CUSA's work on Human Security is discussed in a recent article on "Beyond Borders and Bullets" in The Chronicle of Higher Education. "The concept of human security is important as a lens that sharpens interdisciplinary work, [Matthew] argues. 'It's about how to bring together, say, economic and ethical and environmental and governance elements to bring people dignity when things fall apart.'" Read the full article here.

The New Security Beat, a blog maintained by the Environmental Change and Security Program (ECSP) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars has posted an article on "New International Peace Institute Paper Examines Resource Scarcity, Insecurity" which reviews Richard' Matthew's recent IPI paper Resource Scarcity: Responding to the Security Challenge. Visit the New Security Beat to read more about this paper and the Environmental Change and Security Program

A new IPI paper by CUSA Director Richard A. Matthew on "Resource Scarcity: Responding to the Security Challenge," is now available. This IPI paper examines in detail the correlation between environmental issues and security, drawing on both scientific evidence and empirical examples, and concludes with a series of actionable policy recommendations.

"Post-9/11 America: Conventional Wisdom Versus Popular Pragmatism" has been published in the Spring 2008 issue of Democracy & Society. This article draws on data collected as part of our NSF funded project on "Societal Implications of Individual Differences in Response to Turbulence: The Case of Terrorism."

CUSA Research Associate Candice Carr has been honored with a 2008 Outstanding Mentor award from the School of Social Ecology. Candice was also awarded a Dean's Dissertation Fellowship from the School of Social Ecology.

Richard Matthew presented on "Integrating the Environment into Peacebuilding: Rationale and Evidence" at a meeting of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission Working Group on Lessons Learned. This meeting was held on Thursday May 8, 2008 in the ECOSOC Chamber and was chaired by H.E. Ambassador Heraldo Muñoz, Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations.

CUSA Director Richard Matthew's presentation at a colloquium on “Global Climate Change: National Security Implications” sponsored by the Strategic Studies Institute and the Triangle Institute for Security Studies is now available in Global Climate Change National Security Implications. 2008. Carolyn Pumphrey, ed. The Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College.

In recent months, an increasing amount of attention has focused on global food prices and their impacts in many parts of the world. CUSA’s research on food security looks at the ways in which many current global challenges, including poverty, environmental degradation, climate change, agricultural practices are contributing to rising prices for foods. Visit our food security page to learn more.

Heather Goldsworthy, a CUSA Research Associate and PhD student in Planning, Policy and Design, has been chosen as a 2008 UCI Medal Dinner Fellow. This award is given annually by the School of Social Ecology "to its most outstanding graduate students in recognition of their superior performance in both the academic and research arenas." A portion of proceeds from the UCI Medals Dinner, an event that celebrates the recipients of the campus' highest honor, the UCI Medal, provides funds for the stipend.

The Center for Unconventional Security Affairs (CUSA) was recognized as one of the four hubs of global research on the interface of environment and security alongside much larger organizations in Toronto, Zurich and Oslo by the German Advisory Council on Global Change in their report World in Transition: Climate Change as a Security Risk.

CUSA was chosen as a founding member of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Environment, Conflict and Peacebuilding Expert Advisory Group. CUSA, along with experts from prestigious universities like Duke University, the University of Maryland, Columbia University, and organizations like the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the International Institute for Sustainable Development, will provide expert guidance to UNEP’s effort to integrate environmental concerns into peacebuilding and conflict resolution programs.

Global Environmental Change and Human Security

 An article about our work as part of the Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS) project has been published in Hans Günter Brauch, (Ed.), Globalization and Environmental Challenges: Reconceptualizing Security in the 21st Century. Hexagon Series on Human and Environmental Security and Peace , Vol. 3. Springer, 2008. An item about this volume appeared on the Woodrow Wilson Center's New Security Beat.

CUSA's Crystal Murphy Morgan and Bryan McDonald  were featured on the January 15, 2008 episode of "Dialogue with Doti & Dodge," to discuss CUSA's research on "Addressing Security Challenges of the 21st Century." "Dialogue with Doti & Dodge," is an award-winning talk show hosted by economist Jim Doti, president of Chapman University, and Chapman Trustee Kristina Dodge, that is produced by Chapman University and KOCE's the OC Channel.

Roxane Cohen Silver, a CUSA Faculty Affiliate and UC Irvine psychologist, and her colleagues have published a study in Archives of General Psychiatry that finds Sept. 11 stress increases risk of heart problems. Read more about this study and watch an interview with Alison Holman, professor in nursing science and lead researcher for the study.

Kristen M. Day, Professor of Planning, Policy & Design and a CUSA Faculty Affiliate, has been selected to receive the UCI Academic Senate’s Distinguished Mid-Career Faculty Award for Service. The awards are given to Senate members who have achieved excellence through their activities in research, teaching and service. The Academic Senate's Distinguished Faculty awards are selected by the Committee on Scholarly Honors and Awards.

UC Irvine psychologist and CUSA Faculty Affiliate Roxane Cohen Silver will receive the American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Service at the group's leadership conference in October. The honor, bestowed to one individual annually, was initiated by the APA Board of Scientific Affairs to recognize outstanding service to psychological science. Silver is a national expert in the field of stress and coping and has spearheaded the longest-running national study of psychological responses to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. She serves on a federal advisory committee created by the Homeland Security and State departments that is developing travel policies for people visiting the United States. The APA cited her "dedicated pursuit ... of bringing the value of psychological science to the government's attention and the public eye" and her role in "mentoring students and faculty."

CUSA has been selected as the new home for the newsletter of the International Studies Association’s Environmental Studies Section. The International Studies Association (ISA) is a group of scholars and practitioners founded the in 1959 to pursue mutual interests in international studies. Representing eighty countries, ISA has over four thousand members worldwide and is the most respected and widely known scholarly association in this field. The ESS newsletter will be co-edited by Richard Matthew and Bryan McDonald and may be viewed online at: http://environmental-studies.org/ 

Richard Matthew, CUSA's Director, has been selected as an editorial board member for The Open Political Science Journal. The Open Political Science Journal is an Open Access online journal, which publishes research articles, reviews, and letters in all areas of political science. Areas that are covered include : American politics; Comparative politics; International relations; Political theory; Political methodology; Public administration; Public policy; Public law; Gender and sexuality; Race and ethnicity. Visit The Open Political Science Journal's homepage at  http://www.bentham.org/open/topolisj/index.htm. 

Dr Carl H Schultz, a CUSA Advisory Board member, presented "The 411 on DISASTER RECOVERY" to the Orange County Forum on Wednesday, December 5, 2007. Dr. Schultz is Director, Disaster Medical Services in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UCI Medical Center. In today's world of terrorism, earthquakes, floods, mudslides, power outages, and most recently, disastrous fires, Orange County needs to know the 411 on exactly what to do - not only in terms of individual personal reaction, but in terms of community reaction - and particularly in terms of those in the business community on whom the entire county depends to insure a quick and efficient recovery. Learn more at the Orange County Forum website.

CUSA Director Richard Matthew presented a lecture on "Climate Change, World Peace, And the Earth Charter" to the 2007 San Gabriel Valley Earth Charter Community Summit on October 27, 2007. At the event, Richard Matthew was recognized with a Certificate of Appreciation from the California State Assembly, and a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from the U.S. House of Representatives from his work in promoting environmental awareness.

Scott Edward Anderson, one of the participants in CUSA's workshop on "Social Entrepreneurship, Sustainability and Security: Mitigating and Adapting to Climate Change," has posted an entry about the workshop on his blog The Green Skeptic. 

David Bornstein was presented with our 2007 Human Security Award for his work to raise awareness about social entrepreneurs who are solving many of the world's most intractable problems. The 2007 Human Security Award Ceremony, which featured a keynote address on "How to Change the World," by David Bornstein, was held on Thursday, October 25, 2007.

Andrea Ballestero has been selected to receive the 2007-2008 Heather Mills McCartney Fellowship in Human Security for her project on “Translating the human right to water: Pro-poor prices, water security, and collaboration in the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.” Established in honor of the significant contributions to human security issues made by Heather Mills McCartney, this fellowship will allow graduate students to undertake original research on pressing security issues, and allow them opportunities to use their research to help address real world challenges.

CAHS Fellowship Winners Announced

CUSA’s Coalition Advocating Human Security (CAHS) program is pleased to announce the winners of its 2007-2008 fellowships. CAHS fellows will promote research, education, public awareness, and evidence based policy making to address urgent cases of vulnerability linked to global changes that impact the lives of individuals, communities, and nations. The 2007-2008 CAHS fellows are:

• Brennan Davis, Jui Ramaprasad, and Renee Rottner, “Microfinance: Balancing Economic and Environmental Sustainability in Rural India” and

• Bryan C. Semaan, “Technology as a Catalyst for Collaboration Resilience”

Richard Matthew has joined the Community Advisory Board of UCI’s Center for Citizen Peacebuilding (CCPB). CCPB works to help citizens seek realistic ways to improve human conditions locally and globally. CCPB activities aim to prevent violent conflict and, if violence occurs, to promote reconciliation and sustainable peace. The CCPB engages in research, education, and action supporting citizen participation in public peace processes.

CUSA has worked with the Irvine division of Calit2 and Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin to develop an informational website is available at: http://www.myelectiondecision.org/ 

Richard Matthew presented on "Using Sustainability to Build Stability in Africa: Strategic Policy Issues for the Army," on a panel on "Stability, Security and Development," at the U.S. Army War College.

"Climate Change: What it Means for Us, Our Children, and Our Grandchildren," a new book edited by Joseph F. C. DiMento, Director of UCI's Newkirk Center for Science and Society and a CUSA Faculty Affiliate, is now available in hard copy or paper back from MIT Press. The book is the result of a Climate Change Conference sponsored by the UCI Newkirk Center and includes a chapter on "Climate Change and Human Security" by CUSA director Richard Matthew.

September is National Preparedness Month. National Preparedness Month 2007 is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The goal of the month is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies and to encourage individuals to take action. In support of this effort, we have updated our pages on Emergency Preparedness, School Safety, and Pandemic Influenza Planning.

CUSA Director Richard Matthew spoke on "Climate Change and Peace" as part of The Soka Gakkai International (SGI-USA) Culture of Peace Resource Centers' Culture of Peace Distinguished Speaker Series on Saturday, July 21, 2007.

CUSA Faculty Affiliate Scott Bollens has been selected to assume endowed chair for study of peace and international cooperation. The Drew, Chace, and Erin Warmington Chair in the Social Ecology of Peace and International Cooperation was created in 1989 by a donation from Robert and Lori Warmington of Corona del Mar. Bollens succeeds Helen Ingram, who is retiring this summer.

Heather Goldsworthy and Bryan McDonald presented on “Microfinance, Sustainable Development and Security” at workshop on “Poverty and the Environment,” June 11, 2007, Winnipeg, Canada, Workshop sponsored by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

The Center for Unconventional Security Affairs (CUSA) is pleased to announce a call for proposals for two research fellowships: (1) The Heather Mills McCartney Graduate Fellowship in Human Security, and (2) The Coalition Advocating Human Security Fellowships in Human Security. For more information about our fellowships and the call for proposals, please follow this link.

CUSA Research Associate Natalie Baker has been honored with a 2007 Graduate Student Mentor award from the School of Social Ecology.

CUSA Director Richard Matthew has been asked to contribute a column to Disaster Preparedness magazine. His column “Are We Prepared?” appears in the May 2007 issue.

Richard Matthew, Heather Goldsworthy, and Bryan McDonald presented a paper on "Rethinking Environmental Ethics" at the 48th Annual Convention of the International Studies Association from February 28 to March 4 in Chicago, Illinois. This paper was presented as part of a workshop on the Ethics of Global Governance.

CUSA participated in a workshop on "Environmental Challenges of War-Torn Societies: Linking Peace building, Sustainability, and Human Security" on March 7 in Chicago, Illinois. Organized by Ken Conca, Geoff Dabelko, Richard Matthew and Erika Weinthal; this workshop was sponsored by the International Studies Association.

We have updated our page on Pandemic Influenza with links to new guides about Good Home Treatment of Influenza and Consumer Medication Stockpiling.

Roxane Cohen Silver, a CUSA Faculty Affiliate and UC Irvine psychologist, has been appointed to the new federal advisory committee that will help develop travel policies for people visiting the United States. Silver was sworn in by Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the committee’s inaugural on December 6, 2006 in Washington, D.C. Learn more about this appointment.

Bryan McDonald has been named the 2006-07 Tamura Fellow for the School of Social Ecology. The fellowship is named and awarded in honor of Justice Stephen K. Tamura who was appointed in 1961 by Governor Pat Brown to the Orange County Superior Court. Later elevated to the Fourth Appellate District, Justice Tamura was the first Asian American to sit on the California Court of Appeals. He also served as Justice Pro Tem on the California Supreme Court.

CUSA’s ongoing research on environmental security in Nepal was published earlier this year as an article by Richard Matthew and Bishnu Raj Upreti in the 11^th edition Woodrow Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Project Report. In October, CUSA learned that the 11^th issue of the Environmental Change and Security Project Report has been named as the "Best Population Journal" by the Global Media Awards, sponsored by the Population Institute. The Global Media Awards are designed to encourage greater media coverage of population and development issues and other 2006 winners include USA Today, NOVA, and former Vice President Al Gore’s film, "An Inconvenient Truth."

Ted Gaulin has been selected to receive the 2006-2007 Heather Mills McCartney Fellowship in Human Security for his project on “Human Security and Climate Change in Western Sudan: An Interdisciplinary Study of the Conflict in Darfur.” Established in honor of the significant contributions to human security issues made by Heather Mills McCartney, this fellowship will allow graduate students to undertake original research on pressing security issues, and allow them opportunities to use their research to help address real world challenges.

Lane and Fisher win CAHS Fellowships

CUSA’s Coalition Advocating Human Security (CAHS) program is pleased to announce the creation of a graduate fellowship program. CAHS fellows will advance its mission of promoting research, education, public awareness, and evidence based policy making to address urgent cases of vulnerability linked to global changes that impact the lives of individuals, communities, and nations. 2006-2007 CAHS fellows are:

• Samantha Lane, “Justice, Reconciliation and the Law: A Study of Women Survivors of the Genocide in Rwanda;” and

• P. Brian Fisher, “Unequal Power in an Unequal World: Adapting to Climate Change in SIDS”

CAHS co-founders Sandi Jackson and Susan Samueli were featured on the October 2nd broadcast of KOCE public television's Real Orange. They discussed their vision for CAHS and our upcoming Human Security Summit with Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire on October 11, 2006.

Sandi Jackson and Susan Samueli, co-founders of our Coalition Advocating Human Security, were profiled in The Orange County Register's "People Making a Difference" column for their work on Human Security with CAHS.

Three CUSA affiliated researchers have been awarded a $727,000 grant from the Human and Social Dynamics Competition of the National Science Foundation. The researchers, Dr. Roxane Cohen Silver from the Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, and Dr. Richard Matthew from the Department of Planning, Policy and Design, along with Dr. George Shambaugh from Georgetown University, will work on a three-year project entitled "Societal Implications of Individual Differences in Response to Turbulence: The Case of Terrorism."

Together with PSB graduate students Michael Poulin and Scott Blum, and Social Ecology graduate student Bryan McDonald, this interdisciplinary team will conduct surveys on a representative sample of 1500 adults across the United States to examine the impact of the aging of the United States' population on support for government, especially on issues related to terrorism and national security.

Heather Goldsworthy has been awarded a Graduate Fellowship from the UCI Newkirk Center for Science and Society for her project on "The Role of Climate Change Science in Microfinance." Heather has also been recognized with a Shirin Ebadi Graduate Fellowship from the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding, and UCI Dean’s Dissertation Data Gathering Fellowship from the School of Social Ecology.

"Surviving in a Changing World: Environment, Security and Microfinance," an article by Richard Matthew of CUSA and Anne Hammill of IISD has been published in The Green Cross Optimist. This article explores how micro-credit lending could prove a pathway to a peaceful future for the world’s most vulnerable people by bolstering sustainable livelihoods and human security.

CAHS in Orange Coast magazine

CUSA's CAHS program sponsored a lunch with Dr. Wafa Sultan on Thursday, June 15th. Orange Coast magazine's September Issue features our lunch with Dr. Wafa Sultan as part of it's "OC People" section.

The Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS) project held its annual meeting of the scientific steering committee (SSC) in Washington DC, 22-24 May 2006. Two long-standing SSC members, Richard Matthew of the University of California at Irvine, and Elena Nikitina with the Russian Academy of Sciences, ended their terms and the SSC welcomed two new faces: Ken Conca from the University of Maryland and Jinxia Wang of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. More information cane be found at: http://www.gechs.org.

Carr Kelman receives grant from CGPACS

CUSA affiliated graduate student Candice Carr Kelman has been awarded a research grant by the Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies for her project, “Integrated Conservation and Development Projects in Indonesia: A Critical Review of the Literature and Analysis of Historical and Ecological Context.”

Information about Pandemic Influenza and Avian Influenza

CUSA has created a new page providing information and links about Pandemic Influenza and Avian Influenza.

Bryan McDonald has been selected as the 2006 Lauds & Laurels Outstanding Graduate Student. McDonald is among nineteen members of the University of California, Irvine community who was honored at the 36th annual Lauds & Laurels Awards ceremony Thursday, April 27, at The Westin South Coast Plaza. The UCI Alumni Association awards program, initiated in 1971, recognizes alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends who have brought recognition to the university through their achievements, studies or profession.

"Environmental Stress and Demographic Change in Nepal: Underlying Conditions Contributing to a Decade of Insurgency," by Richard Matthew and Bishnu Raj Upreti has been published in the latest issue of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Project Report.

Richard Matthew presented "Environment, Security and Sustainable Development," at Taking Security and Development Seriously: An Agenda for Policy Reform, a conference on February 24, 2006 sponsored by the United Nation's International Peace Academy.

Cities Under Siege

"Cities Under Siege: Urban Planning and the Threat of Infectious Disease," by Richard Matthew and Bryan McDonald has been published in the Winter 2006 volume of the Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA).

The Limits of Terrorism

"The Limits of Terrorism: A Network Perspective," by Richard Matthew and George Shambaugh has been published in the December 2005 issue of International Studies Review.

"The Pendulum Effect: Explaining Shifts in the Democratic Response to Terrorism," by Richard Matthew and George Shambaugh, has been published in ASAP: Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy Vol. 5 No. 1 (2005).

This year’s Human Security Summit on November 4, 2005 featured a keynote address on "Strong Women, Strong Nations" by Zainab Salbi, the founder and CEO of Women for Women International. Ms. Salbi was presented with CUSA's 2005 Human Security Award.

Goldsworthy and Wehrenfennig win CAHS Fellowships

CUSA’s Coalition Advocating Human Security (CAHS) program is pleased to announce the creation of a graduate fellowship program. CAHS fellows will advance its mission of promoting research, education, public awareness, and evidence based policy making to address urgent cases of vulnerability linked to global changes that impact the lives of individuals, communities, and nations. 2005-2006 CAHS fellows are:

• Heather D. Goldsworthy, “Environmental Change and Forced Displacement in Bangladesh: Implications for Peace and Conflict”

• Daniel Wehrenfennig, “Communication and Human Security: New Opportunities and Challenges in the Network Society”

CUSA hosted a workshop on "Women and Human Security," on November, 5th 2005. The workshop will address the unique vulnerabilities and threats to human security experienced by women across the globe, and will result in the publication of an edited volume on the topic.

Emergency Preparedness Guidelines

The ability to be self-sufficient and self-reliant during and after a crisis is essential to the safety of our families, communities and nation. CUSA assembled a preparation and response guide to help citizens protect themselves in the event of a disaster, be it natural, accidental, or intentional.

CUSA graduate student Heather Goldsworthy has been awarded a research grant by the Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies for her project, "Environmental Change and Forced Displacement in Bangladesh: Implications for Peace and Conflict."

CUSA Director Richard Matthew and Advisory Board member Frank Quinlan appeared on KOCE's Real Orange to discuss CUSA's "Crisis Planning for Business" Program.

Richard Matthew has been appointed as a Senior Fellow of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), a non-governmental organization that contributes to sustainable development by advancing policy recommendations on international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change, measurement and assessment, and natural resources management. More information is available at IISD’s website.

The Center for Unconventional Security Affairs took part in the "South OC Chambers of Commerce/UC Irvine 40th Anniversary Reception" on August 5, 2005. This event brought together representatives from UCI with South Orange County Regional Chambers of Commerce Board and South County elected officials  to discuss UCI's impact on the Orange County Community.

Sam Lane, a graduate student affiliated with CUSA, has been selected for a summer internship with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), on the Department of Homeland Security and Justice team in Washington DC. Lane is a PhD Student in Criminology, Law and Society in the School of Social Ecology.

CUSA and CAHS sponsored "Giving a Voice to the Voiceless," a lunch with on. Baroness Cox's firsthand knowledge of communities experiencing terrorism and brutality provided an excellent introduction to the topic CAHS is pursuing this year – Women and Human Security.

CUSA announces the formation of The Coalition Advocating Human Security (CAHS) which promotes research, education, public awareness, and evidence based policy making to address urgent cases of vulnerability linked to global changes that impact the lives of individuals, communities, and nations.

Brittany Schick has been honored by the California State Assembly with a resolution commending “her exemplary record of academic and civic leadership.” Brittany, an undergraduate affiliated with CUSA, is UC Irvine’s first recipient of the George J. Mitchell Scholarship. Schick completed honors research on 21st century security challenges with CUSA Director Richard Matthew.

Richard Matthew and Bryan McDonald presented "Cities Under Siege: Transnational Threats and Urban Vulnerabilities," at the American Planning Association's 2005 National Planning Conference in San Francisco, California.

Bryan McDonald has been awarded a Dean's Dissertation Fellowship from the School of Social Ecology for his dissertation project on "Human Security, Biological Threats and the Food System in the 21st Century." This recognition of Bryan’s work builds on his selection last summer for the University of California’s Institute for Global Conflict and Cooperation’s Public Policy and Biological Threats Training Program.

Dina Giannikopoulos, a graduate student affilated with CUSA, was selected to participate in a human rights delegation to Cambodia during summer 2005. She will work with Cambodian Volunteers for Community Development, a grassroots NGO whose mission is to reduce poverty within communities through education and volunteerism by offering disadvantaged citizens the opportunity to cooperate in their own community development. In addition to collecting preliminary data for her dissertation, Dina will also spend time teaching English to young children living in squatter communities in the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

Richard Matthew and George Shambaugh presented "Enduring Concepts, New Ideas, and the Interpretation of Transnational Threats" at the annual meeting of the International Studies Association, Honolulu, Hawaii, March 3, 2005.

Brittany Schick, a UCI Political Science major has been honored for her academics, leadership, and community service by being awarded a Mitchell Scholarship. Brittany has been working with CUSA on a project exploring the role of military intelligence in the new security environment of the 21st century. As a Mitchell Scholar, Brittany will study for a Master's degree in International Relations at Dublin City University where she will explore Northern Ireland's experiences dealing with terrorism. Brittany is the first UCI student to be chosen for this honor.

Three CUSA affiliated undergraduates have been selected as Fellows by UCI’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) for 2004-2005.