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DOE Unveils Funding Effort for High-Energy Density Plasma Research
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DOE Unveils Funding Effort for High-Energy Density Plasma Research

The Department of Energy (DOE) intends to award $9 million in funds to support the exploration of high-energy density laboratory plasmas (HEDLP).

Chris Fall, director of DOE's office of science, said in a statement published Wednesday HEDLPs could allow inertial fusion energy and have potential applications in medicine, industry and national security. 

Nonprofit research institutions, universities and businesses are eligible to apply for the funding opportunity. DOE will pick the awardees through a competitive peer review process.

The department will obligate funding from fiscal year 2021 funds across a three-year period. Researchers observe the behavior of matter in harsh environments through the study of HEDLPs. 

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Core Stages for Crewed NASA Artemis Missions Now Under Production
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Core Stages for Crewed NASA Artemis Missions Now Under Production

NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility has commenced the production of the rocket core stages for both the second and third Artemis missions. These stages bring propellant tanks, RS-25 engines and avionics wiring to the Space Launch System (SLS)that serves as the launch vehicle for both of the upcoming missions, NASA said Thursday.

The facility has already built Artemis II's main core stage structures and is now working to assemble the engine section. Michoud personnel are now installing and testing the core stage's subsystems. As for Artemis III, core stage structures are now in the welding process.

The space agency launched the Artemis program to revive manned space exploration. Artemis II, the program's first crewed mission, will have astronauts demonstrate a lunar flyby in preparation for Artemis III's planned lunar landing.

Artemis II and Artemis III are planned for launch in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Astronauts will fly aboard the Orion spacecraft for both missions.

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Marine Corps Squadron Qualifies F-35C Aircraft for Carrier Use; Maj. Gen. Christopher Mahoney Quoted
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Marine Corps Squadron Qualifies F-35C Aircraft for Carrier Use; Maj. Gen. Christopher Mahoney Quoted

The U.S. Marine Corps has announced the initial operational capability of F-35C Lightning II aircraft under Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 or VMFA-314.

This milestone allows VMFA-314 to use F-35C with U.S. Navy aircraft carriers for global missions, USMC said Wednesday. The F-35 is designed as a fifth-generation multi-role aircraft system capable of stealth operations.

“The F-35 is an expeditionary platform that extends the reach of our Marines and machines, and increases our ability to support joint and allied partners at a moment’s notice,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher Mahoney, commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

VMFA-314 demonstrated compliance with various standards and met pilot quantity requirements to qualify the F-35C units.

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DISA Deploys Cloud-Based Internet Browsing Tool for Remote Employees; Angela Landress Quoted
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DISA Deploys Cloud-Based Internet Browsing Tool for Remote Employees; Angela Landress Quoted

Angela Landress, chief of defensive cyber operations at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), said her office is working to fortify network security through efforts such as implementing a new cloud-based browsing tool, C4ISRnet reported Wednesday.

Landress told the publication that DISA rolled out the Cloud Based Internet Isolation (CBII) browsing technology to help teleworking employees fortify their security postures without needing to activate a virtual private network.

The CBII tool is designed to reroute traffic away from user devices to an isolated environment. 

“When you’re in a government facility around your co-workers you’re held to a standard and your security strategy is always reinforced,” said Landress.

DISA is working with other federal agencies to address non-Department of Defense (DoD) specific threats that could still impact a remote workforce, according to the DISA official.

She cited other approaches that DISA is executing to address security risks including multifactor authentication, identity management and renewed analyst focus on internet- and cloud-based threats.

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GAO, Nat’l Academy of Medicine Release Assessment of Health Sector’s AI Implementation Efforts
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GAO, Nat’l Academy of Medicine Release Assessment of Health Sector’s AI Implementation Efforts

A two-part report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has found that artificial intelligence tools show potential in clinical and administrative applications such as patient-provider communications.

The first part of the joint report is focused on the benefits and challenges of using AI to augment patient care while the second half provides insight into AI applications in health settings outside the hospital and clinic (HSOHC).

According to GAO and NAM, specific applications where AI would be most beneficial include recommending treatments, guiding surgical operations, monitoring patients, forecasting health outcomes and managing population health.

Challenges in AI adoption include difficulties in accessing high-quality data and issues surrounding ethical bias, the report states.

The audit's findings show that successful implementation of AI in HSOHC settings entail consideration of best practices in personal data security, insurance allocations for AI-assisted care and algorithm development.

“Overcoming these challenges and optimizing the impact of AI tools on clinical outcomes will involve engaging diverse stakeholders, deliberately designing AI tools and interfaces, rigorously evaluating clinical and economic utility, and diffusing and scaling algorithms across different health settings,” the report's authors wrote.

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Katie Arrington: DoD Working With Industry to Position US Supply Chain
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Katie Arrington: DoD Working With Industry to Position US Supply Chain

Katie Arrington, chief information security officer at the office of the assistant secretary of defense for acquisition and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, has said the Pentagon is working to mitigate supply-chain reliance on adversary nations, National Defense Magazine reported Wednesday.

Arrington told attendees at a National Defense Industrial Association event that the Department of Defense (DoD) seeks to position the U.S. supply chain to address military as well as commercial needs.

She noted that the DoD is collaborating with industry on efforts to deploy artificial intelligence-driven risk assessment technologies that can automate the detection of vulnerabilities while allowing information-sharing among industry partners.

“We have to really work on these tools and indicators and warnings, and having AI behind them to help us,” said Arrington.

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William Evanina: China Targets Biden Administration Members
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William Evanina: China Targets Biden Administration Members

William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said China has expanded its efforts against Joe Biden's upcoming administration, Cyberscoop reported Wednesday.

Evanina said his team has observed Chinese operations targeting Biden administration members and peers. The NCSC director noted that he will brief Biden administration officials about the issue.

“That’s one area we’re going to be very keen on making sure the new administration understands that influence,” Evanina stated.

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Baird Serves as Financial Advisor to BigBear Under NuWave Acquisition
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Baird Serves as Financial Advisor to BigBear Under NuWave Acquisition

NuWave Solutions has acquired BigBear, a cloud-based, big data analytics company that provides solutions to the national security community. During the acquisition process, Baird served as financial advisor to BigBear.

With the purchase, NuWave will gain expertise within big data computing and analytics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, geospatial information systems, data mining and systems engineering. BigBear has provided technology solutions to customers across the defense and intelligence communities.

“BigBear’s data and analytics solutions bolster our existing capabilities to address the entire spectrum of information superiority,” said Dr. Reggie Brothers, CEO of NuWave and GovCon Expert. “Making better decisions from data while mitigating risk is a top priority for our government customers, and we look forward to working with the BigBear team as we supplement our capabilities to meet growing demand.”

Akerman served as legal advisor and Ernst & Young served as financial advisor to NuWave. To learn more about NuWave’s acquisition of BigBear, visit ExecutieBiz.com.

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Horace Blackman Joins CGI Federal’s Healthcare and Social Services Practice; Steven Sousa Quoted
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Horace Blackman Joins CGI Federal’s Healthcare and Social Services Practice; Steven Sousa Quoted

CGI Federal has appointed Horace Blackman as senior vice president of Consulting Services for the Health and Human Services market, within the company’s Healthcare and Social Services Practice (HSSP), the company reported on Thursday.

“We welcome Mr. Blackman to CGI Federal’s Health and Social Services Practice team,” said Steven Sousa, CGI senior vice president of Consulting Services. “He will not only broaden our perspectives, he will further enhance our capability profile into the healthcare IT space with his civilian and military program experience.”

Blackman has more than two decades of successful growth and value to mission critical government healthcare programs, across the public and private sectors. In his new role, Blackman will be responsible for strategy development and the execution of business and technology solutions to clients within the healthcare sector.

Prior to joining CGI, Blackman held leadership roles focused on business development, program execution and strategic planning at Edifecs, Cognizant, Leidos and Lockheed Martin. Blackman also spent six years in various IT leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

In addition, Blackman was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to serve on the George Mason University Board of Visitors and currently serves as the Vice Rector. He also serves on the board of 1455 Literary Arts.

“I’m excited and humbled to be joining an incredibly talented and successful team within the Healthcare and Social Services Practice,” added Blackman. “This group has been focused on supporting our clients within these important markets, transforming the lives of our fellow citizens, and I look forward to being a part of our continued success.”

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Tsymmetry Names Jeff Affuso as CEO
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Tsymmetry Names Jeff Affuso as CEO

Tsymmetry has appointed Jeff Affuso as the chief executive officer (CEO), succeeding Todd Sickles, the company reported on Thursday. Affuso has more than two decades of proven leadership and strategic business development experience, with high levels of responsibility and results.

“From my first conversation with Jeff, and the many others we’ve had, there was absolute alignment between Jeff’s experience in cultivating sustainable growth, tech innovation and our collective vision for the evolution of this company. Jeff is a consummate professional and a thoughtful leader.“ said Tsymmetry chairman, Philip Lowit.

Affuso has led large, geographically dispersed teams of more than 280 professionals supporting complex technology, advisory and mission support services, including international programs.

Prior to joining Tsymmetry, Affuso served as chief operating officer (COO) and chief growth officer (CGO) of DRT Strategies (DRT), an information technology (IT) solutions provider that supports federal health and federal civilian markets.

Throughout his career, Affuso has developed a broad network of industry relationships ranging from Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) to major Federal Contractors.

“Over the last 10 years, Tsymmetry has developed into a well-respected federal prime contractor through the efforts of the entire Tsymmetry team.  I am confident that under Jeff’s leadership, this company will further establish itself as an industry leader, creating many new opportunities. Jeff is well suited for this role and the next chapter of this company,” Sickles said.

About Tsymmetry

Tsymmetry is a nationally recognized information technology (IT) and business services provider, serving the Federal Government, focusing on National Security and Public Safety. The award-winning firm specializes in application development and testing, cybersecurity, network engineering, infrastructure support and program management.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in Santa Fe (NM), and Melbourne (FL), Tsymmetry supports mission-critical programs in the U.S. as well as multiple OCONUS locations around the world. The Firm has a strong reputation of deploying innovative technology solutions and helping its clients achieve operational excellence through its mission of accelerated good governance.

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