CU researchers part of team awarded Homeland Security funding

Bean

Hamilton Bean, assistant professor in the Communication Department at the University of Colorado Denver College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is part of a research team awarded a $952,004 contract. The grant is from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate through the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) based at the University of Maryland.

The two-year project, “Comprehensive Testing of Imminent Threat Public Messages for Mobile Devices,”  will design and test prototype messages intended as alerts for use in the Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS), warning messages for the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), and full-length warning messages designed for use in imminent threat press releases.

The principle investigator (PI) is Brooke Fisher Liu, University of Maryland, College Park; the co-PIs are Bean, Kathleen Smarick (START), and Michele M. Wood (California State University, Fullerton). Two other CU researchers, Dennis Mileti (CU-Boulder) and Jeannette Sutton (University Colorado Colorado Springs) are serving as subject matter expert consultants.

This multi-method study involves interviews, experiments, and a survey to develop effective emergency alert and warning text messages for use by emergency managers.

Bean said the findings are expected to provide a state-of-the-art and scientific basis for alert and warning messages delivered via mobile devices. More information on the project is available online at: http://www.start.umd.edu/start/announcements/announcement.asp?id=394