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Hazardous Substance Research Center (HSRC) Meets with EPA in Washington
Council for Higher Education in Newark (CHEN) Releases Economic Impact Report
New Jersey Institute of Technology Unveils Center for Wireless Networking and Internet Security
The Response of CHEN Schools To War on Terrorism
800 Students Participate in Annual Engineering Career Day at New Jersey Institute of Technology
West Point National Bridge Contest
Newly Formed Innovative Garden State Alliance Launches First Event
The Response of CHEN Schools To War on Terrorism
The combined economic impact of four institutions of higher education which comprise the Council on Higher Education in Newark (CHEN) is only part of the story. Since Sept. 11, the CHEN schools--Essex County Community College, (ECCC), New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Rutgers University-Newark, and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-- have responded meaningfully to the region's and the nation's urgent social and economic priorities.
Already existing programs and research have taken on new urgency and prominence, and new programs are being established. A few examples follow:
- The ECCC Police Academy continues to respond to new training needs for public safety and emergency management authorities.
- NJIT Associate Professor Michael Recce says it's possible to embed pressure sensors into a plane's steering wheel. The sensors can recognize a pilot's grip. Should a hijacker grab the wheel, ground control would gain control of the plane.
- The School of Criminal Justice Institute of Policing at Rutgers University-Newark, which Acting Governor Donald DiFrancesco created last spring for studying racial profiling, has expanded its scope to study and inform on racial profiling of Muslim-Americans.
- The nation's foremost program in education and training concerning chemical and physical threats is located at UMDNJ. The program, in operation since 1981, providing environmental and occupational safety and health training, has trained 175,000 professionals in hazardous materials-related topics.
- At ECCC, in addition to basic training for police, corrections and juvenile detention officers, the academy offers credit and non-credit offerings for both law enforcement personnel and civilians from police, fire, health and public safety venues.
- NJIT finalized completion this fall of a computer system connecting the state health department and 115 local health departments in an around-the-clock information system. The system has provided throughout the crisis rapid two-way communication between state health officials and local health officers for dissemination and collection of health related information and data. NJIT operates the servers and provides administrative and technical support for the system.
- At Rutgers University-Newark, the College of Nursing has been focusing on the nursing shortage and
the increased need for highly prepared nurses, nurse practitioners, and nurse researchers to respond to
public health issues.
- UMDNJ plays a dominant role in providing continuing education and outreach in all aspects of emergency
preparedness. UMDNJ has partnerships already with both the State of New Jersey and the City of Newark that
enable the formation of a comprehensive network approach to emergency preparedness.
- At ECCC a program and course development is underway spanning topics such as the fire response for
police officers, weapons of mass destruction, hazardous materials, incident command system training, biological
and chemical weapons and nuclear devices.
- NJIT played a key role in the Twin Tower's recovery effort, helping the government monitor and map the
disaster site. A civil engineering unit helped position planes hovering above the wreckage. The planes took
three-dimensional aerial photos which recovery crews then used to access the damage and orchestrate the
clean up. An antenna at NJIT tracked the satellites and downloaded the data into a computer at the university.
- At the Rutgers University-Newark School of Law, an ongoing engagement in classrooms and through
conferences and symposia has continued on the protection of civil liberties as federal laws have changed.
- UMDNJ scientists are developing biological techniques to detect virulent agents. UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School has one state-of-the-art biosafety level III laboratory and a second such laboratory will be located in the International Center for Public Health.
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