New Orleans Agenda
Southern University in New Orleans (SUNO) hosted Behavioral and Disaster Researchers and Law Enforcement Subject Matter Experts representing Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), Texas Southern University (TSU), Delgado Community College (DCC), and Xavier University in Louisiana (XULA). The teams collaborated to develop curricula and training programs in fulfillment of the Grant Objectives of the Department of Homeland Security’s Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Program. The grant, led by Principal Investigator, Dr. Kevin Kupiertz and the ECSU Team, included faculty and students. TVTP Training Programs will launch in 2026 at each respective university.
“I’m proud to see the great work being done by Louisiana Institutions that have been awarded funding through the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program, including Southern University of New Orleans, Delgado Community College, and Xavier University. These schools will be developing new tools to understand and prevent radicalization on college campuses and keep our communities safe during this time of rising political violence. Their work reflects Louisiana’s commitment to innovation, collaboration, and protecting our students,” said Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02).
Principal Investigator (PI), Dr. Kevin Kupietz, created a consortium of researchers and subject matter-experts to achieve the primary purpose of the grant that is to bring together local behavioral, faith-based, community and local law enforcement stakeholders to address systemic factors that can lead to violence while strengthening protective factors at the local level that support the safety, well-being, and resiliency of communities in the U.S.
“SUNO will always have an open-door for Academic Collaboration and Strategic Partnerships with our colleagues across the country. It was a special honor to host ECSU, TSU and XULA in this Interdisciplinary Project that integrates the disciplines of criminal justice and social work to create programming that makes our cities and nation safer, and that will also strengthen behavioral intervention and student engagement initiatives for our students,” said SUNO Chancellor, Dr. Joseph Bouie, Jr.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded 35 grants under the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24). The TVTP Grant Program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants to develop sustainable, multidisciplinary targeted violence and terrorism prevention capabilities in local communities, to pilot innovative prevention approaches and to identify prevention best-practices that can be replicated in communities across the country.
“These research opportunities are incredibly important for universities like ours. They give us a wonderful opportunity to further what is known academically while helping communities become more resilient. Most importantly, though, they give us real world opportunities to involve students to prepare them to be the future leaders in a strong society,” said Dr. Kevin Kupietz, Elizabeth City State University, Department Chair Aviation and Emergency Management, and Associate Professor of Emergency Management.
“Drs. Kupietz, Olonilua and I have worked together for several years with the university-led Emergency Management Consortium and FEMA’s Higher Education Team to increase initiatives and awareness on college campuses across the country focused on Environmental Health, Emergency Disaster Response, and Safety. Partnering on the TVT Grant is a natural next step for us, and we look forward to increasing our collective research and funding capacity, as well as, exposing our students to careers in these industries,” said Dr. Ceeon D. Quiett Smith.
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