the work you have done and the work you will do to secure our homeland. The war on terror will not be won with a decisive battle. Terrorism will not be eradicated tomorrow. We have a long, hard struggle ahead. Many thanks to the University of Maryland and its partners for joining our struggle. It is a worthy struggle, and one we must and will win.
Thank you.
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This page was last modified on 01/10/05 00:00:00