The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Centers of Excellence (COE) have now been at the forefront of innovation for two decades. In this guest blog, Rebecca Medina, Director of the Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) Office of University Programs, and others reflect on how our institutions of higher learning have impacted the nation.
Over the last 20 years, the DHS COEs have matched the nation’s preeminent scholars and brightest students with some of the most pressing challenges of our time—terrorism prevention, cybersecurity, food security, community resilience, climate change, and much more. Managed by S&T, each COE is a coalition led by a U.S. college or university in partnership with additional institutions. By leveraging extensive public and private networks, COEs conduct groundbreaking research resulting in rigorous, objective knowledge products and timely solutions for DHS agencies.
Established to examine the changing security landscape post-9/11, DHS launched its first COE—the Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Threats and Emergencies—at the University of Southern California in 2004. Since then, with support of S&T, the COEs have consistently prepared those across the nation who work to improve our national security with the information and tools needed to get the job done. In the seven years that I have been at the helm of OUP, more than 80 new inventions and 469 technologies were developed by COEs, along with 73 new degree programs and 639 new academic courses created.
Earlier this year, we launched ADAC-ARCTIC, the 25th COE. Led by the University of Alaska Anchorage, its mission is dedicated to the unique security challenges on the horizon for the Arctic region. To commemorate this milestone and the historic anniversary, we invited COE leaders, researchers, and some of our own staff to share reflections on their journey so far. Their insights both highlight the achievements of the past two decades and emphasize the critical role these COEs will continue to play in navigating the complex and dynamic security landscape of the future.
Here are excerpts from the responses we received that illustrate the breadth and reach of this vast coalition:
- “As a doctoral student at Purdue, I conducted research in a COE. I observed that my research could have real-world impact—and the incredibly rewarding project would not have been possible without the COE and its partners. Later, as I built my faculty career at Arizona State University (ASU), I sought to lead a COE (Center for Accelerating Operational Efficiency) to ensure that students and fellow researchers have the opportunity to maximize the value of their work.” — Ross Maciejewski, ASU School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence
- “It is no exaggeration to say that much of the credit for the advancements we have been able to achieve accrues to our partnership with DHS as a COE. That partnership has yielded gains in the protection of both the public and the American economy that would have been far more difficult to achieve acting independently. It has been both a pleasure and a privilege to be able to work cooperatively with DHS to protect U.S. agricultural systems and public health.” — Juergen A. Richt, Kansas State University
- “From the perspectives of a researcher, principal investigator, and now a university leadership position, I can see the impact S&T has made and will make investing in centers like the Arctic Domain Awareness Center and ADAC-ARCTIC. I am honored to support DHS in showing the power of universities to drive technological innovation and knowledge transfer for the safety and security of our homeland.” — Aaron Dotson, University of Alaska Anchorage
- “The COEs are a critical part of our mission to understand and prepare for the future of homeland security. This entails not only trying to solve problems before they materialize, but to also discover ways to advance technology to give us new capabilities. They are doing use-inspired research that is aligned to S&T research objectives and DHS mission priorities and that support the federal cybersecurity R&D strategy. I have had great experiences working with the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute, the Criminal Investigations and Network Analysis Center, and CAOE.” — Donald Coulter, S&T Cybersecurity Threats Technology Center
- “The DHS COEs have been vital to the careers of my students and myself; our mentors and colleagues became like family to us. Working with CINA helped us build networking opportunities and provided us with once-in-a lifetime experiences, such as attending lectures from DHS personnel, visiting TSA facilities, and collecting, analyzing data and presenting our findings in a professional environment to DHS leaders and other academics.” — Omar Camarillo, Ph.D, Eastern New Mexico University
- “Two years ago, I never would have believed that moving to Omaha, Nebraska would broaden my horizons in the way it has. But, as part of the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center I have had opportunities to work with some of the best academics and practitioners in the counterterrorism field, both here and within our larger international consortium. This experience has prepared me in a unique way, by providing me with exposure to new methodologies, disciplines, and even project management skills, while still allowing me to conduct my own research.” — Callie Vitro, University of Nebraska at Omaha
- “My role has allowed me to bring together some of the most accomplished and thoughtful scientists in our nation with dedicated personnel from our DHS components, other federal agencies, industry, and local communities to tackle some of the most challenging homeland security issues of our time. Something special happens when these brilliant minds come together in a collaborative, safe space where innovation thrives, leading to meaningful, on-the-ground changes that make a real difference in people’s lives.” — Eleanore Hajian, S&T Office of University Programs
My colleague Eleanore hit the nail on the head—a lot of ‘something special’ has been happening over the last 20 years, and we can’t wait to share even more successes in the months, years, and decades ahead. In the meantime, we’ve curated a special COE 20th Anniversary page where you can read the full reflections and learn more about several of our collective research and development collaborations.