The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) will host a day-long conference Wednesday, Dec. 4, on the use of technology to integrate homeland security initiatives for education, the government and the community at large. The conference, which is free and open to the public, is UTD’s second in a monthly series on homeland security issues. It will begin at 8 a.m. in Galaxy Room A of The Student Union Building on the UTD campus.
General (ret) Dennis Reimer of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism will open the meeting by giving an overview of the multitude of issues involved in homeland security. He also will discuss how to leverage partnerships and technology, two critical components in dealing with the threat that America faces.
“Homeland security includes myriad issues, numerous requirements and impacts everyone in a variety of ways, not all of which are obvious at first glance,” said Dr. Da Hsuan Feng, vice president of research and graduate education at UTD. “The purpose of this conference is to educate the community about the issues, how they are being worked on and how the decisions associated with homeland security will impact the community. I believe that much of what is done in research over the next few years will have a homeland security angle to it.”
Brigadier General (ret) and Oracle Vice President Jack Pellicci will focus on the value proposition for higher education in the pursuit of homeland security. He will outline areas where industry and government can work together to produce capabilities that will better protect citizens and their communities.
Dr. E. Douglas Harris, executive director of UTD’s Digital Forensics and Emergency Preparedness Institute and associate dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, will discuss how technology is providing first responders with vital information on the chemicals stored in buildings that could be targets.
U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) will be heard on tape at the conference explaining how the government is balancing the importance of homeland security with the United States’ role as a global power.
Dr. Penrose Albright, assistant director for Homeland Security and National Security in the White House Office of Science and Technology Police and senior director for research and development in the Office of Homeland Security, will outline the national issues surrounding homeland security research and development.
David Tom, chief operating officer and general counsel of Synergy Link, will provide an overview of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and highlight the importance of this first effort to implement systems that manage the flow of information to and from the federal government using the Internet.
The speakers will take questions from the audience in a panel discussion at the end of the presentation. The conference is sponsored by the Oracle Corporation and the UTD Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Education.