In correlation with the University’s new flagship agenda, Chancellor Mark Emmert is heading a University request to establish a center to focus on national security issues.
All of the University’s federally funded security programs will form one center — the National Center for Security Research and Training.
The NCSRT will include the Anti-terrorism Assistance Program, the Center for Advanced Support of Technology in Law Enforcement, Law Enforcement Online, National Center for Biomedical Research and Training, the Academy for Counter-terrorist Education, Law Enforcement Training Program and Fire and Emergency Training Institute.
Emmert said this center is a well-organized effort to support homeland security issues.
“The center has already had established programs for more than a decade,” Emmert said.
Jim Fernandez, former executive assistant to the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Greg Vincent, will run and oversee the NCSRT starting Feb. 1.
Fernandez sees the center as a chance to bring together and use the skills of each unit.
“One goal is to align academic and research elements into this program,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez said he would like to establish training on a national level in hopes of bringing it to Louisiana.
Emmert said NCSRT will have some coordinating responsibilities with the LSU System.
“[NCSRT] will provide us with better means of working with state government and private entities,” Emmert said. “It is important that this effort fit into the role and scope of the University mission.”
Emmert said the center helps to accomplish three goals: it helps meet critical national need, brings services to the state and gives significant opportunity for the state to provide leadership to a wide variety of areas.
The University will not immediately hire staff, Emmert said. Each group has its own administrative structure, and some are housed in the Division of Continuing Education.
“I expect in the coming months and years the number of employees in this area will grow, probably dramatically,” Emmert said. “With the development of new technologies, many businesses are anxious to engage in services. I anticipate many new jobs.”
The LEO project already supplies student jobs. The national help desk for LEO is housed in Pleasant Hall and is manned by students.
Interim Provost Laura Lindsay said the center addresses needs of the country, but it brings people to the table from LSU who will add to this effort.
All the programs have a combined total funding of $47 million from federal funds such as the U.S. Justice Department. Fernandez said he will work with federal agencies to work with requests for proposals.
Emmert said NCSRT is scheduled to receive more than $30 million in anticipation of rapid research and education across the country.
These programs already have been established as national leaders, Emmert said.
“We had a headstart long before Sept. 11,” Emmert said. “The importance of these programs skyrocketed when the world realized our vulnerability.”
NCSRT receives full backing from the governor’s office, Emmert said, and the Board of Supervisors approved a resolution supporting its establishment.
The Board of Regents will vote on NCSRT at its March meeting.
Fernandez will begin to act and operate under the NCSRT model Feb. 1, immediately pending approval of the Board of Regents.
Emmert said six months from now he envisions all components of the center working to deliver more research and more training for better collaboration throughout the state. After six to 12 months, he expects LSU to be identified as a national leader in security research.