Security, Resilience, And Defense
Overview
The Security, Resilience, and Defense Research Cluster brings together faculty, students, and partners engaged in interdisciplinary research addressing complex challenges related to public safety, infrastructure protection, emergency preparedness, and national security.
Research within this cluster emphasizes applied solutions, data-driven approaches, and collaboration across disciplines to strengthen resilience at the local, regional, and national levels.
THEMES
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Cybersecurity and critical infrastructure
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Emergency management and disaster response
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Public safety, homeland security, border studies
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Data analytics and threat assessment
Objectives
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Foster interdisciplinary collaboration across colleges and disciplines
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Support student involvement in security- and resilience-focused research
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Align research activities with federal and defense-related funding priorities
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Strengthen partnerships with government, industry, and community stakeholders
Upcoming Events
Strategic Funding Opportunities
These opportunities reflect sponsors and programs well aligned with faculty expertise, research capacity, and current federal priorities within this cluster.
Research Infrastructure
The Department of Computer Science at Sam Houston State University is committed to academic excellence, offering high-quality education and cutting-edge research opportunities.
Learn more about the Department of Computer Science.
Explore the various Annex Labs.
GET INVOLVED
Faculty, staff, and students interested in contributing to or learning more about this research cluster are invited to join. Completing the interest form allows ORSP to share relevant updates, events, and funding opportunities.
Cluster Members
| Name | Department | Research Areas/Interests |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah Asaka | Security Studies | Human security issues, environmental science, earth science, public health, education |
| Mike Aspland | Institute for Homeland Security | Homeland security, social network analysis, human trafficking |
| Tershundrea Branch | Counselor Education | Multiculturalism, self-efficacy, school counselor professional identity, advocacy, school counseling |
| Sandra Buzon-Vargas | Analytics, Info Sys & Supply Chain | Supply chain, mathematics, business |
| Matt Fuller | Educational Leadership | History, farming, higher education, drones, honeybees |
| Magdalena Denham | Security Studies | Security studies, education, public health, covid-19, international migration |
| Rob Greenberg | Computer Science | Cyber forensics, cybersecurity |
| Jason Ingram | Criminal Justice and Criminology | Police culture, police use of force |
| ABM Islam | Computer Science | Information forensics, computer forensics, machine learning, data science, image processing |
| Nathan Jones | Security Studies | Transnational crime, drug trafficking, organized crime, journalism, political science |
| Eroll Kuhn | Security Studies | Political science, immigration |
| Mark Leipnik | Environmental & Geosciences | Spatial information system, water resources, geographic information system, geographical information science, marketing |
| Li-Jen Lester | COSET Office of the Dean | Information security, computing education, education, educational technology, education curriculum alignment |
| Fan Liang | Computer Science | Computer science, IoT system, intelligent computing, computational intelligence, IoT data analytics |
| Qingzhong Liu | Computer Science | Bioinformatics, computation applications, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital forensics |
| Xing Liu | Computer Science | Systems engineering, computer science, internet of things, reinforcement learning, information security |
| Russell Lundberg | Security Studies | Public policy, crime, drug policy, homeland security, risk management |
| Nadav Morag | Security Studies | National security, public policy, political science, international security, security studies |
| Van Vung Pham | Computer Science | AI foundation, machine learning model, intelligent computing, computational intelligence, technology |
| Ryan Randa | Criminal Justice and Criminology | Fear of crime, victimization, behavioral adaptation, school violence, behavioral sciences |
| Amar Rasheed | Computer Science | Embedded system, security and privacy |
| John Ray | LEMIT | Law enforcement management |
| Nick Scheel | Psychology | Psychological evaluation, psychological trauma, social-emotional, mental health services, identifying systems change |
| Dave Stender | COCJ Office of the Dean | Criminal justice, criminology |
| Cihan Varol | Computer Science | Record linkage, multi-platform VoIP applications, entity resolution, natural language processing, pattern matching techniques |
| Willow Yang | Analytics, Info Sys & Supply Chain | Inventory management, operations optimization, vehicle routing, omni-channel, scheduling |
| Pam Zelbst | Analytics, Info Sys & Supply Chain | Supply chain, internet of things, radio frequency identification (RFID) |