The Mercyhurst Institute for Intelligence Studies will be recognized by the U.S. State Department’s Office of Antiterrorism Assistance for its continued research and expanding role in fighting international terrorism.

Not only a teaching tool for students and faculty alike, the programs developed through its partnership with the U.S. State Department have provided many opportunities for students as well as assisting in curbing international terrorism.

The Institute for Intelligence Studies began its work in international terrorism in 2007, when it signed its first contract with the U.S. State Department. The contract allowed faculty and students studying intelligence to develop a law enforcement training program in portions of Latin America, Asia and Africa.

Courses developed for the Office of Antiterrorism Assistance include Identifying and developing Investigation Information (IDII), Investigative Information Management (IIM), Combating Domestic and Transnational Terrorism (CDTT) and Integrating Counter-Terrorism Stategies at the National Level (ICTSNL).

According to the State Department, the institute was recognized “based upon their expertise in the field of law enforcement intelligence; being well known for providing very high-quality individuals in various intelligence programs; and past performance of developing curricula for other government and non-government agencies, including the FBI, DHS, Northrop Grumman and Booz Allen Hamilton.”

The State Department also said, “In addition to their excellent qualifications, it was determined that a tremendous cost savings would be gained by using Mercyhurst College for these projects as opposed to other vendors. Mercyhurst provided excellent Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and Instructional System Designers (ISDs). The management team at Mercyhurst was easy to work with and was always available to discuss and resolve any issues. They assisted with the coordination and logistics of all the pilot presentations which was a great benefit to the U.S. Embassies.”

The award presentation was originally scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30, but due to the weather hurricane Sandy brought to the East Coast, it will be rescheduled for a later date. This date is yet to be determined by administration.