Environment

is it export control or research security? (yes.) understanding the intersection and building effective institutional partnerships

Wednesday, 10/07 at 2:05 PM

Hill Ballroom

About this session

Export control and research security increasingly intersect across the university research enterprise, but the boundaries between these areas are not always clear. A visiting researcher, international travel, a procurement transaction, a foreign collaboration, controlled technology, or a research disclosure may raise questions that extend beyond a single compliance function.

This panel will explore the practical intersection of export control and research security through common university transactions and institutional touchpoints. Panelists will examine how the two lenses differ, where they overlap, when an Export Control Officer should engage other institutional partners, and how organizations can establish effective handoffs and escalation pathways.

Rather than treating export control and research security as separate functions, the session will focus on building coordinated processes that identify risks early, clarify roles and decision ownership, document appropriate controls, and support effective institutional risk management.

Speaker(s)

Saul Sotolongo, JD

Allen DiPalma

Executive Director, Office of Research Security and Trade Compliance University of Pittsburgh Deputy Director, NSF SECURE Analytics Program Allen A. DiPalma is the Executive Director of the Office of Research Security and Trade Compliance at the University of Pittsburgh and the Deputy Director of the NSF funded SECURE Analytics Program.  As Executive Director, he is responsible for the export controls program, academic visitor policy, drones' policy, and management of Pitt’s developing plan to address federal research security requirements. Prior to being named to lead Pitt’s Office of Research Security and Trade Compliance in 2014, Mr. DiPalma directed Pitt’s sponsored project office for 10 years and also has prior experience working in Pitt’s medical school, financial, accounting, and departmental administration. As Deputy Director of the SECURE Analytics Program, he is responsible for customer onboarding and outreach as well as other program development and community engagement activities. Allen currently serves as a member of the Research Security and Intellectual Property (RSIP) Committee for the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR), an Export Controls and Research Security Traveling Faculty member for the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA), a U.S. Department of State Biosecurity Engagement Program Research Security Subject Matter Expert, and the Academic Security and Counter Exploitation Conference Chair (2027). Allen previously served as the Chair of the Board for the Association of University Export Controls Officers (AUECO), and a member of the Board of Directors for the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR). Allen received a B.S. Degree in Business Administration from Oral Roberts University; an M.B.A from the University of Pittsburgh; is certified in the EAR and ITAR through the Export Controls Training Institute (ECTI); and is a 2020 graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy.

Catrina VanAllen

Catrina has supported universities, academic health centers, and healthcare systems with compliance for 20 years. She regularly works with institutions to evaluate compliance programs, implement or enhance research operations, and conduct regulatory compliance reviews. She has deep expertise in research security, disclosure requirements, and export controls, working with institutions on trade compliance, mitigating undue foreign influence, and ensuring alignment with evolving research security expectations.

Hosted by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill