The Summer Research Team Program for Minority Serving Institutions allows university faculty and teams of students to conduct cutting-edge research that supports the mission and goals of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Learn more about the program through the eyes of some of the professors and students who have recently participated in the program.
Nicole Fernández-Tejero has been learning to fine-tune food contamination methods to protect the public.
Dr. Vivek Tandon, Angel Rodarte and Jorge Navarrete helped stakeholders measure infrastructure resiliency in the wake of increasing hydrometeorological events
Okpodu and Barrera investigated coastal resilience in response to sea level change in coordination with Old Dominion University’s Resilience Collaborative, part of the Coastal Resilience Center housed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Torina Lewis, Ph.D., a mathematics professor at Clark Atlanta University, and her student, Michael English, spent this past summer at Arizona State University (ASU) developing models used to predict and optimize air passenger traffic.
Cognitive psychologist Sara Kien, Ph.D. and Ashley Lee and Tatyanna Begay explored the impacts of cyber communication on public perception and reaction to mass shootings.
Dr. Ricardo Infante, Omar Lourido-Canales and Annette Medina-Valentin travelled to the Center of Excellence for Awareness & Localization of Explosives-Related Threats (ALERT) at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The Center of Excellence for ALERT, led by Northeastern University, develops new means and methods to protect the Nation from explosives-related threats.
Holubowitch and Medina spent their summer developing an inexpensive technique to detect picric acid and trinitrotoluene (TNT) electrochemically. The methodology can be transferred to detect a vast array of chemicals, according to Holubowitch, who envisions the creation of a handheld, battery-powered device.
Holmes, Clayborne and Johnson conducted a case study in Portsmouth, Virginia, a marginalized area where socioeconomic and race disparities potentially play a role in the community’s response to natural disasters. The team analyzed community issues, residential decisions, and social and behavioral responses to environmental issues.
Michelle Dovil, Ph.D., at left, Tia Maxwell and Tenesha Washington conducted research through North Carolina Sea Grant headquartered at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
Faculty-Student Team of Dr. Eranna Guruvadoo, Gabrielle Watkins and Taylor Sherritt helped stakeholders measure infrastructure resiliency in the wake of increasing hydrometeorological events
DeShon Swafford, from left, Trinity Reed and Radian Belu, Ph.D., conducted research at the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They studied ways to build resilience and protect power grids from all types of harm, including extreme weather and cyberattacks.
University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley faculty member Alley Butler, Ph.D., and his students, Victor Carreon and Juan Elizondo, experienced one of virtual reality’s unique applications: underwater security monitoring of U.S. ports and maritime borders.
Dr. Gurcan Comert & Jacquan Malik Deontrez Pollard's research contributed to advancements in the security of transportation networks for connected and autonomous vehicles for urban areas.
Sambit Bhattacharya, Ph.D., left, Grace Vincent, center and Raymond Kimble, right, conducted research on storm surge prediction methods during the summer of 2020 while participating in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Summer Research Team Program for Minority Serving Institutions.
Jaida Ellis, Kulwinder Kaur-Walker, Ph.D., and Genesis McClain explored the impact of hurricanes on residents’ mental health in coastal North Carolina as part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Summer Research Team Program for Minority Serving Institutions.
"This has been one of the most educational and best experiences I’ve had as a graduate student. I 100% recommend the ORISE program to expand your knowledge base, expose yourself to different working environments and continue understanding your field more in depth."
—Nicole Fernández-Tejero
“The most enjoyable parts of researching as a team include the creativity in research ideas and problem solving that emerge out of the diversity in expertise and skill sets. I was impressed by my two students’ work ethics and their ability to persevere in spite of research and communication challenges.”
—Dr. Sara Kien
“The research opportunity required that I collaborate with researchers in other Arctic engineering domains than mine. Participating in group discussions with these researchers was one of my favorite parts of the program, as was getting my two students to develop their skill sets in a fairly short time period. We all learned a lot and, if given the opportunity, I plan to participate in this program again.”
—Dr. Eranna Guruvadoo
“My overall impression of this experience was amazing because of the degree of hospitality and welcoming I received from the hosting faculty and students. Yes, I would recommend it to others. One of my favorite parts of this program was working alongside undergraduate and graduate students of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds.”
—Jacquan Malik Deontrez Pollard
“I believe this program can be a life changing experience for STEM students since they will gain knowledge of practical, important research problems and they will be able to practice their problem-solving skills by developing solutions to these problems.”
—Sambit Bhattacharya, Ph.D.
“The SRT Program has provided me with an opportunity to conduct research with confidence and full support and has led me to explore an area in my primary field that is related to the DHS mission.”
—Kulwinder Kaur-Walker
