Stevens’ Maritime Security Center: Making the Nation's Waterways and Ports Safer

The nation's ports and waterways are safer, thanks to Stevens ingenuity, and thanks to the leadership of professor Hady Salloum, the national expert who directs the university's Maritime Security Center (MSC).

Salloum joined in 2006 as director of technology applications for the (former) Maritime Security Lab, upgrading the research profile of the lab to meet stringent criteria required of the Department of Homeland Security to be recognized as a Center of Excellence in Maritime and Port Security. That designation was received in 2007 and renewed in 2014, when the name was changed to reflect the center's expansion and evolving mission.

“This recognition places Stevens on the map with maritime security, helping our country to be a safer place,” notes Salloum.

The MSC conducts state-of-the-art research related to maritime threats, both human-made and natural. The center supports the nation's marine transport, aiming to make it resilient to disruptions — including extreme weather, personnel shortages,  attacks and cyberattacks.

MSC also operates an acclaimed Summer Research Institute, where students from across the nation visit campus to work alongside Stevens students, conducting sophisticated deep-dive research on maritime security projects.

“We are developing the next workforce for the future, for American security,” explains Salloum.

In 2017, Salloum created a new Stevens center: the Sensor Technology & Applied Research (STAR) Center, where interdisciplinary teams from across the university conduct critical research into new sensor technology applications for fields including security, defense, transit and environmental protection.