Rutgers University has created a new center for public safety and homeland security to prepare for and respond to natural disasters and terrorist threats. According to Clifton Lacy, the Rutgers Institute for Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security director, the center will include a one-stop online portal showcasing the collaborations among Rutgers experts across all statewide locations, including the fields of medicine, public health, life sciences, engineering, physical sciences, humanities, social sciences, public policy, public safety and law.

“It will not only make this campus safer but the state of New Jersey and the country stronger by exporting best practices,” says Lacy. “The goal for this institute is to form a leadership role, both nationally and internationally, in the fields of emergency preparedness, disaster response and homeland security.”

The institute is supported through grants and fundraising, as well as university research projects, USA Today reports.