Impacts

CREATE faculty are leaders in decision analysis, risk assessment, economic consequence analysis, benefit-cost analysis, resilience, game theory, operations research, and risk management. Through our multi-disciplinary environment, we have tackled some of the most vexing and challenging socio-technical problems of the 21st Century.

Our applied research has yielded important results: a definitive estimate of the economic impacts of the September 11 World Trade Center Attacks; estimates of the deterrence effects of various terrorism countermeasures strategies and technologies; estimates of the cost-effectiveness of resilience tactics for natural disasters; design of a deductible/credit system for the FEMA Public Assistance program; and measuring behavioral responses to terrorism.

Our research has led to lowering of the cost of protecting critical assets by optimized random patrolling. Research on estimating the economic impacts of reducing wait times at land-border crossings and airports has led to significantly higher congressional appropriations to recruit and train more US Customs and Border Protection officers.

CREATE researchers have also helped develop counter-terrorism strategies and assessment of new technologies and institutions. Examples include deterrence, mitigation, warning systems, and resilience tactics.

Education

CREATE has trained and nurtured next generation researchers and practitioners across multiple research disciplines. We have provided one-on-one mentoring to individual undergrads, graduate students, post-docs and junior faculty Our researchers have also mentored researchers at national laboratories and other universities.

CREATE supported the establishment of degree programs in homeland security at USC and other universities. We have developed and operated a successful Executive Education Program.

Service

CREATE has contributed extensive service on National Research Council panels, quality assurance panels, and government advisory boards at all levels, as well as advising public and private sector decision-makers and prominent institutions, such as the United Nations and World Bank.

CREATE researchers are also frequently sought out by the media for comment on a broad range of topics. CREATE’s affiliates contribute to their professions through journal editorial appointments, officers of professional associations, and external reviewers of programs and faculty at leading research universities and other institutions.