News Release

U.S. Security Here, on High Seas to be Featured at IEEE Homeland Security Conference

WASHINGTON (8 May 2009) -- When Richard Phillips, captain of the Maersk Alabama, was freed after being held at gunpoint for five days, one of the biggest sighs of relief came from his alma mater, the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Academy President Rear Admiral Richard Gurnon will discuss the incident, as well as piracy on the high seas during the opening session of the 2009 IEEE International Conference on Technologies for Homeland Security (HST 09) at the Westin Waltham Boston Hotel, 11-12 May.

Gurnon will deliver the keynote address Monday at 8 a.m.

On Tuesday at 8 a.m., Dr. Thomas A. Cellucci, chief commercialization officer at the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS-S&T), will discuss “Opportunities for the Private Sector” to help make the United States more secure.

Cellucci will highlight DHS’ SECURE program, which seeks “win-win” partnerships between DHS and private companies to develop solutions that meet the needs of the department’s operating components, first responders and other stakeholders like critical infrastructure/key resources owners and operators.

Additional speakers include, among others, Dr. Edward J. Turano, director, Nuclear Technologies Directorate, Defense Threat Reduction Agency; Starnes Walker, director of research, DHS-S&T; Capt. Dave Newton, DHS-S&T Border & Maritime Security Directorate; and William Hagan, acting deputy director, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.

The IEEE Boston Section is producing HST 09 with organizational support from IEEE-USA. The event, which began in 2002, focuses on innovative technologies addressing some of the nation’s most-pressing national security problems. More than 500 people attended the 2008 conference, including representatives from 17 foreign countries.

Presentations will be made in the following tracks: weapons of mass destruction detection; border & maritime; counter IED (improvised explosive device); disaster response; and critical infrastructure protection.

For more information, see  http://www.ieeehomelandsecurityconference.org/.

HST 09 is part of the IEEE Engineering the Future Global Event Series, in celebration of IEEE’s 125th anniversary.

IEEE-USA advances the public good and promotes the careers and public policy interests of more than 210,000 engineers, scientists and allied professionals who are U.S. members of IEEE. IEEE-USA is part of IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional society with 375,000 members in 160 countries. See http://www.ieeeusa.org.

Contact: Chris McManes
IEEE-USA Public Relations Manager
Phone: + 1 202 530 8356
E-mail: c.mcmanes@ieee.org

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