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START Newsletter: Research examines likelihood of reporting terrorism-related activity; Commentary on Kansas City shootings; Grad Certifcate

FEATURED RESEARCH

 
New report examines likelihood of people reporting terrorism-related activity
In a new report, START researchers examine results from a recent survey of American adults and analyze their responses regarding the likelihood that they would call police given various terrorism-related situations. Read more.
 
State Department’s Country Reports on Terrorism to be released noon today
Today Ambassador Tina Kaidanow will release the Department of State’s Country Reports on Terrorism 2013, as well as its statistical annex, which was provided by START. The State Department will livestream the event at noon today at http://video.state.gov/live/ and make the report available on its website at www.state.gov/j/ct/.


DISCUSSION POINT

 

Kansas City shootings constitute terrorism
In this editorial piece, Michael Jensen explores the recent Kansas City shootings through the lens of the Global Terrorism Database. Jensen discusses how the attacks meet three key criteria the GTD uses in determining whether an event is a terrorist incident. Read more.
 
Why isn’t anyone calling this terrorism, still?
The religion and/or identity of the perpetrator and target of the attack all seem to have a distinct impact on whether an attack is considered terrorism, according to Anthony Lemieux in this commentary. He also ponders how coverage of the recent Kansas City attacks would have been different if the shooter had shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ rather than ‘Heil Hitler.’ Read more.

 
Survival of the Fittest: Why Terrorist Groups Endure
Perspectives on Terrorism
Dugan, Laura and Joseph K. Young
 
Ideological Victimization: Homicides Perpetrated by Far-right Extremists
Homicide Studies
Parkin, William S., and Joshua D. Freilich, Steven M. Chermak
 
The Community Speaks: Understanding Ethical Values in Allocation of Scarce Lifesaving Resources during Disasters
Annals of the American Thoracic Society
Schoch-Spana, Monica, et al.
 


START Undergraduate Research students embark on international opportunity
Students participating in START’s Undergraduate Research Program (URP) recently attended the annual International Studies Association convention, where they discussed interests and opportunities in international relations and policy. Applications for the URP program are currently being accepted. Read more.
 
START Director’s China visit opens door for future scholarly collaboration
START Director Gary LaFree traveled to Nanjing, China, where he spent 10 days teaching graduate students in Nanjing Normal University’s competitive criminal justice program. In his course, LaFree emphasized the advantages China can gain from systematically studying phenomena like terrorism, homicide and burglary. Read more.
 
A glimpse at the work of the co-founder of START’s Global Terrorism Database
Laura Dugan, Director of Graduate Studies, has had a very diverse career path. Dugan received her bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and worked as a medical photographer, until her flair for math and statistics led her to pursue a career as a social scientist. Read more.
 
Rassler delves into the intricacies of the Haqqani Nexus
Don Rassler, assistant professor of social sciences at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, discussed the implications of his coauthored book, “Fountainhead of Jihad: The Haqqani Nexus, 1973-2012,” and how his career path led him to counterterrorism studies. Read more.
 
From GTD data user to START intern
Years before working for START, Gabriel Rice, an intern for the Open Source Europe and Africa project, used the START GTD as an undergraduate student. Rice went on to study Arabic and Middle Eastern history during study abroad programs in Jordan and Israel. Read more.
 
START reaches out to dozens of middle and high schoolers
About 50 middle and high school students joined START researchers to learn about the causes and consequences of terrorism. Students participated in a simulation of a fictitious terrorist act, during which they acted as intelligence analysts, emergency responders and policymakers. Read more.
 

**Now you can complete START’s Graduate Certificate in as few as nine months**
START offers a fully online, open enrollment Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis through the University of Maryland that can now be completed in as few as nine months. To begin the program during the fall 2014 semester, apply by July 1.
 
Nominate your student for the Undergraduate Research Program. Submit by May 1.
 
Nominate a peer-reviewed article that makes an outstanding contribution. Submit by May 15.
 
UMD Undergraduate Cyber Security Fellowship Program. Apply by May 16.
 
START summer courses online and open to all. Application deadlines vary.
 
START Fall research internships. Apply by June 8.
 

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Summer Workshop in International Security: Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Apply by May 1.

Olympia Summer Academy graduate program in politics and international studies. Apply by May 2.
 
DHS Scientific Leadership Awards for Minority Serving Institutions Granting Bachelor Degrees. Apply by May 5.
 
dTS seeks a mid-level Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) specialist. Apply by May 9.

dTS seeks a Deputy Director for Countering Violent Extremism (CVE). Apply by May 9

Executive Program in Counterterrorism, National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events. Apply by June 1.
 
Colorado Technical University (CTU)’s Wounded Warrior Scholarship Program. Apply by Sept. 1.


 
The New York Times: At Fort Hood, wrestling with label of terrorism
An article published by The New York Times cites the START Global Terrorism Database (GTD) in an article about the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. Read more.
 
The Washington Times: More Boston bomber types lurk, officials warn
In a Washington Times article on isolated youth who turn to extremism, START Executive Director William Braniff comments on the ways an individual could become invested in a violent movement. Read more.
 
The Moscow Times: FSB confirms killing of terrorist leader Umarov
An article published by The Moscow Times cites START when it reports an increase in “the frequency of terrorist attacks in Russia…between the collapse of the Soviet Union and 2010.” Read more.
 
Master of Homeland Security: 100 great twitters for staying informed on #HomelandSecurity
START’s twitter feed is “worth watching for anyone hoping to stay in-the-know,” according to Master of Homeland Security’s article. Follow START on twitter @START_UMD. Read more.

This is a selection of news clips from the past month.
A complete list of START’s media coverage can be found here
.

SUPPORTING START

 
Help Support START Research and Education
The START Consortium is dedicated to generating knowledge of the human causes and consequences of terrorism. Applying rigorous standards to both research and education, START seeks to illuminate one of the most highly politicized and understudied phenomena in the social sciences for students, practitioners and policy-makers. Funded primarily through research grants to date, START is seeking to generate an endowment that will provide the flexibility and autonomy to ensure that it can continue to serve as an objective source of data and empirically based analysis into the future.  To donate, or for more information, please click here. Copyright © 2014 The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), All rights reserved.