9/11-Five Years Later: How Have We Changed?

PITTSBURGH-The following University of Pittsburgh faculty experts are available for stories related to the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

David M. Berman: How 9/11 and the Iraq war are being taught in the classroom

David Berman, associate professor in the School of Education's Department of Instruction and Learning who has worked with educators in Bosnia during and after the siege of Sarajevo, said, "In the aftermath of 9/11, it was surreal that our Bosnian friends sent us expressions of concern." Berman, who received a Fulbright to continue his work in Bosnia, has just returned to the United States. He says there are lessons to be learned from the Bosnian landscape and can talk about social studies teaching methods and how 9/11 and the war in Iraq are being taught in the classroom. Berman can be reached through Trish White at 412-624-9101 and laer@pitt.edu.

Ronald A. Brand: Why the United States lost the support of the world community

Ronald Brand, a professor of law and director of Pitt's Center for International Legal Education, says that what has happened since Sept. 12, 2001, should be uppermost when thinking about the terror attacks of 9/11. "On Sept. 12, the United States had both the attention of the entire world and the support of just about everyone. That was an unprecedented opportunity. We can learn a great deal by asking why the United States lost the overwhelming support of the world community in its response to terrorist attacks." Brand can be reached through Trish White at 412-624-9101 and laer@pitt.edu.

Donald M. Goldstein: Similarities between Pearl Harbor and the 9/11 attacks

Donald Goldstein, a professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and a leading expert on Pearl Harbor says, "We didn't learn from Pearl Harbor. The mistakes that were made following Pearl Harbor are the same ones made after 9/11. Poor intelligence and lack of imagination were problems with both events." Goldstein is available to discuss the similarities between Pearl Harbor and the 9/11 attacks. He can be reached through Amanda Leff at 412-624-4238 and aleff@pitt.edu.

George Klinzing: Center for National Preparedness

Pitt's Center for National Preparedness (CNP) provides expert advice in biomedical research, public health, medicine, national security policy, engineering, and information technology to the Department of Homeland Security, cabinet agencies, critical elements of the intelligence community, and key policy makers as they formulate a national homeland security strategy. At the state level, the CNP provides professional training and expert assistance to state and local governments in critical skills, such as cyber security, public health surveillance, nursing, and EMA/Fire/EMS training. George Klinzing, vice provost for research and the driving force behind CNP's formation, can be reached at 412-624-0784, or through John Fedele at 412-624-4148 and jfedele@pitt.edu.

Janne Nolan: International community support for eliminating terrorism

Janne Nolan, a professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs who has had an extensive career in government service, says, "The tragedy of 9/11 dramatically elevated attention to and support for the protection of the American 'homeland,' reflected in sweeping measures to impede immigration, restrict trade and foreign investment, constrain foreign nationals from participating in various kinds of collaborations deemed too sensitive, or, increasingly, use surveillance and law enforcement against suspect domestic organizations and individuals. The United States is focusing on protecting territorial security at the very time that the character of threats has become genuinely global, networked, and almost entirely immune to the constraints of national boundaries." Nolan adds that U.S. strategy "urgently needs to be refocused towards gaining the international community's support for eliminating terrorism globally, recognizing that no single state can achieve security as long as other states are not supportive of common interests." Nolan can be reached through Amanda Leff at 412-624-4238 and aleff@pitt.edu.

Simon F. Reich: Humanitarian intervention and changes in immigration policy

Simon Reich, a professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and director of Pitt's Ford Institute for Human Security, says, "The issue of the relationship between immigration, the integration of immigrant communities, and security policies has become far more complex since 9/11." These are no longer treated as separate policy issues in the United States and Europe. "Every immigrant is treated as a suspected terrorist and the revamping of the immigration laws through instruments such as the Patriot Act has had numerous consequences," especially on our civil liberties and the ability of our corporations to function effectively in the international community. Another result of 9/11 is the blurred distinction between humanitarian and military intervention, says Reich. In the past, U.S. foreign policy has made a distinction between humanitarian concerns and geo-strategic ones. Humanitarian issues in failed or fragile states had little impact on American security policy. Today, events in these states that threaten to lead to the disintegration of pro-Western states and provide the basis for the seizure of power by Islamic Radical groups preoccupy American policymakers. Reich can be reached through Amanda Leff at 412-624-4238 and aleff@pitt.edu.

Dan Santoro: How 9/11 has influenced popular culture

The disaster at the Twin Towers has influenced our popular culture in a number of ways. Dan Santoro, professor of social sciences at University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, says 9/11 has become the event that defines our time. "We used to talk about the post-World War II era, the post-Cold War era. Now we say we live in a post-9/11 world," he said. Santoro is available to discuss the event's effects on everything from movies and music to academia. At Pitt-Johnstown, Santoro teaches courses on gender, wealth, and power; political sociology; environmental sociology; and class structure. He can be reached through Sharon Blake at 412-624-4364 and blake@pitt.edu.

Gerald R. Shuster: 9/11 and its impact on politics and politicians

Gerald Shuster, a communications professor in the School of Arts and Sciences and an expert in political communication and presidential rhetoric, had the following observations: The events of Sept. 11, 2001, have had a major impact on politics and politicians. On the national level, that fact was reinforced during the 2004 presidential election, with homeland security as a national issue and the policy on dealing with the war on terrorism as a major component of both party's and every candidate's platform. On all levels, elected officials are being held accountable by voters on their ability to plan and coordinate their community's disaster plans. Each level of government, through the elected officials, now compete for homeland security funds. Shuster can be reached through Trish White at 412-624-9101 and laer@pitt.edu.

Ken Sochats: Computer modeling disaster scenarios and training first responders

Ken Sochats, director of the Visual Information Systems Center (VISC) in Pitt's School of Information Sciences, and colleagues have developed a computer model to explore disaster scenarios. The Dynamic Discrete Disaster Decision Simulation System provides decision makers with an active laboratory to test policies, training, strategy, and tactics in a simulated, real-life decision scenario. Users consider a setting, think of a probable high-consequence event, such as a terrorist attack, and then flesh out as many "what-if" scenarios as possible. VISC also is home to the Virtual Theatre, in which first responders can be trained in dozens of emergency scenarios without disrupting a business day or alarming bystanders. The virtual Allegheny County Courthouse, for example, could be used to help firefighters check out the building's exits, locate utility sources, and get to know the layout of the structure without taking a real-world field trip. To create the theater, VISC researchers combined a customized video game with a floor plan of the real courthouse to produce a finely detailed rendering of the building. Sochats expects that emergency workers will use the immersive virtual environment to become familiar with local buildings like hospitals, schools, and government offices so they're prepared for potential emergencies, such as bomb threats or hostage situations. Sochats can be reached through Karen Hoffmann at 412-624-4356 and klh52@pitt.edu.

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