Students with a passion for cyber security, biometrics, robotics and space technologies will present their ideas to a panel of government and industry experts April 27 at UCCS.
A UCCS student, as well as those from as many as 40 other top colleges including U.S. military academies, will participate in the National Homeland Defense Foundation’s 6th Annual National Security Innovation Competition in Berger Hall.
Representing UCCS will be Michael Wilbur, a junior Bachelor of Innovation student, and Terry Spence, a doctoral student studying computer science in the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
“We are impressed with not only the quantity of entries, but also the quality of the type of research being submitted to this year’s NSIC,” Retired U.S. Air Force Major General Mark Volcheff, executive director of the competition, said. “These students are the future homeland security and homeland defense workforce and we should all feel confident knowing that their technologies will be keeping us safe far into the future.”
The National Security Innovation Competition is designed as a one-of-a-kind venue to link college students conducting cutting-edge research on concepts and technologies intended to meet national security capability needs, with government and industry customers. The competition also hopes to encourage younger students to pursue science, technology, engineering and math educations when they enter college.
About 40 teams submitted research papers to be considered, Volcheff said. A panel of technical experts will review the submissions and select semi-finalists. The top 10 teams will send representatives to the competition to present their ideas. Representatives from the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, CIA, federal labs, and private security and technology firms will be on hand for the competition. A patent and investment firm also will attend.
The top three finishers win scholarships, with $10,000 for first place.
There is no limit to ideas and many could find applications in the military or civilian worlds, including biofuel production or exoskeletons for people to wear for heavy work. Concepts for building construction that will protect structures again bomb blasts with minimal cost increases could also help homes withstand tornadoes or hurricanes, Volcheff said.
For more information, visit www.NHDF.org
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