UC Irvine psychologist Roxane Cohen Silver has been appointed to the new federal advisory committee that will help develop travel policies for people visiting the United States. Silver was sworn in by Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the committee's inaugural meeting today in Washington, D.C.
"I'm very pleased that the Department of Homeland Security has tapped into one of the many national experts at UCI," said Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), senior Democrat of the Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity of the Committee on Homeland Security. "Professor Silver's expertise and extensive research on the psychological responses to terrorism will help shape public policy in the homeland security arena."
The Secure Borders and Open Doors Advisory Committee was created by the Departments of Homeland Security and State as part of the Rice-Chertoff Joint Vision, which aims to help develop travel policies that balance the need for stronger security while facilitating travel to the United States, including that of visiting foreign students and scientists. The committee will provide feedback on specific initiatives and serve as a sounding board for new programs created by Rice and Chertoff.
Along with Silver, the 18-member committee includes such prominent travel industry executives as J.W. Marriott, chairman and CEO of Marriott International, Inc., and James A. Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. The committee will be chaired by Jared L. Cohon, president of Carnegie Mellon University.
"We are proud that Professor Silver has again been called on by the federal government to provide expertise on a critical area of national security," said Michael Gottfredson, executive vice chancellor and provost. "Her work exemplifies how research at UCI is relevant to understanding and addressing real-world problems in the 21st century."
A national expert in the field of stress and coping, Silver studies how individuals respond to traumatic life events and spearheaded the longest-running national study of psychological responses to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In 2003, she was appointed by then-Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to the Academe and Policy Research Senior Advisory Committee, and since that time she has provided ongoing advice to the department on social science issues regarding homeland security. She also is a fellow of both the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science.
"The Departments of State and Homeland Security clearly are committed to including educators and scientists along with business and travel industry leaders in discussions about how to keep our borders open yet secure," said Silver, a professor of psychology and social behavior. "I am honored to be among the distinguished members of this committee and pleased to serve the country in this manner."
About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,400 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.7 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.
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