Director’s Message, Spring 2024
Dear SENTRY Community,
As we look ahead to our center’s fourth year, I’d like to reflect on our recent achievements and share upcoming opportunities for continued progress. SENTRY has been closely involving our network of researchers, students, staff, industry, and academic partners in our work to better secure soft targets and crowded places.
Our first Biennial Review, held on March 13, 2024, was a successful milestone for SENTRY as we presented the results of our research and workforce development efforts to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) SENTRY Board of Directors. Comprised of leaders from the various DHS components, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD), the Secret Service, and the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), this body assessed the unique value proposition of our projects as they related to the SENTRY mission of protecting soft targets and crowded places and their linkages to the strategic missions of the DHS components. This event was instrumental in affirming our commitment to addressing critical knowledge gaps and pushing the boundaries of innovation.
The Stadium Security Case Study held a Focus Group with stadium security practitioners and SENTRY researchers on March 27, which led to a great discussion about engaging in practical, solution-oriented research. On May 2, members of the Focus Group visited Gillette Stadium to gather data and insights to enhance ongoing SENTRY research efforts. We look forward to continued collaboration with security experts at this impressive venue during another visit to Gillette Stadium scheduled for June 28.
On April 9, Gregory Abowd, Dean of Northeastern University’s College of Engineering, hosted a celebration for the naming and dedication of the Michael B. Silevitch and Claire J. Duggan Center for STEM Education. I remain humbled and grateful for this recognition of my work with Claire Duggan to strengthen the K-20 STEM educational ecosystem. Thank you to all who attended the celebration and offered their congratulations.
We welcomed Lawrence “Larry” Filippelli as the latest addition to SENTRY’s Practitioner Advisory Board (PAB). Larry brings decades of experience in education, safety, and administration, enabling the PAB to provide expertise to SENTRY in school safety and related soft target venues. On May 7 over 40 attendees gathered for a PAB meeting featuring, “Drones—Unmanned Aerial Systems”, a presentation from Jim Bamberger, the DHS Public Area Security & Infrastructure Protection Branch Chief.
We are excited about the creation of new educational modules for undergraduate and community classroom use following the upcoming Reconnect Workshop 2024: AI for Security and Security for AI: A Two-way Exploration. This annual event will occur in Pennsylvania from June 16 to June 19. In line with SENTRY’s workforce and professional development program, the annual Reconnect Workshops gather faculty from Community Colleges and Minority Serving Institutions to explore research themes and concepts related to the SENTRY mission.
I look forward to connecting with our researchers and staff at the SENTRY retreat in June to examine our work for Year 4 and beyond. Attendees will engage in discussions to reaffirm our strategy for developing functional and adaptable solutions that mitigate targeted threats to soft targets and clarify our vision of the Virtual Sentry Framework.
Finally, let me express my continued commitment to fostering collaboration with our extended community to enhance the security of our nation’s soft targets and crowded places.
Onwards,
Michael Silevitch
Director, SENTRY Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence