HOMELAND SECURITY RESEARCH LEADER TO SPEAK AT IIT
Lecture in honor of Dr. Darsh Wasan's election to National Academy of Engineering
Dr. Melvin Bernstein, director of university programs, science and technology directorate at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), returns to Chicago and Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) later this month for a seminar on the roles and opportunities for university-based research and education in homeland security.
The lecture takes place at 4 p.m., September 23, 2004, in Perlstein Hall Auditorium, 10 W. 33rd St., on the IIT Main Campus. Bernstein’s visit is in honor of Motorola Professor of Chemical Engineering and Vice President for International Affairs Dr. Darsh Wasan and Wasan’s induction to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering (NAE) October 3.
Considered among the highest professional distinctions for engineers, Wasan's election to the NAE recognizes his pioneering research, inspirational teaching and the development of novel technology in colloidal processing and interfacial rheology. Wasan is among 75 new members and 11 foreign associates elected this year and is among only a handful of IIT professors to achieve this professional distinction. Total U.S. membership is just over 2,100.
Bernstein, who at one time served as Provost at IIT, became director of university programs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in June 2003. He is on leave from Tufts University, where he is a Research Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
“Because of the complex challenges of protecting the U.S. and its people from terrorist threats and attacks,” Bernstein said, “it requires the talents and commitment of all sectors of society. Universities will continue to be viewed as playing a critical role, both in the education and preparation of its students and in the generation and dissemination of research and technological advances.”
As part of the program, Bernstein will present illustrations and discuss additional approaches on how universities can support and advance the DHS mission of awareness, prevention, protection, response and recovery.
Along with his prior work at IIT and Tufts, Bernstein has served as professor and head of the department of metallurgy and materials science at Carnegie-Mellon University and provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Brandeis University. Other professional experiences include: Liaison Scientist at the London Office of the Office of Naval Research and member of the National Materials Advisory Board of the National Research Council.
About Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, also known as Illinois Tech, is a private, technology-focused, research university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, science, architecture, business, design, human sciences, applied technology, and law. One of 16 institutions that comprise the Association of Independent Technological Universities (AITU), Illinois Tech offers exceptional preparation for professions that require technological sophistication, an innovative mindset, and an entrepreneurial spirit.
