SENTRY Biennial Review: A Clear Path Forward
On March 13, 2024, at Northeastern University in Boston, MA, SENTRY welcomed delegates from the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T), Transportation Security Agency (TSA), Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD), and the US Secret Service (USSS) for our inaugural Biennial Review. The Biennial Review plays a critical role in the success of a DHS Center of Excellence, providing an opportunity to reflect on the effectiveness of research and administrative practices to better address homeland security challenges.
DHS representatives joined SENTRY leadership, staff, researchers, and partners for the event with a shared goal: to garner valuable feedback to enhance our center’s ability to protect soft targets and crowded places. Introductory remarks from DHS S&T’s Rebecca Medina, Office of University Programs (OUP) Director, and William Farmer, OUP Program Manager, set the tone for a day of exploration and collaboration, emphasizing the importance of the SENTRY research program in addressing contemporary security challenges.
During his presentation, SENTRY Director Michael B. Silevitch gave a detailed overview of our mission, vision, and ongoing initiatives. He explained our multifaceted approach to protecting soft target venues through the development of communication strategies, education and workforce programs, and research projects in our four fundamental research areas. He emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of our research strategy, explaining how all aspects will come together to create our vision of the Virtual Sentry Framework.
Our four research areas focus on real-time threat detection and mitigation, advanced sensing technologies, threat risk assessment, prediction and deterrence, and design and simulation of layered security architecture. The leads of each research area presented the solutions and technologies currently in development. Discussion and questions were encouraged to identify gaps and potential challenges to the forward trajectory of our research projects.
After the event, DHS S&T recognized the strong performance of SENTRY research, education, and management efforts thus far.
William Farmer shared, “I thought the event was very successful. I was really happy to see the great turnout from our DHS stakeholders and hear their positive feedback on the program. I’ve heard from multiple people already that they like the Director’s commitment and his incorporation of the two advisory boards and are happy with the overall strategy of the Center, being the Virtual Sentry Framework.”
This positive feedback is a testament to the dedicated team behind SENTRY’s research efforts and ongoing partnerships with academic institutions, industry, and government.
SENTRY’s Biennial Review results celebrate the progress made in our first three years and provide a clear path forward for a successful future. Guided by experienced leaders, our center will continue to invest strategically, build strong partnerships, and conduct cutting-edge research to enhance our ability to protect soft targets and crowded places.
