Education

Consistent with the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) goals for its Centers of Excellence, START is dedicated to training and mentoring a new generation of scholars and analysts capable of examining questions related to the behavior of terrorists and terrorist groups and to the issue of how societies can best prepare for dealing with a terrorist threat or responding to a terrorist attack.

START emphasizes a variety of approaches to education, including undergraduate and graduate learning opportunities, professional development training, mentor programs, and outreach and research dissemination.

Student Research Opportunities

START aims to integrate undergraduate and graduate students into the consortium's faculty-led research projects and to offer support for individual research pertaining to terrorism. START currently supports nearly 100 students at over 20 universities working as undergraduate and graduate assistants, interns, and volunteers.

START also provides funding for original research. START runs the Pre- and Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program, which currently funds 15 graduate students and junior scholars at 11 universities. Fellows receive $4,000 stipends to support their research. START also runs the Undergraduate Research Program, a fellowship program that offers select undergraduate students $3,000 stipends to support participation in ongoing START research, to conduct original research, and to engage in professional development activities.

Curriculum Development

START is working to develop coursework for students from secondary school through post-graduate work on topics pertaining to terrorism and responses to terrorism. START is also in the process of developing a comprehensive database of syllabi and teaching best practices for instructors of all levels interested in teaching on the subject of terrorism.

Professional Development and Outreach

START works to disseminate the results of faculty and student research in a variety of formats. START publishes a Research Brief Series, designed to allow faculty and graduate student researchers to present interim findings from ongoing projects in a format developed specifically for policy-makers. START also runs two ongoing series of events, the Seminar Series and the Research Roundtables. The Seminar Series brings leading scholars to College Park each semester to present ongoing terrorism-related research. The Research Roundtables offer presentations of work by University of Maryland students and faculty engaged in ongoing terrorism research.

Recent Accomplishments

• In spring 2007, START worked with the University of Maryland's Public Policy School to launch a limited-enrollment Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis.
• In fall 2007, START launched an Undergraduate Minor in Terrorism Studies at the University of Maryland.
• START has partnered with Joppatowne High School in Bel Air, Maryland to develop curricula for their new Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Program, which launched in fall 2007.
• In June 2007, START hosted the Summer Workshop on Teaching Terrorism (SWOTT), a week-long intensive program offering panels and training sessions on teaching terrorism. SWOTT was developed and is administrated by START Post-Doctoral Fellow Stephen Shellman of the University of Georgia.

Questions

Questions about START's educational programs should be directed to Dr. Katherine Worboys, START Assistant Director for Education, at education@start.umd.edu.

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