Director's Message
Dear SENTRY Community,
As we prepare to resume SENTRY’s research this fall, I am energized by the opportunities ahead and encouraged by the strong support we have received from government partners. From August 17–19, I traveled to Washington, D.C., with Deanna Beirne, SENTRY’s Executive Director of Technical Program Development and Strategy and Transition Team Co-Lead, for a series of meetings with congressional staff and Department of Homeland Security leaders.
| | | These conversations focused on SENTRY’s reinstatement, our next steps, and the important role that research, innovation, and workforce development will play in addressing emerging threats to soft targets and crowded places. Click to read the full message. | | Practitioner Advisory Board New Member Spotlight: Bill Christiansen | |
Bill Christiansen brings decades of experience in law enforcement, aviation security, and critical infrastructure protection to SENTRY’s Practitioner Advisory Board (PAB). Bill has worked across some of the most complex security environments, giving him a unique perspective on the evolving challenges of soft target security.
As Vice President of Team Ops for the New England Patriots, Bill now applies his experience to security at Gillette Stadium, where he focuses on keeping guests safe while maintaining the venue's welcoming atmosphere.
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U.S. Secret Service Virtual Trainings: The U.S. Secret Service is offering a series of virtual trainings focused on behavioral threat assessment and preventing mass attacks in communities. These sessions are designed for school administrators, educators, school safety stakeholders, law enforcement, and other community safety professionals. Click here for more information.
Enhancing School Safety Using Behavioral Threat Assessment
Intended for school administrators, educators, and other school safety stakeholders
- Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | 12:00–2:00 PM EST
- Wednesday, January 20, 2027 | 12:00–2:00 PM EST
Preventing Mass Attacks in Our Communities
Intended for law enforcement and other community safety stakeholders
- Wednesday, October 7, 2026 | 12:00–2:00 PM EST
- Wednesday, December 16, 2026 | 12:00–2:00 PM EST
- Wednesday, February 17, 2027 | 12:00–2:00 PM EST
| | CISA's Conflict Prevention Strategies to Deter Targeted Violence Webinar: Held virtually on Wednesday, September 23rd at 1:30 PM, this 60-minute training offers a deeper dive into the principles of conflict prevention and explores tangible de-escalation actions to help diffuse volatile situations. The webinar will introduce the current threat landscape, provide insights into specific conflict prevention strategies, and discuss best practices for targeted violence prevention. It is intended for staff members, front-line employees, and others interested in foundational de-escalation training. Click here to register. | | Research & Staff Accomplishments | |
Get to Know Deanna Beirne, SENTRY's Executive Director of Technical Program Development, Strategy and Transition Team Co-Lead
Deanna has spent the past 25 years at COE, experiencing firsthand how much the university, its research, and its technology have changed — and how her own role has grown and evolved along with them. Today, Deanna serves as Executive Director of Technical Program Development and Strategy for SENTRY, ALERT, and the Bernard M. Gordon Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems (Gordon-CenSSIS), a graduated National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center.
As Lead of the SENTRY Transition Team, she facilitates the evolution and delivery of tools, technologies, and knowledge products to market through program and portfolio management. She also continues in her role as Director of Information Systems for SENTRY, ALERT, and Gordon-CenSSIS, leading the computer services team and overseeing the technology and computational needs of the Centers’ research and administrative environments. Read more about her journey at Northeastern here.
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SENTRY Researcher Henry Medeiros Presents at Airport Resilience Workshop
SENTRY researcher Henry Medeiros (pictured top left above) joined 37 airport operators, researchers, government representatives, and industry partners at the Strategic Partnerships for Enhancing Airport Resilience (SPEAR) workshop, held August 17–19, 2026, at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). The workshop brought together representatives from DFW, Tampa International Airport, and Gainesville Regional Airport, along with researchers from 10 universities, to explore how science and technology can help airports prepare for and recover from increasingly complex disruptions. Click here to learn more about the workshop and results.
| | New Resources: SchoolSafety.gov Back-to-School Toolkit | | | | | |
SchoolSafety.gov recently published two new resources designed to help K–12 communities strengthen school safety and prepare for the new school year.
The campaign offers practical guidance for parents and caregivers, educators, students, and other members of the school community.
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The Back-to-School Safety Actions guide provides ideas for supporting school safety, including learning about school safety plans, recognizing warning signs related to student mental health, substance use, and online child exploitation, and encouraging students to share safety concerns with trusted adults or through school reporting programs.
The Back-to-School Toolbox provides additional tools and resources, including materials for practicing emergency operations plans, tips for responding to bullying, classroom activities to improve online safety, and guides for assessing and responding to threats.
Explore the Back-to-School Campaign to download the resources and find additional materials to support school safety efforts.
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