A partnership between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and USC is proving that knowledge and expertise can be powerful tools in preventing terrorism. The Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE) is led by Dr. Detlof von Winterfeldt, former Deputy Dean of SPPD. Together with Dr. Randolph Hall he wrote USC’s proposal for CREATE, winning a competition of 72 universities to house the first DHS center of excellence.
The Center comprises a team of national experts, including partnerships with NYU and the University of Wisconsin, to evaluate the risk of terrorism and gage the economic impact of potential attacks. CREATE unites social scientists, engineers, economists, and computers scientists to develop tools for assessing the economic and societal consequences of terrorism. Additionally, CREATE seeks to offer guidance on preventative measures for avoiding future terrorist acts and for making the nation safer.
On August 19 and 20 CREATE hosted a symposium, on the campus of USC, entitled “Economic Costs and Consequences of a Terrorist Attack”, and called upon the Lusk Center and SPPD faculty to offer knowledge on the subject. Keston Institute for Infrastructure Director Richard Little and SPPD professors Peter Gordon, James E. Moore and Harry W. Richardson participated in the symposium alongside faculty from other leading national and international universities.
USC President Steven Sample calls the USC-CREATE partnership “a perfect fit with our strengths in engineering and policy research, as well as the focus on interdisciplinary research and national service.”