Contact: Barbara L. Daniels, 272-7214 Media Contact: Michael Padilla, 277-1816

Feb. 17, 2003 UNM hosts 3rd annual Biological Threat Reduction Conference U.S. Surgeon General to deliver keynote address The theme for the 3rd annual Biological Threat Reduction (BTR) conference, scheduled for March 20 and 21, is “Unified Science & Technology for Reducing Biological Threats & Countering Terrorism, Strategy and Ground Truth: Defining the Road Ahead.” The conference will be held at Wyndham Hotel Albuquerque, 2910 Yale SE, and will address the underlying science, implications to strategic analysis and policy, and operational effectiveness of homeland security. BTR 2003, an open public forum, brings together national security strategists, faculty from leading science and engineering departments at universities and Department of Energy and Department of Defense Labs, industrial scientists, and government and industry leaders. Robert Duncan, conference chair and associate dean for research in the UNM College of Arts and Sciences, said the BTR 2003 is extremely timely. “The issue of reducing biological threats and countering terrorism must be addressed by multi-disciplinary teams of strategists, physicians, scientists and engineers,” Duncan said. “UNM continues to provide an environment for original thought on these cross-disciplinary advanced studies,” he said. Event co-sponsors include UNM Office of the Vice Provost for Research; UNM Center for Advanced Studies; UNM School of Engineering; UNM School of Medicine; Argonne National Laboratory; Los Alamos National Laboratory; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Sandia National Laboratories; and Texas Tech University Center for Biodefense, Law, and Public Policy. Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona, U.S. Surgeon General, will serve as keynote speaker. He will present “Perspectives on Preparedness from the U.S. Surgeon General” on Thursday, March 20 at 8:50 a.m. Lt. Gen. P.K. Carlton, director, Integrative Center for Homeland Securityand former Surgeon General of the Air Force, will speak right after Carmona. Brigadier General Annette Sobel, NMANG, Air National Guard Assistant for WMD and civil support to the chief, National Guard Bureau, and distinguished member of the technical staff, Sandia National Laboratory and research faculty at UNM has arranged the program and has made arrangements for the U.S. Surgeon General to be the keynote speaker. The technical sessions for the conference include: National Level Preparedness and Response; International Web of Terrorism; Effective Preparedness through Countermeasures; and New Mexico and Regional Response Infrastructure. BTR 2003 registration forms with fees must be received before the conference for each registrant. For registration information contact Deborah G. Cole at 505-272-7215 or dcole@unm.edu. General information can be found at http://coffee.phys.unm.edu/BTR. ###

The University of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
Hodgin Hall, 2nd floor
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0011
Telephone: (505) 277-5813
Fax: (505) 277-1981