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Rabi Chitrakar Joins NobleReach as VP of IT
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Rabi Chitrakar Joins NobleReach as VP of IT

Rabi Chitrakar has joined NobleReach Foundation as the company’s new vice president of IT.

In his new role, Chitrakar will leverage nearly two decades of experience in cybersecurity, digital transformation and cloud systems to advance NobleReach’s IT strategies and operational efficiency, the Tysons Corner, Virginia-based company told ExecutiveGov.

Chitrakar’s Prior IT Roles

Before joining NobleReach, Chitrakar served as the director of IT at Revature, where he advanced technological systems to streamline company processes. According to Chitrakar’s LinkedIn, his efforts led to a 20 percent increase in customer satisfaction. Prior to Revature, he was the VP of solutions delivery at Aura, where he elevated customer experiences in cybersecurity audits and managed cloud delivery to promote scalability and cost efficiency. 

NobleReach Expansion Efforts

NobleReach has recently expanded its leadership team by recruiting talent in technology, science and entrepreneurship to continue addressing critical nationwide challenges.

In August, Krishnan Rajagopalan, CEO Emeritus at Heidrick & Struggles, was tapped as a NobleReach board member to grow talent development programs. That same month, the company also unveiled the NobleReach Scholars, a cohort of 19 professionals who earned placements in numerous public and private sector organizations.

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Col. Alexander Rasmussen Named SDA Chief Capability Officer
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Col. Alexander Rasmussen Named SDA Chief Capability Officer

The Space Development Agency has appointed Col. Alexander Rasmussen, most recently chief of the Tracking Layer at SDA, as chief capability officer.

Rasmussen announced his appointment in a LinkedIn post published Tuesday.

In 2021, he joined SDA as program manager for the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer.

What Is SDA’s Tracking Layer?

The Tracking Layer program seeks to detect, identify and track hypersonic missiles and other advanced missile threats through a proliferated constellation of more than 100 satellites in low Earth orbit as part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

SDA expects the Tracking Layer to demonstrate missile defense capability by integrating fire control-quality infrared sensors in the constellation.

According to the agency, the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer is the first step toward an accelerated missile warning/missile tracking capability.

Rasmussen’s Army Career

Prior to SDA, he was the product manager for mounted positioning, navigation and timing within the U.S. Army. 

According to his profile on the professional networking platform, he also held the roles of program manager for the joint friendly forces tracking testbed, PM for foreign armored vehicle analysis and brigade current operations officer.

He was deployed in Iraq, where he served as a company commander, battalion civil military operations officer and tank platoon leader.

Rasmussen has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

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Constellation New Energy Lands $120M GSA Deal to Update NCR Buildings
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Constellation New Energy Lands $120M GSA Deal to Update NCR Buildings

The General Services Administration has awarded Constellation New Energy a $119.8 million contract to implement energy-saving measures at five National Capital Region facilities.

Under the agreement, the company will update building systems, enhance energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and convert four NCR buildings to operate solely on electric power, GSA said Tuesday.

More Efficient Federal Footprint

The project, part of the federal government’s efforts to reduce around $450 million in energy costs, will modernize the Elijah Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse, the William B. Bryant Annex, the Orville Wright Federal Building, the Wilbur Wright Federal Building and the Harvey W. Wiley Federal Building.

Set to be implemented through an energy savings performance contract, the project will employ innovative measures to make the federal footprint more efficient, GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said in a statement. “This project demonstrates how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is helping to achieve a triple win of lower energy costs for taxpayers, more jobs in communities and a healthier future for all Americans,” she added.

Electrification Project

The contract work includes LED lighting retrofits, building envelope enhancements, utility distribution upgrades, water conservation measures and heating and cooling plant electrification, enabling GSA to save $2.2 million in utility costs. It will also implement an electrification project that upon completion would allow the structures to operate on more efficient electric energy.

The project is funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, which allocates $3.4 billion for GSA to build, modernize and maintain cost-efficient facilities.

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ARPA-H Unveils Platform for Enhanced Medical Imaging
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ARPA-H Unveils Platform for Enhanced Medical Imaging

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, has unveiled a new platform aimed at enhancing medical imaging by leveraging artificial intelligence tools and technology.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency said Monday it is seeking proposals for the ImagiNg Data EXchange, or INDEX, program. The objective of the funding opportunity is to develop the exchange platform and foster connection between medical imaging data providers, users and services. This is expected to boost the development of AI-enhanced tools for radiology, pathology and surgical imaging. 

What Is the ImagiNg Data EXchange?

The INDEX program is an initiative meant to address the gaps in the development of medical AI tools, particularly the lack of high-quality medical imaging data. Medical imaging is essential for diagnosis and treatment but there is a lack of trained professionals, particularly radiologists and pathologists, that can interpret imaging exams. The use of AI and machine learning can potentially address this issue. 

Through the INDEX platform, medical software developers can access large volumes of imaging data for training, testing and validating AI/ML applications. Developers can leverage digital pathology, surgical videos, radiological scans and other medical imaging data to enhance these applications.

Should the initiative succeed, healthcare providers will be able to process more medical images faster and provide more accurate diagnoses. 

ARPA-H Director Renee Wegrzyn, remarked, “For AI-enabled medical diagnostic tools to become commonplace in medical settings, we must work to enable consistent performance, which requires large volumes of diverse and representative data for training, testing and validation.”

Register now and join Potomac Officers Club as they present the 2024 Healthcare Summit. Get to know the latest about the healthcare sector from industry experts and thought leaders.

ARPA-H Unveils Platform for Enhanced Medical Imaging
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Air Force Issues BAA for Automated Heavy Machinery Tech
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Air Force Issues BAA for Automated Heavy Machinery Tech

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center Readiness Directorate, or AFCEC/CX, has released a broad agency announcement seeking potential industry sources capable of conducting research and development regarding automated heavy machinery technologies for Air Force civil engineer operations.

According to the BAA posted on SAM.gov Monday, AFCEC/CX is seeking proposals for R&D projects to develop and demonstrate automation and intelligent system technologies that will be utilized for heavy equipment. The potential technology will be used for various purposes, including construction, vegetation management and infrastructure maintenance.

BAA Areas of Interest

Some areas of interest that R&D efforts can focus on include:

  • Automated navigation and driving, including GPS/waypoint enabled and GPS-denied settings.
  • AI-driven machinery for civil engineering operations.
  • Actuated end-effectors like autonomously operated arms and jointed blades.
  • Common operating picture that links multiple vehicles or machines for conducting operations simultaneously.
  • Safety procedures for large vehicles such as tractors, excavators, dump trucks and street sweepers in crowded environments.
  • Robotic appliques and control systems that can be easily installed on different machines.

The potential vendor can receive an approved maximum value of $49 million while the remaining ceiling is $45 million. Potential offerors may send in their proposals until Jan. 13, 2025 at 10:00 am CST.

Join the Potomac Officers Club on Jan. 23 for the 2025 Defense R&D Summit! Register now and get to know what the nation’s leading defense researchers, experts and decision-makers have to say.

Air Force Issues BAA for Automated Heavy Machinery Tech
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CCC, Estes Energetics Awarded DOD NQ Supply Chain Contract
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CCC, Estes Energetics Awarded DOD NQ Supply Chain Contract

Canadian Commercial Corp. and Estes Energetics have received a total value of $5.1 million from the Department of Defense to strengthen the supply chain by ensuring the availability of raw materials.

The DOD said Monday the awards, facilitated through the Defense Production Act Purchases office in collaboration with the Joint Program Executive Office Armaments and Ammunition, aim to enhance the process of recrystallizing nitroguanidine, or NQ. The project supports the 2024 National Defense Industrial Strategy’s objective of enhancing supply chain resilience, which will be instrumental in the production of weapon systems for national security.

The escalating global conflicts have increased demand for triple-base propellant and IMX explosives, which are used in artillery systems. This has put the spotlight on the nitroguanidine supply chain. The DPA Title III funding is expected to enhance recrystallization technology and boost NQ production.

DOD Contract Details

The funds for the project will come from the U.S. Army and the DPAP office. The Ottawa, Ontario-based Canadian Commercial Corp. will receive $3.2 million while Estes Energetics of Penrose, Colorado will get $1.7 million. The execution of the award will be carried out by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems in Valleyfield, Canada. 

Laura Taylor-Kale, assistant secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, stated, “These investments will ensure continued domestic availability of a critical energetic while a new U.S.-based manufacturing capability for NQ is established.”

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CISA Says Software TEVV Can Be Used for AI System Evaluation
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CISA Says Software TEVV Can Be Used for AI System Evaluation

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has stated that artificial intelligence red teaming must fit into the existing framework for AI testing, evaluation, validation and verification, or TEVV, and that AI TEVV must be treated under the software TEVV framework from an operational and strategic perspective.

In a blog post published Tuesday, Jonathan Spring, deputy chief AI officer and Divjot Singh Bawa, strategic adviser at the agency, wrote that AI red teaming is a subset of AI TEVV and that the software TEVV framework can be used to assess AI systems.

The two CISA executives explained the three misconceptions about software systems: safety concerns associated with AI testing, the need for validity and reliability testing and the probabilistic nature of such technologies.

CISA’s Role in AI Testing, Evaluation, Validation & Verification

According to Spring and Bawa, CISA has been contributing to AI red teaming efforts that back security assessments for federal and non-federal organizations.

The blog post stated that CISA ensures that its work on AI pre-deployment testing supplements government, industry and academic efforts.

The agency provides risk management and technical assistance to federal and non-federal partners, including offering support to AI security technical post-deployment testing.

CISA also works with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop AI security testing standards.

“By treating AI TEVV as a subset of traditional software TEVV, the AI evaluations community benefits from using and building upon decades of proven and tested approaches towards assuring software is fit for purpose,” Spring and Bawa wrote.

“Most notably, with the knowledge that software and AI TEVV must be treated similarly to software TEVV from a strategic and operational perspective, the digital ecosystem can instead channel effort at the tactical level, developing novel tools, applications, and benchmarks to robustly execute AI TEVV,” they added.

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DLA Hackathon Yields 3 Contractors for AI-Based Logistics
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DLA Hackathon Yields 3 Contractors for AI-Based Logistics

The Arlington, Virginia unit of Accenture along with National Harbor, Maryland-based company Knexus and Scale AI of San Francisco, California, have emerged as the winners in the Defense Logistics Agency’s inaugural artificial intelligence hackathon. The three companies will receive contracts worth a total of $3.5 million for developing AI reporting tools in demand planning, a chatbot app and virtual acquisition agents, DLA said Tuesday.

The agency invited vendors in March to demonstrate in the hackathon their capabilities to provide innovative AI and machine learning solutions to DLA operations.

Selection Criteria

The competition drew 46 entries that a DLA research and development team screened based on a set of standards that included technical merit, feasibility and AI performance. Through the criteria, six vendors were selected for proposal presentations in an in-person DLA event in June attended by some 50 representatives from the agency, the Department of Defense, military services and academia. 

The three winners were selected after another review of their submitted white papers, technical and cost offers, and in-person presentations. 

Repeatable Solutions

Adarryl Roberts, DLA chief information officer, said the hackathon is the agency’s first endeavor at expanding AI use through repeatable procurement solutions.

“DLA’s goal to become a digital organization is a journey that starts with standardizing how the agency uses emerging technologies to answer DLA’s critical logistics challenges,” he added.

The agency is expected to hold its next hackathon in 2025.

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PNNL Integrates Automated Software Testing in Modernization Move
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PNNL Integrates Automated Software Testing in Modernization Move

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, or PNNL, is integrating automated software testing in the early phases of its digital transformation effort to immediately determine potential issues that may arise from new applications and the changes being made to existing systems, Federal News Network reported Tuesday.

Paul Reichlin, director of digital platforms at PNNL, said automated software testing has a foundational role in the modernization initiative, which involves creating new digital platforms from scratch and reimagining disparate business applications.

“We’ve definitely taken the common approach of moving a lot of testing left in the process, so the more we can move it into the development process, the build processes, so we get that faster feedback,” Reichlin explained. “When you’re starting new, you can do a lot with the code in terms of making it more modular and testable … You have those tests to let you know if you broke something.”

According to the PNNL digital director, one goal of the transformation effort is to ensure the systems are designed in a way that meets the requirements of the end users. With automated software testing, users can provide feedback on the applications earlier in the development and build processes and use their input to improve how systems work, he added.

What Does PNNL Do?

PNNL, a Department of Energy national laboratory, focuses on chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science research to support innovations that advance sustainable energy through decarbonization and energy storage and enhance national security through nuclear materials and threat analyses.

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Texas A&M Begins Work on Space Institute at NASA Park
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Texas A&M Begins Work on Space Institute at NASA Park

Texas A&M University has officially commenced construction of an upcoming research facility that would support innovation in human spaceflight. NASA said Tuesday that leaders from Texas A&M broke ground for the Texas A&M University Space Institute at Johnson Space Center in Houston. 

The event marks a significant development in the establishment of Texas A&M University Space Institute and the creation of NASA’s new Exploration Park.

Work Begins on University Space Institute

The Texas A&M University Space Institute is expected to focus on human exploration of space. It will provide opportunities for scientists to study potential solutions to challenges associated with living in low Earth orbit, on the Moon and on Mars. 

At the facility’s ground breaking, Vanessa Wyche, director of the Johnson Space Center, emphasized the importance of the upcoming facility to space research. 

“This is the moment our vision—to dare to expand frontiers and unite with our partners to explore for the benefit of all humanity—will be manifested,” she said. 

The space institute is a multi-million-dollar effort. The site received a $200 million investment from Texas’ state legislature under House Bill 3447, which aims to ensure that Houston maintains its position as a leader in the new space economy. 

It will have high-bay laboratories and large indoor simulation spaces to test lunar and Martian surface operations. The institute is expected to open in September 2026. 

What Is NASA’s Exploration Park?

The Exploration Park is a 240-acre property to foster innovation in space research and exploration and collaboration between the world’s leading innovators. NASA envisions the location to be home to academic research, government programs, and aerospace and technology company initiatives. 

It is also designed to create a pipeline of career development for the Artemis generation, a NASA program to recruit specialists who will work in its lunar exploration program.

The space agency also previously signed an Exploration Park lease agreement with the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation.

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