Veteran UH Hilo educator to head national terrorism think tank at USC
University of Hawaiʻi at HiloDr. Stephen C. Hora has been named director of the Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE) at the University of Southern California (USC), effective August 16, 2009.
Hora has served as a professor of management science and statistics at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo since 1985. He was also interim vice chancellor for Academic Affairs from 2005 to 2007 and interim dean for the College of Arts and Sciences from 2003 to 2004. His appointment returns him to his alma mater where he earned both his Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) in general management.
CREATE was established in 2004 by the Department of Homeland Security and is the nation‘s first Center of Excellence supporting research in response to the threat of terrorism to be based at a university. The center is tasked with developing predictive models to gauge how and where terrorist events might occur, calculating their economic consequences and identifying the nation‘s vulnerabilities. Hora said he looks forward to his new responsibilities with mixed emotions.
"I hate to leave lovely Hilo but this position provides an opportunity to contribute on a national level in an area of great importance," Hora stated. "My plans are to return here at some point in the future."
Hora, who has authored more than 80 published articles, book reviews and invited papers, has led several CREATE studies. His most recent work includes a current two-year grant researching Expert Judgment Elicitation Methods. As director, Hora will head a national research team that has produced over 250 publications and reports on biological threats, border and port security, and maintains an active conference schedule.
"Steve‘s leadership and expertise has been a tremendous benefit to UH Hilo that will serve him well in directing the important work being done at the Center," said Chancellor Rose Tseng. "Although we‘re sorry to see him go, we wish him all the best in this new endeavor."