Purdue/President Jischke's Foreword:

Long before the terrorist attacks of September 11, scientists and engineers at Purdue University  were busy working on new sensors capable of quickly and accurately detecting hazardous materials and weapons of mass destruction. These visionary researchers understood the grave threat posed by such weapons and had a clear understanding of the types of technologies that would be needed to thwart future attacks.

The Integrated Detection of Hazardous Materials Program (IDHM) is a Purdue-U.S. Navy project initiated in August 2000. It is managed jointly by the Center for Sensing Science and Technology (CSST) at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the Naval Surface Warfare Center's Crane Division (NSWC Crane) in Crane, Indiana. Yeong Kim, a professor of physics at Purdue, is director of both the IDHM and CSST. Researchers are working on new, highly sensitive devices designed for detecting biological and chemical agents, explosives and other hazardous substances, including nuclear materials. Purdue's multidisciplinary science-and-engineering teams are collaborating with researchers at NSWC Crane.

 This partnership combines some of the nation's best researchers from government and academia. They are teaming up for a noble cause: keeping America and the world safe from terrorism. The detection technologies being developing through the IDHM program offer promise in areas as critical as aviation safety, counter-terrorism and homeland security.

Summary Statement, from Purdue Provost Sally Frost Mason:

The world's greatest universities have a daunting responsibility: to educate and train successive generations, while at the same time tackling the most critical social, scientific and technological challenges facing the global community. Through the IDHM program at Purdue, some 25 faculty members,  a dozen post-doctoral researchers, numerous graduate and undergraduate students are engaged in one of those critical challenges: How can we safeguard against the real and growing menace of terrorism?

  Researchers at Purdue and the Naval Surface Warfare Center's Crane Division are meeting this challenge head-on. Through their inspired leadership,  the nation and world will surely benefit.

 Such partnerships have and should become a very important part of life at any research university. Collective talent and wisdom are clearly more powerful and empowering tools than individual resources. By any set of standards, the work that is part of this collaboration is of enormous potential significance to our nation's defensive capabilities. It represents the cutting edge of technology and sensing capabilities.

Message from the Director of the CSST

 Welcome to the Center for Sensing Science and Technology (CSST) at Purdue University.  The CSST was established in 2000 for the purpose of carrying out academic research, reference, and education in sensing science and technology focused on the identification of hazardous materials. The goals are: to develop and support world-class research in sensing science & technology; to create educational resources & materials; to provide a focal point for agencies, universities, and groups working to advance sensing science and technology; and to encourage and enhance cross-disciplinary research.

The present research and development efforts for the CSST Programs are focused on sensing science and technology applications in the areas of aviation security, military installation security, and homeland security, chemical/biological agent detection, explosives detection, and counter-terrorist activities. These are leading national security issues and priorities.

The CSST Programs have been working on development of multiple detector systems using differing technology with external funding of ~ $3M per year since August 2000.  Currently the CSST has five on-going programs: Integrated Detection of Hazardous Materials (IDHM) Program; Neutron-Based Sensors (NBS) Programs; Micro-Array/Nano-enabled Sensors (MA/NES) Program; Demining/Explosives Detection (D/ED) Program; and Radiological/Nuclear Materials (RNM) Program.

In 2003, Purdue University and the CSST established a new laboratory facility, Purdue University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL).  Professor David Koltick was officially appointed as the first Director of the APL.  The APL is heavily involved with IDHM, NBS, D/ED, and RNM Programs in addition to other applied physics programs.  New laboratory facilities at the APL enable faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students to perform world-class research in several areas of applied physics. 

Professor Yeong Kim

Director of the Center for Sensing Science and Technology

Purdue University