UTSA receives $4.5 million for homeland security research

(Oct. 17, 2002)--The University of Texas at San Antonio Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) and UTSA/Brooks AFB Bioprocessing and Biotechnology Training Facility received a major boost from the Department of Defense Appropriations Conference Report for fiscal year 2003 thanks to efforts by U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla.

“These projects not only contribute to our nation’s efforts in homeland defense, but also help move our university forward in becoming a tier-one urban research university,” said Ricardo Romo, president of UTSA. “We are fortunate for the support our students continue to receive from the Bexar County Congressional delegation working diligently on our community’s behalf in Washington.”

CIAS will receive $3.5 million, successfully secured by Rep. Bonilla, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and a member of the Defense and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittees. “I’m proud that my committee played a role in funding CIAS,” Bonilla said. “The $3.5 million I was able to secure will play an important role in preventing and detecting terrorist activities. Now, more than ever, these important programs must receive the necessary funding.”

CIAS provides students and the community the opportunity to expand research in intrusion detection, steganography, biometrics, wireless encryption, and Dark Screen, a regional effort to avert cyber-terrorism. New areas such as decision support systems, user display systems and the SCADA system will be added to the research conducted by CIAS.

“The Center for Infrastructure Assurance Security (CIAS) is one of our state’s great contributions to homeland defense. We are fortunate to have the talented men and women at UTSA,” Bonilla said. “Their expertise makes this program a reality.”

The new UTSA/Brooks AFB Bioprocessing and Biotechnology Training Facility will receive $1 million for the purchase of equipment, maintenance and operations for renovating a building at Brooks, which will become a Center of Excellence in Bioprocessing and Biotechnology. The bioterrorism funds are designated to train students, military and private sector personnel on how to handle and identify biological materials and develop vaccines.

This facility will help position San Antonio to attract the proposed Federal Vaccine Production Facility. “The UTSA/Brooks AFB Bioprocessing and Biotechnology Facility will conduct research and produce vaccines that could be used in the event of a bioterrorism attack. The facility also will prevent natural disease outbreaks, such as influenza and tetanus,” said Sen. Hutchison. “UTSA is one of the premier research institutions in this field.”

“Sen. Hutchison, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, fought hard to make the transition of Brooks AFB to Brooks CityBase a reality,” Romo said. “Sen. Hutchison has launched a project to increase Texas universities’ participation in federal research for its centers of excellence.”

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