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Director's Message

Dear SENTRY Community,

In recent months, SENTRY has expanded its impact through research, collaboration, and workforce development. From engaging experts at the Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting to advancing real-time threat detection in our Soft Target Security Series, we continue to drive innovation in protecting soft targets. As we prepare for our inaugural Annual Meeting, we remain committed to shaping the future of security through research, partnerships, and education. Click to read the full message.

Michael B. Silevitch

Designing Actionable Solutions

for a Secure Homeland

SENTRY students (pictured above) participated in the annual DASSH (Designing Actionable Solutions for a Secure Homeland) Student Design Challenge, a three-day event spanning Friday, February 28, to Sunday, March 2, 2025. Co-hosted by SENTRY and the Center for Accelerating Operational Efficiency (CAOE), the event empowered student teams to tackle real-world homeland security challenges related to this year's theme, “Security in an AI World.”

DASSH Student Design Challenge 2025

What's Happening Next

Reconnect 2025: Port Security: The workshop will be held from June 23-26, 2025, at the Hilton Mystic in Mystic, CT. Hosted in collaboration with Rutgers University’s Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science, this annual event brings together educators and professionals to explore disruptions to the marine transportation system (MTS)—from infrastructure failures and cyberattacks to weather-related damage. Click here to apply.

Meet Industry Advisory Board Member John Taibi of Cambridge Consultants

SENTRY’s mission to protect soft targets and crowded places relies on the expertise and innovation brought by industry partners like Cambridge Consultants. Represented on the Industry Advisory Board (IAB) by John Taibi, Cambridge Consultants has been a critical contributor since joining nearly two years ago. Learn more about the partnership.

On February 19, 2025, SENTRY hosted the latest installment of its Soft Target Security Series, focusing on Real-Time Threat Detection & Mitigation. Led by David Castañón of Boston University, the webinar showcased SENTRY's research to enhance security measures for soft targets and crowded places.

Follow SENTRY on YouTube

Watch the latest video from SENTRY, highlighting our research structure and the Virtual Sentry Framework.

The SENTRY research structure ties the technical challenges of protecting soft targets and crowded places to four fundamental research areas. These areas focus on advanced sensing technologies, risk assessment and deterrence, real-time threat detection and mitigation, and layered security architecture design.

Our comprehensive research approach allows for continuous feedback between research outcomes and stakeholder needs and a pathway to transition for public and private development. We hope to see our research develop into foundational results that can improve our ability to protect soft targets and crowded places and advance the development of our Virtual Sentry Framework.