Dr. Roland Benke performs privately funded research at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus and is engaged with startups developing new sensors for hazardous material detection and conducting government-funded research. Inside the laboratory, his projects have developed new measurement and analytical techniques using portable radiation detection instruments for homeland security applications. His previous measurement techniques have been used to identify radioactive hot spots from aerial gamma-ray surveys of ground contamination surrounding the damaged Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear reactors in Japan. Dr. Benke is a certified health physicist with 25 years of experience. He is an associate editor of Health Physics, The Radiation Safety Journal, and has been trained by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for activation as a Radiological Operations Support Specialist during the response to major radiological incidents.