Mission

The Office of University Programs (OUP) taps the expertise of the nation's colleges and universities to address pressing homeland security needs through three unique programs:

• Centers of Excellence engage the academic community to deliver tools, technologies, knowledge products, training and talent to enhance the Department’s homeland security capabilities.
• OUP Education Programs engage, educate and ultimately direct academically high performing individuals toward choosing Homeland Security-Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (HS-STEM) related careers.
• Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Programs ensure that the face of America is reflected in the future of Homeland Security science and technology work force.

Mission

To maximize DHS' return on investment in university-based research and education, the OUP will:

• Build a stable community of homeland security researchers and educators at U.S. colleges and universities.
• Foster a homeland security culture within the academic community through research and educational programs.
• Strengthen U.S. scientific leadership in homeland security research and education.
• Generate and disseminate knowledge and technical advances to advance the homeland security mission.
• Integrate homeland security activities across agencies engaged in relevant academic research.
• Develop a permanent homeland security science and engineering workforce.

Leadership and Organization

Matthew Clark, Ph.D., is Director of the Office of University Programs within the DHS Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate. Dr. Clark is responsible for developing, managing, integrating, and delivering the results from the OUP research and education program, which includes the S&T Centers of Excellence, the Scholars and Fellows program, and the Minority Serving Institutions program. The OUP Deputy Director is Heidi Whiteree and Director of Planning and Outreach is Desiree Linson. OUP Program Managers include:

• Laura Parker – Center of Excellence for Awareness & Location of Explosive-Related Threats (ALERT)
• Matthew Coats – Center for Advancing Microbial Risk Assessment (CAMRA), Center of Excellence for Zoonotic and Animal Disease Defense (ZADD), National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD), and the National Center for the Study of Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response (PACER)
• Theophilos Gemelas – Center for Maritime, Island and Remote and Extreme Environment Security (MIREES), and National Center for Border Security and Immigration (NCBSI)
• Eleanore Hajian – Coastal Hazards Center of Excellence (CHC)
• Gia Harrigan – National Transportation Security Center of Excellence (NTSCOE)
• Marilyn Morgan – Center for Risk & Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE), and the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism & Responses to Terrorism (START)
• Stephanie Willett – Education and Minority-Serving Institutions