MACOMB, IL — Western Illinois University's Director of Homeland Security Research Program Dean Alexander is available for interviews regarding the U.S. bomb strikes Tuesday in Syria.

Alexander is a professor in Western's School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA) and teaches LEJA and homeland security courses. (The School of LEJA's homeland security minor is one of the top four minor programs offered at WIU; as of Fall 2014, 236 students were enrolled in the minor program.) He also conducts homeland security-related research, writes articles for security publications and presents at international conferences on a regular basis.

In late May, Alexander published "Syria's Siren," an article in Intersec, The Journal of International Security, which expands on the opinion piece, "Restrict flow of foreign fighters to Syria," he published in the Peoria Journal Star April 19. He is presenting on this topic at NATO's Center of Excellence Defence Against Terrorism in Ankrara, Turkey, later this fall.

Currently, Alexander is on sabbatical to focus on his homeland security research. Earlier this year, he traveled to Romania, where he presented his research on family-affiliated terrorism at the Southeast European Law Enforcement Center in Bucharest. Also, in January 2014, Alexander published "Terror in the Family" in Intersec, an article about the Boston Marathon bombers, brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, which highlights the threat of radicalization within families.

Additional recent commentary/expertise provided by Prof. Alexander include:"Front & Center: Defeating terrorism is a team sport," Q&A (4/18/13) with Darryl E. Owens from Orlando Sentinelwww.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/os-ed-front-and-center-sports-security-20130417,0,2130539.story

"Boston brothers in bombs," by Dean C. AlexanderToday's Zaman (4/22/13, Istanbul, Turkey)www.todayszaman.com/news-313405-boston-brothers-in-bombsby-dean-c-alexander-.html

"The Public's Role in Preventing Terrorism," by Dean Alexander and Terry Mors, Security Magazine (5/2/13)www.securitymagazine.com/blogs/14-security-blog/post/84314-the-publics-role-in-preventing-terrorism

"Is the Woman Next Door a Terrorist?" by Dean Alexander and Robert Ceresero, Security Magazine (September 2013, p. 52), http://digital.bnpmedia.com/publication/?i=173995

More information about Alexander's background is available on his WIU faculty webpage at www.wiu.edu/coehs/leja/faculty_staff/alexander.php