Department of Homeland Security Announces Science and Technology Advisory Committee Members

Release Date: 02/26/04 00:00:00

For Immediate Release
Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010
February 26, 2004

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology division today announced the appointment of the following individuals to serve on the Homeland Security Science and Technology Advisory Committee (HSSTAC).

"Secretary Ridge and I are delighted to welcome these advisors to our team," said Dr. Charles McQueary, Under Secretary, Science and Technology. "We look forward to working with the Committee to continue our efforts to harness the nation's scientific knowledge to protect America and our way of life from terrorists and their weapons of mass destruction."

HSSTAC has been established to serve as a source of independent, scientific and technical planning advice to the Under Secretary for Science and Technology as mandated by the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The Committee will hold its first meeting February 26-27, 2004.

HSSTAC Members:

General Larry D. Welch, Chairman - General Welch was most recently a Senior Fellow of the Institute for Defense Analyses. While on active duty, he served as the Air Force's Chief of Staff, the highest position in the Air Force.

Dr. Ronald M. Atlas - Dr. Atlas is the Graduate Dean of the University of Louisville and Co-Director of the Center for the Deterrence of Biowarfare and Bioterrorism. He is Past President of the American Society of Microbiology and has served as Co-chair of the ASM Task force on Biological Weapons.

Dr. Russell W. Bessette - Dr. Bessette is currently the Executive Director of the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR). As Executive Director, Dr. Bessette's primary mission is to coordinate New York State's efforts in university and college research and lead those ideas to commercialization.

Mrs. Lillian C. Borrone - Mrs. Borrone, a transportation expert, is currently a member of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and Chair of the Eno Transportation Foundation in Washington, D.C. She also served on the Board of Advisors to the Panama Canal Authority and recently served as chair of the American Association of Port Authorities.

Mr. Bran Ferren - Mr. Ferren is the Co-Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Applied Minds, Inc. Prior to joining Applied Minds, Mr. Ferren was President of Research, Development and Creative Technology for Walt Disney Imagineering.

Dr. Baruch Fischhoff - Dr. Fischhoff is currently a Howard Heinz University Professor in the Department of Social and Decision Sciences and the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. David R. Franz - Dr. Franz, an expert in scientific and technological approaches to biological and chemical defense, is the Senior Biological Scientist at the Midwest Research Institute. Dr. Franz has served as both Deputy Commander and the Commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease and as Deputy Commander of the Medical Research and Materiel Command.

Dr. Alice P. Gast - Dr. Gast, a chemical engineer, is the Vice President for Research and Associate Provost of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Robert T. Haslam Professor of Chemical Engineering. Prior to moving to MIT, Dr. Gast spent sixteen years as a professor of chemical engineering at Stanford University and at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory.

Dr. William Happer - Dr. Happer is a Professor in the Department of Physics at Princeton University and specializes in modern optics, and optical and radiofrequency spectroscopy of atoms and molecules. Prior to his current position, Dr. Happer served as the Director of the Office of Energy Research at the Department of Energy and Director of Columbia University's Radiation Laboratory.

Mr. Anthony P. Ibarra - Mr. Ibarra is the CEO and Founder of Digatron, Inc., a leader in digital video recording and networking appliances integration. He has overseen the design of digital surveillance systems for the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Capitol, the U.S. Department of Justice and other Federal and State agencies.

Sheriff Ted G. Kamatchus - Sheriff Kamatchus currently serves as the Third Vice President of the National Sheriff's Association and is also the Sheriff of Marshall County, Iowa.

Chief Ernest Mitchell - Chief Mitchell is the President of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and is the Fire Chief and Assistant Director of Disaster Emergency Services of Pasadena, California.

Dr. Lawrence Papay - Dr. Papay, a private consultant, recently retired as Sector Vice President for the Integrated Solutions Sector of SAIC. Prior to joining SAIC, Dr. Papay served as the Senior Vice President and General Manger of Bechtel Technology and Consulting as well as Senior Vice President of Southern California Edison Company.

Chief Joseph M. Polisar - Chief Polisar is the President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Chief of Police of Garden Grove, California.

Dr. Richard T. Roca - Dr. Roca has been the Director of The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) since January, 2000. Dr. Roca had previously spent his entire professional career with the AT&T Corporation in which he designed communications networks and equipment.

Dr. Kenneth I. Shine - Dr. Shine is presently the Executive Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs for the University of Texas System. Dr. Shine also served as a Senior Policy Fellow for RAND Corporation and prior to that he was President of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

Dr. Reginald I. Vachon - Dr. Vachon is Chairman of Direct Measurements, Inc., a developer and supplier of optical strain and fatigue gauges for stress determination. Dr. Vachon serves as the President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers International.

Mr. Vincent Vitto - Mr. Vitto is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. Prior to his current position, he was the Assistant Director for Surface Surveillance and Communications at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory.

Dr. McQueary has appointed Dr. Ronald Taylor to serve as Executive Director of HSSTAC. Dr. Taylor is Director of the Office of Studies and Analysis in the Science and Technology division. Prior to joining the Department, Dr. Taylor was with the National Academies, where he served in a variety of positions, most recently as Director of the Naval Studies Board.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology division serves as the primary research and development arm of the Department, utilizing our nation's scientific and technological resources to provide federal, state and local officials with the technology and capabilities to protect the homeland.

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This page was last reviewed/modified on 02/26/04 00:00:00.