By MC2 Michael Ehrlich

NPS Department of Information Sciences Professor Alex Bordetsky, pictured inside his Root Hall laboratory, Nov. 16, has been appointed to the Northern California Area Maritime Security Committee, where he hopes to build bridges between NPS' research capabilities and maritime first responders.

"I am honored to be the representative of our students and faculty to this committee, but it is not about myself," said Bordetsky. "This will allow the community of first responders, protectors and defenders of the San Francisco Bay area, to be more familiar with NPS' capability and how much we can offer in every possible way."

Bordetsky says NPS is uniquely equipped to support maritime research in a multitude of subjects through faculty and student research, from smuggling to interdiction to counter-terrorism.

"Since 2007, I have been leading the maritime interdiction operations (MIO) field experimentation program," said Bordetsky. "My colleague, Professor Ray Buettner, runs JIFX [Joint Interagency Field Experimentation], which is a central element in field experimentation. And the MIO is doing more and more joint work with littoral operations studies, and in counter-WMD [weapons of mass destruction] experimentation, which all together brings us very close to the Common Operational Research Environment Lab, and [the Department of] Defense Analysis."

Bordetsky hopes his participation on the committee can serve as a catalyst to advance further participation from these colleagues.

"This board conducts very unique exercises, table top experiments and events, and I will be naturally engaging and informing the NPS community to take part in those events … That will be mutually re-enforcing."