Mr. Robert Ross – Department of Homeland Security
Captain Ross is currently serving as the Chief, Risk Sciences Branch in the Office of Special Programs in the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate. On active service in the Coast Guard from 1973 to 2003, Captain Ross spent the majority of his career in the Marine Safety and Environmental Protection programs. In his last operational assignment he was Captain of the Port and Officer in Charge of Marine Inspection in San Juan where he was responsible for commercial shipping safety, port safety and security and marine environmental protection activities in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In his current position, Captain Ross is conducting or overseeing studies intended to shed light on “next threat” and “threat after next” issues in Homeland Security, the nexus between terrorism and both offensive and defensive technologies and on analytic methodologies, including risk assessment, to support more effective decision-making in the national Homeland Security enterprise.
Captain Ross holds a BS in Ocean Engineering from the USCG Academy and an MS in Systems Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. He was also a fellow in the MIT Center for International Studies Seminar XXI program. While in the Coast Guard he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the CG and Navy Commendation Medals and the CG and Army Achievement Medals.