February 2021
ALERT NEWSLETTER
From PhD Candidates to Professionals,
ALERT Trio Continues to Collaborate
Ziyan Wu, Srikrishna Karanam, and Meng Zheng understand the importance of collaboration. The trio of research scientists currently comprise a small, but effective, team at United Imaging Intelligence; however, their professional journey together began as ALERT student researchers working under the guidance of ALERT researcher and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) professor, Dr. Richard Radke.

During their academic careers, the three PhD candidates worked closely with Radke, making valuable research contributions to several ALERT projects, including the Human Detection Re-Identification for Mass Transit Environments research project, as well as the task order: Video Analytic Surveillance Transition (VAST), which involved the installation of a testbed in the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). Following these two successful projects, they also worked on the initial phase of Correlation of Luggage and Specific Passengers (CLASP), which leverages a realistic mock airport security checkpoint built in ALERT’s Video Analytics Laboratory at the Kostas Research Institute (KRI) for Homeland Security.

NEWS & EVENTS
SAVE THE DATE: U.S. DHS Centers of Excellence Summit 2021
May 17 - 21, 2021 (Virtual)

Hosted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Centers of Excellence (COE), this summit is a unique opportunity for COE researchers to connect and network with DHS components, federal, state, and local stakeholders, and industry partners on current and emerging solutions to threats and challenges faced by DHS and the Homeland Security enterprise.


Babu Receives HST Mission Award
Kumar Babu, DHS S&T Program Manager for Air Cargo, received a Mission Award from Homeland Security Today for his leadership and expertise in air cargo screening. Babu is the DHS Program Manager on ALERT's Simulated Air Cargo Skids Task Order.

States Homeland Security Today on granting Babu a Mission Award: "Babu is truly an unsung hero whose immense and enduring contribution to U.S. homeland security through his professional work and leadership is well-deserving of this recognition."
Port of the Future Conference
March 15 - 18, 2021
ALERT's Senior Consultant for Corporate and Government Partnerships, Emel Bulat, and Chief Victor J. Todorov, U.S. Customer and Border Protection (CBP) at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach will be presenting "LA/LB Seaport and ALERT COE Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology Trial" at the Port of the Future Conference on March 18, 2021 at 9:05 a.m. EST. 

Their presentation will focus on the collaboration and outcome of a day-long technology trial organized by Ms. Bulat and hosted by Chief Todorov and the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport on November 21, 2019.
ALERT Technology Showcase
April 21 - 22, 2021
The ALERT Technology Showcase 2021 will be held on April 21 - 22, 2021. This two-day virtual event will highlight ALERT research through presentations, demonstrations, and engaging panel discussions with a focus on government and industry collaborations and ALERT's impact on the homeland security enterprise.

Leading up to this event, ALERT hosted a series of virtual Seminars to Promote ALERT Research and Collaboration (SPARC) in 2020.
ADSA23 Workshop
May 4, 11 & 25, 2021
The ADSA23 Workshop will continue to be held virtually due to COVID-19, occurring on the Tuesdays of May 4, 11, and 25 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST).

The workshop will address the topic of "Autonomous Security Systems," including specific discussions on automated passenger screening, detection of new threats and reduction of false alarms, and testing/quality assurance; applications of interoperability, machine learning, and artificial intelligence; and best practices from other fields using autonomous systems.
STUDENT & RESEARCHER OPPORTUNITIES
ANSI 2021 Student Paper Competition
Deadline for submission: April 30, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly every aspect of life around the world. This once-in-a-lifetime global health crisis has not only taken its toll on human life, but has also created devastating ripple effects felt well beyond. From the countless disruptions to existing infrastructure, to the creation of new social norms, the effects of this will undoubtedly last for years to come.

It is in times like these that standards continue to play a critical role in dealing with such large scale emergency situations. In order to highlight the importance of standards, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 2021 Student Paper Competition asks students to explore the use, or absence, of standards in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. 

ALERT is supported by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate through the DHS Office of University Programs.