Protecting Our Nation’s Most Vulnerable Spaces

Established at Northeastern University in 2021, the Soft Target Engineering to Neutralize the Threat Reality (SENTRY) Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence addresses the many challenges of protecting soft targets and crowded places in our homeland.

ABOUT SENTRY

A Homeland Security Center of Excellence

The Department of Homeland Security Centers of Excellence bring together leading experts and researchers to conduct multidisciplinary research and workforce development for homeland security solutions. Authorized by Congress and chosen by the Department’s Science & Technology Directorate, each center is led by a university in collaboration with partners from other institutions, agencies, laboratories, and the private sector.

ABOUT DHS COES

mage taken inside a shopping mall. There are lots of people walking around going to stores, buying things and consuming food and beverages. There are two floors with shops and boutiques. The ceiling is glass. The architecture is very modern and new and the general feel of the images is bright, clean, safe and positive.

Vision & Mission

Take a closer look at our novel approach to better protecting soft targets and crowded places.

About

Nick Scaperdas, who studies bioengineering, solders electrical wires together on a keypad for a doorbell in the Sherman Center in Hayden Hall on Feb. 28, 2023.

Research

Explore our critical research areas and supporting projects currently in motion.

Research

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Case Studies

We're embarking on several case studies focused on specific venues to deliver custom solutions.

Case Studies

Carey Rappaport is a College of Engineering Distinguished Professor, a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Deputy Director of ALERT, or Awareness and Localization of Explosives-Related Threats, which is a multi-university Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence (COE).

Workforce Development

We strive to create a diverse and informed workforce to safeguard our nation through various channels.

Development Programs

DASSH Student Design Challenge

Together with the Center for Accelerating Operational Efficiency (CAOE), SENTRY hosted the 2023 Designing Actionable Solutions for a Secure Homeland (DASSH) student design challenge that spotlighted the power of collaboration and creativity in the face of contemporary threats to homeland security. With guidance from academic and industry mentors, graduate and undergraduate students designed solutions to real-world issues surrounding the protection of public access areas.

SENTRY Student Solutions

How to Engage

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Industry Partners

Our partners enjoy a symbiotic relationship, learning from our research to advance end products.

Become a Partner

Workshops & Conferences

We host events to work collaboratively on complex problems and create engagement opportunities for our stakeholders.

Get Involved

News & Events

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Upcoming Event

Reconnect Workshop 2023: Risk Assessment

Reconnect is a long-running program at Rutgers University’s Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS) that we are proud to participate in as partners. The workshops teach faculty current research topics to create engaging future classroom presentations.

Announcement