Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

By Katie Mulvaney
Journal staff writer

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Imagine concrete that mends cracks from within; dogs able to sniff out danger on a commercial airplane; and coin-sized sensors that detect the ever so slight presence of bomb-making chemicals.

University of Rhode Island professors and students are hard at work to make reality of these concepts, and many more. Their research was honored, and reinforced, today with the launching of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Center of Excellence in Explosives Detection, Mitigation, Response and Characterization at the Kingston campus.

"We're excited about the work the center will do," said Jay M Cohen, the Homeland Security Department's undersecretary for science and technology. "Detecting, defeating, and destroying explosive devices before they can get to their target is a critically important goal."

A joint venture with Northeastern University, the research institute will bring URI $5.15 million over the next three years. It recognizes the universities as leaders in the federal government's efforts to detect and respond to bombs, including improvised explosive devices.

Cohen celebrated the launch with a host of state leaders, including Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Rep. James R. Langevin, Governor Carcieri, Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts as well as the center's co-director, Jimmie C. Oxley, and URI President Robert L. Carothers.

"One of the great lesson we must take away from 9-11 is there's nothing unthinkable," said Reed, a senior member of the Senate's Armed Forces Committee. He added: "I can't impress upon you enough how great the task is."

Detecting threats appeared central to students' work on display today. Jiaorong Huang, a graduate chemistry student, is concentrating on a hair test that would detect whether an individual had handled explosives.

Also a graduate student in chemistry, Jon Canino is training dogs to sniff out highly volatile materials such as those Richard Reid, the shoe bomber, used to try to destroy a flight to Miami in 2002 by igniting explosives hidden in his boot. Reid is serving life in prison.

Michelle Pelletier is focusing on creating self-healing concrete that contains chemical-filled capillaries that release gel that hardens and fills cracks as they occur.

Much of the new technology will be used by first responders: airport security screeners, baggage handlers, the police and firefighters who might have to stop a terrorist bombing or deal with the consequences should one occur, as well as military personnel in the field.

"The work that's being done here will save lives. Make no mistake about it," said Langevin, chairman of the House Subcommittee of Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, Science and Technology.

Oxley, an internationally known expert in explosives, will co-lead the institute with Michael B. Silevitch, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern who is director of the Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems.

Oxley and Silevitch will pool their expertise and draw on the resources of their universities to refine the science of detecting and neutralizing explosive devices used by terrorists.

The center at URI will also oversee research at California Institute of Technology, New Mexico State University, Hebrew University and Soreq Nuclear Research Center in Israel. It is among a dozen such centers unveiled nationally earlier this year.

 Tags  South Kingstown terrorism University of Rhode Island

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