DS 11 Mystery Risks

Problem Statement

Evaluate and compare existing wearable technology, commercial technology, lab grade technology and software that gather and identify, in real-time, changing environment and forensic variables in embassies. These variables must be categorized under one of three high risk categories: radioactive threats, chemical threats and biological threats. Focus on integrating the new devices into pre-existing protocol measures. Additionally, focus on finding methods to extract and merge the data collected from the selected devices into their respective categories so the Countermeasures Program Division (CMP), headquarters, and regional security teams can analyze the environmental and forensic data trends to help predict security risks and potentially save lives.

Solution

To best protect embassy personnel from radioactive, chemical, and biological threats, we are proposing a multi-layered network of commercial, wearable detection and monitoring devices. The goal of our comprehensive strategy is to detect anomalous risks and get ahead of indiscriminate, unconventional warfare in an increasingly dangerous world. Due to our recommended commercial technologies having lower accuracy levels compared to lab-grade technologies, we seek to combine the strengths of multiple devices to account for every contingency. The advantages of incorporating a multi-layered approach include mitigating false positives, reinforcing decisions to initiate emergency protocols, and allowing for a strategic distribution of the recommended devices. By implementing different technologies, low thresholds and noise can be overcome to ensure that only legitimate threats activate the imminent danger notification protocol. Finally, while numerous types of detection technologies are recommended, our proposal allows for a strategic distribution of devices across embassy grounds so that no one personnel will be responsible for all devices.  

To best protect embassy personnel from radioactive, chemical, and biological threats, we are proposing a multi-layered network of commercial, wearable detection and monitoring devices. The goal of our comprehensive strategy is to mitigate false positives, reinforce decisions to initiate emergency protocols, and allow for a strategic distribution of the recommended devices. 

Meet the Team

Alma Cruz

Alma Cruz is a Junior Mathematics major. Alma has 7+ years of experience working in restaurants. She has built her skills in customer service, management and marketing through Harrisonburg’s locally owned music venue/ restaurant, The Golden Pony, where she was the GM for 4 years and bartended for 3 years. Her main interests lie in creating craft cocktails, from designing the menu and creating recipes to training the staff. Her biggest challenge was managing the restaurant through COVID-19, which gave her numerous challenges, from making the decision to shut–down for three months at the peak of COVID-19 to implementing the ever-so-changing state regulations to keep both the staff safe and guests safe during these times. It was truly a high-stress situation, but she learned the most during this time. She is also an active participant in promoting local cultural events both at The Golden Pony and other locations in town. After some time off from college and after COVID-19, Alma wanted to further build her skillsets. She recently returned to college to get her degree in Mathematics to pursue a career in data analysis.