To the average student, USC might seem like an unlikely base for fighting terrorism, but for a select group of faculty and students, battles are fought and won every day.
After going through a rigorous evaluation process, USC was the first university funded by the Department of Homeland Security to house a research center for keeping America safe.
The National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events, located in Ronald Tutor Hall, was established by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate in November 2003.
"USC was chosen because it's known as a strong research university," said Kelly Gribben, the associate director of External Relations for CREATE. "The fact that the school had a group of subject-matter experts with experience in interdisciplinary work was also a big reason."
Last week, DHS financed five new research centers in 11 universities across the country, from the University of Connecticut to the University of Hawaii-Manoa, bringing the national count to 13 DHS-funded research centers.
Using universities for research is a way for the DHS to reach two of its goals: The Department gains valuable research and technology from college students and faculty, while simultaneously developing the skills of young people so they may become future leaders in defending America.
CREATE is unique, however, in that it takes a broad research approach, whereas programs at other universities only focus on specific topics, such as food protection or border security, according to the DHS website.
"We can delve into a lot more issues than a national lab," Gribben said. "We're not restricted in having to conceal classified information and we have more freedom and creativity."
CREATE takes advantage of this independence by connecting students and professors from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the USC School of Policy, Planning and Development.
The center is, therefore, an amalgamation of social scientists, engineers, economists and computer scientists, who collectively study homeland security.
A staple practice of the center is software modeling. CREATE conducts research, then makes software templates for the government.
Classified information, which USC does not have access to, can be plugged into the template for the governments use.
Heather Rosoff, a doctoral student in system safety and security policy, planning and development, has worked with CREATE since its inception.
Rosoff worked on a project with CREATE director Detlof Von Winterfeldt, which involved analyzing the possibility of dirty bombs, or radioactive materials encased in explosives going off in the Port of Long Beach, about 20 minutes south of USC.
In order to maximize the effectiveness of the data, Rosoff said she not only researched terrorist behaviors and tendencies, she assumed their mind-set.
"I went down to the port and observed it from the perspective of a terrorist," she said. "I laid out a potential attack step-by-step in order to see the probability of such an attack, and figure out potential health and economic consequences."
The DHS annually distributes grants to each state so they can help protect potential terrorist targets. As a result, CREATE shares its research with the state of California.
CREATE worked with the governor's office, which needed assistance because California is home to a vast number of terrorist targets. In turn, the state used CREATE's risk analysis research and allocated its funds accordingly.
Jackie Reed, a senior majoring in civil engineering, worked on this project and is currently researching dam safety and security for CREATE, which she said fits well with her specialty in water resources.
Reed said she is pleased with her accomplishments, but wishes more people knew about CREATE.
"I'll tell people I work for CREATE, and they'll give me a blank stare," she said. "No one really knows [it's] here."
Rosoff expressed a similar sentiment, noting that homeland security hadn't been a popular field until Sept. 11.
"The field as a whole needs more exposure," she said. "It's still evolving."
Yet both Reed and Rosoff were excited about the research opportunities that CREATE has provided to them.
"It's been great, the climate is fun, and it's added to my degree," Reed said.
Rosoff wants to pursue a career in the security realm and said CREATE has made her job prospects better.
"It's been invaluable," she said. "The research opportunity was one of a kind, and now I can market myself based upon my work."
