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Key people at University of Southern California – Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events.
The University of Southern California’s Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE) provides data-driven solutions and analytical frameworks for assessing and mitigating threats. It specializes in developing advanced models and tools that evaluate the risks, costs, and societal consequences of terrorism and other man-made or natural hazards. The Center’s research integrates economic analysis with risk assessment to inform strategic decision-making in homeland security.
CREATE was co-founded in 2004 by Detlof von Winterfeldt and Randolph Hall, emerging as the inaugural university-based Center of Excellence under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate. Their foundational insight recognized a critical need for rigorous, evidence-based methodologies to understand and manage the complex economic and societal impacts of terrorism, thereby guiding effective security investments. Both founders brought extensive academic expertise in risk analysis and systems engineering to this pioneering initiative.
Policymakers, government agencies, and organizations responsible for critical infrastructure defense utilize CREATE's research to enhance national security and resilience. The Center’s vision is to continuously advance the scientific understanding and practical application of risk and economic analysis, providing essential intelligence to safeguard the nation against evolving threats and foster a more secure and economically sound future.
Key people at University of Southern California – Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events.
The University of Southern California's Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Threats and Emergencies (CREATE)—originally focused on terrorism events—is not a company but the nation's first university-based Center of Excellence (COE) designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2004.[3][5] Its mission is to enhance national security by developing advanced models and tools for evaluating risks, costs, and consequences of threats (including terrorism, accidents, and natural disasters) while guiding economically viable investments in homeland security through integrated research, education, and outreach.[1][3][5] CREATE merges expertise from social scientists, engineers, economists, and computer scientists to provide impartial, holistic assessments that inform policymakers, government officials, and private industry.[1][5]
Headquartered at USC's Viterbi School of Engineering and Sol Price School of Public Policy, CREATE fosters rapid results by leveraging interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships with national labs, minority-serving institutions, and international affiliates.[1][5] It emphasizes themes like risk and decision analysis, behavioral analysis, economic assessment, and risk management, producing tools for threat modeling, economic impact analysis, and resilience strategies.[3][5]
CREATE was established in 2004 as the DHS Science and Technology Directorate's inaugural university-based COE, headquartered at USC in response to the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which called for coordinated university systems to address critical security needs.[2][5][8] It evolved from post-9/11 priorities to tackle terrorism risks, expanding to broader threats and emergencies like natural disasters and maritime risks.[1][3] Key early figures include faculty leaders in decision analysis, risk assessment, and economics, such as Senior Research Fellow Richard John, with pivotal moments like hosting the USCG/CREATE Maritime Risk Symposium to bridge academia and government on maritime domain awareness.[2][3]
The center's growth involved multi-disciplinary projects integrating national labs and international workshops, transitioning from terrorism-specific analysis (e.g., economic impacts of hypothetical attacks on ports) to comprehensive resilience modeling.[2][4][5] This urgency-driven approach—combining fundamental research with domain experts—enabled quick dissemination of results to DHS stakeholders.[1][6]
CREATE rides the trend of data-driven risk analytics and AI-enhanced threat modeling in homeland security, where interdisciplinary tools address complex, uncertain hazards amid rising geopolitical tensions, climate disasters, and supply chain vulnerabilities.[1][3] Its timing as the first DHS COE post-2002 positioned it to shape early standards for university-government tech transfer, influencing models like NIEMO for national economic impacts and TransNIEMO for freight networks.[4] Market forces favoring CREATE include surging demand for resilience tech—e.g., explosive detection (via partner ALERT) and maritime awareness—amid federal funding for COEs tackling cross-cutting uncertainties.[2]
The center amplifies the ecosystem by disseminating impartial research to DHS, policymakers, and industry, fostering innovations in game theory, operations research, and sensor fusion while building intellectual pipelines through USC education.[3][5][6] This positions academia as a key player in national security tech, bridging theoretical modeling with real-world deployment.
CREATE's influence will expand as AI, big data, and climate-resilient modeling dominate threat landscapes, potentially leading to next-gen tools for predictive analytics on hybrid threats (e.g., cyber-physical attacks).[3] Expect deeper integration with DHS priorities like surge capacity and distributed data analysis, alongside global collaborations amid evolving risks.[2][5] Its evolution from terrorism focus to broad emergencies ensures enduring relevance, shaping secure infrastructure for decades while humanizing security through education and outreach—echoing its foundational mission to deliver rapid, economically sound defenses.[1]
