On the Front Lines

He was seated on a plane to Mexico City with his wife and two children, heading off for a much-anticipated family vacation, when Pedro Cortes recognized how crucial his research is – and how urgent.

Cortes, an associate professor of Engineering at YSU, is working on a process that could simply and quickly detect the presence of super explosives – tiny, easy-to-conceal devices that terrorists have used to kill and destroy. He realized at that moment, waiting for takeoff, how his research could add a crucial layer of protection for his family, and for millions of other travelers everyday.

Working quietly in his lab in Moser Hall on the YSU campus, Cortes is on the front lines in the international battle to thwart terrorism. YSU Magazine shares his story, along with profiles of three others, all proud YSU alumni, who are hard at work, looking for answers to some of the most pressing problems facing our world today.

Thwarting Terrorism Pedro Cortes, Associate Professor, Engineering	Battling the Opiate Epidemic Shaena Taylor, ’08 BS
Offering the Homeless a Hand Up John Muckridge III, ’05 BSBA	Helping Flint Water Crisis Victims Face an Uncertain Future Dan Russell, ’75 BS