What is NTSCOE-P?
Improving security of the nation’s transportation infrastructure
is a key priority for
government officials, shippers and transportation
professionals. The transportation infrastructure includes the
railroads and roadways used to transport petrochemicals. Texas
Southern University’s (TSU) National Transportation Security
Center of Excellence for Petrochemicals (NTSCOE—P) focus is to
investigate and advance methods and strategies that will
increase the resilience of the nation’s multimodal
infrastructure to terrorist attack on the movement of
petrochemicals. NTSCOE—P proposes to develop a comprehensive
research, education, and training program focused on improving
security and reducing vulnerabilities related to petrochemical
transport. The NTSCOE—P supports DHS, industry and emergency
personnel by increasing the knowledge and understanding of
system components and developing strategic prevention and
response tools in accordance with DHS goals. Specifically, this
COE addresses DHS Priority Research Areas 2 and 3:
Transportation Systems Vulnerability Assessments and Strategic
Studies of Transportation Infrastructure.
What is the
COE’s mission?
NTSCOE-P’s mission is to investigate and advance methods and
strategies to defend, protect and strengthen the nation’s
movement of petrochemicals and the infrastructure that serves
and surrounds its conveyance. Specifically, objectives of this
research are to:
-
identify gaps in the security of petrochemical
transportation movement and recommend technological
strategies to address the insecurities, and
-
transfer knowledge gained to a professional workforce that
can apply the concepts and principles learned from this
research to both the private and public sectors.
Research
NTSCOE-P will deliver ultimate research products in a phased
strategy through a multi-year approach. The research focus is
on the overlaid issues related to the commodity flows,
vulnerability assessment, and impact analysis involved in the
design of a more secured transportation system for transporting
petrochemicals. The approach involves key researchers with
diverse backgrounds in such areas as traffic and transportation
engineering, urban planning, chemistry, operations research,
large network modeling, statistics, computer science and
engineering. The research will be collaborated by an
interdisciplinary team at TSU and selected partners from other
institutions, internal and external to this COE, which are
expected to complement TSU’s technical strengths.
The core of the research will develop models and tools that can
be readily used for recurring analysis and assessment of
multiple scenarios applied to petrochemical transportation
security.
In addition to participation in research, graduate students will
have the opportunity to engage in a professional curriculum
leading to an academic concentration in transportation
security.
Relationship to Department of Homeland
Security Goals
The TSU NTSCOE–P supports DHS, industry, and emergency
responders by increasing the knowledge and understanding of
system components and developing strategic prevention and
response tools in accordance with the four DHS goals.
-
Protecting our Nation from Dangerous People
-
Protecting our Nation from Dangerous Goods
-
Protecting Critical Infrastructure
-
Building a Nimble, Effective Emergency Response System and a
Culture of Preparedness
This COE directly corresponds with areas 2 and 3 of the DHS
Priority Research Areas: 2) Transportation System Vulnerability
Assessment and 3) Strategic Studies of Transportation
Infrastructure.
Educational Programs
The educational component is critical in accomplishing the
overall goal of NTSCOE-P at TSU. Apart from the preparation of
students for the workforce, students are also an important force
in assisting in the accomplishment of the research plans
developed in addressing pressing issues surrounding
petro-chemical transportation security. Currently, TSU offers a
range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs that are
either related to transportation or under the general umbrella
of science and technology, including aviation science and
technology, transportation planning and management, urban
planning and environmental policy, civil engineering technology,
electronics engineering technology, industrial technology,
chemistry, mathematics, physics, and computer science. These
programs will form the core in the development of educational
strategies that serve the mission of NTSCOE-P at TSU.
The team at TSU will first evaluate existing curricula of the
above programs based on which a new interdisciplinary degree
program structured at the master level will be developed with
the concentration on transportation security. The new program
will adopt a creative model for training students from different
academic backgrounds with the necessary preparations that meet
both existing and emerging challenges in transportation
security. The program will integrate the relevant elements of
existing curricula and develop new courses to fill any gaps. A
critical component in the newly designed curriculum will be the
delivery of courses through the distance learning approach.
With this consideration, the team plans to collaborate with Long
Island University (LIU), a university which has had a history of
successfully offering the educational curriculum on
transportation security through the means of distance learning.
Where can I find more information?
Dr. Carol Abel Lewis
Associate Professor and Director, Center for Transportation
Training and Research
ntscoep@tsu.edu
Texas Southern University
College of Science and Technology
3100 Cleburne Ave.
Houston, Texas 77004
http://transportation.tsu.edu/NTSCE/home.htm
