Created in response to the September 11 attacks, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was tasked with protecting the nation. On Thursday, September 24, Tom Ridge, author of The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege ... And How We Can Be Safe Again, joins Milano and the Center for New York City Affairs to discuss the creation of the department, its early history, and his tenure as its first secretary. He will speak about the agency’s successes and failures and offer recommendations on such matters as the federal threat-level alert system, immigration reform, and reorganization of DHS along regional lines—with a focus on the unique security needs of New York.

Ridge will deliver a keynote address and then engage in conversation with Bob Kerrey, president of The New School.
This event will take place from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. in the Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor.