123 DHS Scholars and Fellows participating in summer internships in 2007
Profiles of summer interns:
 Kerriann Greenhalgh - 2005 DHS Fellow - University of South Florida
- Intern at United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID)
“Be flexible,” might be advice Kerriann Greenhalgh would give to other students participating in DHS summer internships.
Originally slated to work at the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC), Kerriann is spending her summer at the United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).
The change in location has been particularly suitable to Greenhalgh’s research focus. She seeks to understand the mechanics behind establishing how many bacillus anthracis spores, once in the body, would be considered lethal.
Her work combines molecular biology and microbiology with animal studies and lethal dose analysis.
Of USAMRIID, Greenhalgh notes that the work environment has been exceptional. “I was able to get to work right away and start off feeling that I will be able to accomplish the goals of the project they have laid out for me,” she says.
Along with learning new technical skills in molecular biology and genomics, Greenhalgh has other goals for her internship. “I hope to gain even more experience working with infectious agents and animal models, and I also hope to gain an open invitation for future work here since I have been very happy working here thus far,” she notes.
 Matt Maxwell - 2006 DHS Fellow - Cornell University
- Intern at the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center at Sandia National Laboratories
Matt Maxwell has a massive problem on his hands. Fortunately, he has use of one of the world’s most advanced supercomputers to solve it.
A summer intern at Sandia National Laboratories, Maxwell’s challenge is to understand how our nation’s airline, rail and shipping industries would respond to the loss of a major airline hub, railway or port.
Due to the complexity of the systems upon which our trade, transportation and commerce relies, mathematical models are needed to realize the effects of and response to a natural or man-made disaster.
Sandia’s sophisticated computing facilities can crunch the numbers in the models to show how transportation networks can evolve to compensate for disasters without too many adverse effects.
Despite only having been at Sandia since June 4th, Maxwell is already seeing benefits. “Sandia is a very intellectually stimulating environment where I feel that I can discuss technical details of my work with many different people,” he says.
Maxwell’s experience at Sandia may be formative in his academic career. “I hope to get a good feel of what it would be like to work in a national lab such as Sandia, and to gain contacts that may be able to assist me in future research or professional pursuits,” he says. He is seeking project ideas that could become Ph.D. dissertation topics.
 Edgar Villarreal - 2005 DHS Scholar - Texas A&M University
- Intern at the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado-Boulder
Interested in the role volunteers can play in disaster recovery by helping the mental health needs of victims and emergency responders, Edgar Villarreal has found a home in the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado-Boulder. The Center’s mission includes addressing the socio-psychological element of preparedness.
Edgar notes that during his internship, the Center has accommodated his interests in mental health to such that he will take part in Center workshops, and has taken training courses in addition to his internship.
The focus of Edgar’s internship are preparedness networks in Denver, Louisville, Seattle, Milwaukee and St. Louis. “The aim is to analyze how homeland security programs and networks are implemented in conjunction with local, state, Federal and non-profit network in and around these cities,” explains Edgar.
Because the Natural Hazards Center is partnered with the START Center of Excellence, Edgar’s research focus will be well-supported for some time to come. “I look forward in continuing my work and to network with people working hard to enhance our abilities to prevent, detect, respond and recover effectively from future natural disasters and terrorist threats,” states Edgar.
 Naomi Shinoda - 2006 DHS Fellow - Rollin’s School of Public Health at Emory University
- Intern at the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD) Center
Seeing first-hand the effects of academic research upon end-users in “the real world” can be a unique experience. It was what made Naomi Shinoda’s summer internship at the NCFPD Center of Excellence truly special.
Stationed at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and mentored by Dr. Craig Hedberg of the University of Minnesota, Shinoda has helped develop FoodSHIELD, an Internet portal for food regulation professionals.
Food regulators work in federal, state and local departments to ensure the safety and quality of food from production to retail. FoodSHIELD is a communication, education and coordination site that helps these front line responders work more efficiently.
“As a full-time MPH (Masters in Public Health) student,” says Shinoda, “often times it is difficult to gain a perspective of the field that is outside of academia.” Her work required the application of knowledge gained as a student with the development of a nationwide foodborne illness complaint system being built into FoodSHIELD.
Each year, an estimated 76 million U.S. citizens become ill from food. Typical symptoms are nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Once implemented, the system that Shinoda helped develop will let consumers log health complaints into FoodSHIELD. The complaint is automatically sent to the specific health departments (of which there are more than 3,000 in the U.S.!) serving the community where the complaint originated. The goal is to determine if a more regional or national outbreak is occurring, whether it is accidental or an act of terrorism.
“The most exciting aspect of FoodSHIELD is that the work being done has real immediate value,” says Shinoda. “The research translates immediately into a valuable product with tangible utility for participants and stakeholders.”
Shinoda adds, “I consider myself lucky to have been able to establish contacts at all levels of the food protection and public health area – local, state, and federal, as well as academic. Being able to attend the NCFPD Biennial Conference was a highlight of the experience as well.”
 Liran Goldman - 2005 DHS Scholar - University of California, San Diego
- Intern at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) Center
As a two-time DHS summer intern, DHS Scholar Liran Goldman has reaped the benefits of being exposed to research environments in academia and in the national laboratories.
In 2006, Goldman spent her summer at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. This summer, she spent 10 weeks with the START DHS Center of Excellence at the University of Maryland. She is earning her B.A. in psychology at the University of California, San Diego, and anticipates graduating in December 2007.
“I have been very impressed with the collaborations that occur among all of the researchers, as well as their efforts to make sure that their research projects are continuing to support START’s overall goals,” says Goldman. Her research at START focused upon terrorist group formation and recruitment. Working with Dr. Arie Kruglanski, Goldman dealt with group, or “collectivistic,” tendencies that encourage terrorist group participation versus “individualistic” goals that lead one to participate.
“Those who hold collectivistic goals are more supportive of terrorist acts against the United States and Europe,” explains Goldman. “I am trying to discern what factors cause a person to gravitate toward these collective ideologies.” Her research seeks to demonstrate how personal failure can cause a person to move from individual views to the collectivist view.
Being at START has helped shape Goldman’s planning for her academic career and future research. “By being exposed to the different types of terrorism research taking place, I am discovering not only what types of graduate programs I can apply to that will enable me to continue this research, but also applicable career possibilities,” says Goldman. “All in all, the knowledge that I’m gaining from my internship at START and the networking that I am able to do while in D.C. is already proving to be invaluable.”
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