Purdue recognizes national security research on 10th anniversary of 9/11
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University is highlighting four professors making America more secure following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The professors' work includes creating tools to identify crime patterns, designing stronger buildings, supporting veterans and helping Afghanistan get back on its feet through education and agriculture.
Purdue Marketing and Media created a website that includes photos and additional information about the professors and research programs. The webpage can be accessed at https://www.media.purdue.edu/gwin-test/differencemakers/security.html
The four featured professors are:
* David Ebert, director of the Visual Analytics for Command, Control and Interoperability Environments and the Silicon Valley Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The center helps the nation's 2.3 million homeland security personnel perform their jobs more effectively by creating tools to help them identify crime patterns, trends and hotspots. The tools turn mass amounts of data into manageable information that can be easily accessed on portable devices like smart phones.
* Kevin McNamara, head of the Purdue Afghanistan Program and professor of agricultural economics. The program helps rebuild Afghanistan agriculture and replace outdated practices with modern technology. The program also assists in the redevelopment of university programs in agriculture, education and engineering, and helps train National Guard "warrior-farmers" who help train farmers in combat areas. These changes help employ and feed the Afghan people, which is critical for stabilization and peace.
* Amit Varma, professor of civil engineering. For the past 10 years Varma has led federally funded research into the effects of fire on steel structures in order to make buildings stronger and safer. His data will be used to potentially update design codes for steel structures and to test and verify computational building-design models. He also has validated the safety of a design for a nuclear power plant that can withstand a major earthquake.
* Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, director of the Military Family Research Institute and professor of family studies. The institute offers support to the families of men and women who serve. Through research and innovative programs, the institute helps alleviate the struggles veterans and their families face both while deployed and upon returning to civilian life.
Writer: Elizabeth K. Gardner, 765-494-2081, ekgardner@purdue.edu
Sources: David Ebert, 765-494-9064, ebert@purdue.edu
Kevin McNamara, 765-494-4236, mcnamara@purdue.edu
Amit Varma, 765-496-3419, ahvarma@purdue.edu
Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, 765-494-6026, Shelley@purdue.edu