//
NAVAIR’s Tom Rudowsky: Small Businesses Crucial to Naval Aviation Warfighting
Published on
NAVAIR’s Tom Rudowsky: Small Businesses Crucial to Naval Aviation Warfighting

Naval Air Systems Command Deputy Commander Tom Rudowsky asked the attendees of a recent Small Business Innovation Research Program event for assistance in identifying factors that prevent industry — especially small businesses — from doing business with his organization.

According to a news article posted Tuesday on the NAVAIR website, Rudowsky said during the event that engaging all stakeholders is critical to achieving the objectives of the command, adding, “We need to ensure the opportunity to contribute is available to everyone.”

The NAVAIR official also described small businesses as sources of innovation whose responsiveness, flexibility and specializations can deliver an edge in naval aviation warfighting.

“You are key elements in changing the game in this era of great competition. Accomplishing the mission requires all elements of the industrial base, not just large businesses. It will take all of us to expand capability,” Rudowsky said.

The event took place on July 23 and was sponsored by The Patuxent Partnership and the Small Business Development Center.

NAVAIR's Tom Rudowsky: Small Businesses Crucial to Naval Aviation Warfighting

Naval leaders, experts and innovators from government and industry will discuss how they’re enhancing maritime security, driving technological advancements and fostering strategic cooperation during the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Navy Summit, which will take place on Aug. 15. Register now to attend this important event!

/
Christine Powell Named Deputy Director of NASA Stennis Center
Published on
Christine Powell Named Deputy Director of NASA Stennis Center

Christine Powell, a longtime propulsion engineer and executive, has been appointed as the new deputy director of NASA’s Stennis Space Center.

NASA said Monday Powell’s appointment, which will take effect on Aug. 12, was revealed by Stennis Space Center Director John Bailey. Powell is the first woman to hold the position at the largest propulsion test facility in the country.

As deputy director, Powell will work alongside Bailey in coordinating the rocket propulsion test capabilities of the south Mississippi test site. She will also be responsible for managing the overall site.

Bailey emphasized Powell’s experience and expertise in propulsion testing and management. “She also has served in a range of leadership positions here at NASA Stennis, making her uniquely qualified to help us innovate and grow into the future.”

The Stennis Space Center is mainly utilized for test operations for government and commercial aerospace companies. It is also used as a regional aerospace and technology hub, which houses over 50 resident agencies, companies, organizations, and institutions.

Powell is the current manager of NASA Rocket Propulsion Test Program Office, a position she held since May 2021. Her responsibilities include supervising over $3.5 billion worth of propulsion assets across the agency and strategic planning for NASA’s key objectives. Powell also manages the program’s operations including its $48 million annual budget.

The Biloxi, Mississippi native spent 33 years of her career at NASA Stennis. She started out as an intern in 1991 before becoming an instrumentation engineer and then systems integration engineer. She was promoted to a leadership role in 2004.

Powell was site representative to the NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate and lead of the NASA Stennis Systems and Test Integration Branch. She also served as chief of the NASA Stennis Systems Engineering Branch and assistant director of the Engineering and Test Directorate.

Eventually, Powell was tasked with overseeing the NASA Stennis Systems Engineering and Project Management Leadership Development Program. She was then the NASA Stennis Advocate for the Agency’s Systems and Engineering Leadership Program.

/
US to Provide $450M Incentive for SK Hynix’s AI Memory Plant in Indiana
Published on
US to Provide $450M Incentive for SK Hynix’s AI Memory Plant in Indiana

The United States will provide $450 million of proposed federal incentives to SK Hynix for its project to build a high-bandwidth memory — or HBM — packaging fabrication and research and development facility in Indiana.

Under the preliminary memorandum of terms signed by the two parties, the federal incentive will support the South Korean chipmaker’s $3.87 billion investment to establish an advanced memory packaging plant for artificial intelligence products on U.S. soil, the Commerce Department said.

According to Arati Prabhakar, a former Wash100 Award winner and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the incentive from CHIPS and Science Act will bolster the U.S. computing systems.

She noted that “advanced packaging is more and more critical for AI and other leading-edge systems.”

SK Hynix will build the manufacturing facility at the Purdue University Research Park in West Lafayette, Indiana. The company aims to mass-produce HBMs at the site starting in the second half of 2028.

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said the federal initiative will generate hundreds of new jobs in Indiana and highlight the state’s role in advancing U.S. national security and supply chains.

The facility’s operation is expected to create approximately 1,000 jobs in the area.

/
NIST Seeks Public Comment on Latest Draft of Zero Trust Implementation Guide
Published on
NIST Seeks Public Comment on Latest Draft of Zero Trust Implementation Guide

The National Institute of Standards and Technology‘s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence has released the fourth draft of “NIST Special Publication 1800-35, Implementing a Zero Trust Architecture” and is calling for public feedback on the document.

The NCCoE said Tuesday that the document provides technical information about 17 sample zero trust architecture implementations demonstrated during partnerships with multiple vendors. Readers can use the document as reference for the possible replication of implementation models.

The document also discusses lessons learned from those implementations, which can result in time and resource savings for organizations.

The draft publication is being released in two formats. The first is a PDF that provides an overview of the project and the second is a web document that provides in-depth details.

Interested parties have until Sept. 30 to comment on the publication.

/
NSF & Intel Corporation Invest in Semiconductor Education Projects
Published on
NSF & Intel Corporation Invest in Semiconductor Education Projects

The U.S. National Science Foundation and Intel Corporation have partnered to offer funding to boost STEM education and training for the microelectronics industry.

The $7.6 million investment is part of a 10-year partnership between NSF and Intel in hopes of growing what’s seen as a diminished semiconductor workforce, NSF announced Wednesday.

Sethuraman Panchanathan, NSF director, said, “Today’s announcement reaffirms NSF’s commitment to strengthen the U.S. workforce and ensure we have the knowledge and skills needed for innovative semiconductor design and manufacturing.”

“This investment will support talent development across the semiconductor industry and improve education and training opportunities in technology fields that are crucial for our global competitiveness,” he added.

The six new projects are the product of a pair of NSF programs: Advanced Technological Education and Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. They both came about through NSF and Intel’s collaboration. Students who want to learn about technician training programs are provided with full-ride scholarships at two-year colleges and four-year universities.

Richard Uhlig, senior fellow and director of Intel Labs, said, “Intel invests in education and workforce development through private-public partnerships and ongoing collaborations with NSF.”

“This initiative reflects Intel’s commitment to fostering innovation, driving economic growth and preparing a skilled workforce to meet the evolving demands of semiconductor technologies,” Uhlig continued.

NSF and Intel are jointly devoting $100 million over the course of the decade-long project.

/
CISA-FBI Customer Guide Offers Pointers to Check Software Security
Published on
CISA-FBI Customer Guide Offers Pointers to Check Software Security

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI have issued a guide to help customers ensure that the secure by design concept is a core manufacturing consideration in the software they are eying to purchase.

Titled “Secure by Demand Guide: How Software Customers Can Drive a Secure Technology Ecosystem,” the manual is designed for software customers’ procurement talks with third-party resellers, CISA said Tuesday.

Citing technology vendors who have earlier joined CISA’s Secure by Design pledge, Jen Easterly, the agency’s director, said businesses can also help the effort through “better risk-informed decisions” in software purchases.

“This new guide will help software customers understand how they can use their purchasing power to procure secure products and turn Secure by Design into Secure by Demand,” she said.

The guide provides questions that an organization’s acquisition staff can ask in a software purchase to assess security in the procurement stages and product lifecycle.

It also recommends action steps, such as obtaining and inspecting the manufacturer’s software bill of materials listing third-party components. Another recommendation calls for customer checks on suppliers’ disclosure policy and roadmaps addressing their products’ vulnerabilities.

In addition to using the guide, CISA suggests that customers review the software acquisition roadmap in the cyber-supply chain risk management playbook it recently published.

/
Space Force Seeks Industry Feedback on Draft Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve Framework
Published on
Space Force Seeks Industry Feedback on Draft Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve Framework

The U.S. Space Force has started soliciting industry input to help inform the development of a framework designed to ensure that the military branch can leverage the commercial space industry’s capabilities to improve the resilience, effectiveness and capacity of its national security space architecture.

According to a request for information published Tuesday, Space Systems Command expects the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve framework to be developed in a way that is adaptable and flexible to commercial offerings, evolving technologies and operational requirements.

SSC published an overview of the draft CASR framework, which includes nine elements.

These elements include the concept of operations and decision authority; policy, regulatory and legal conditions; contractual structures; interoperability and integration; risk mitigation; commercial partnerships; and cybersecurity.

The command wants interested stakeholders to share their insights on the draft CASR framework’s structure, engagement process, incentive types, participation barriers, readiness criteria, support and resources, assessment process, contract clarity and flexibility, integration with existing operations, implementation timeline and confidentiality and security, among other factors.

Responses are due Sept. 6.

/
William Dunlap Appointed Permanent Deputy DOD CIO for Information Enterprise
Published on
William Dunlap Appointed Permanent Deputy DOD CIO for Information Enterprise

William Dunlap, a veteran information technology leader within the Department of Defense, has been named permanent deputy chief information officer for information enterprise within DOD’s Office of the CIO.

DOD CIO announced the appointment in a LinkedIn post published Tuesday.

Dunlap assumed the role on an interim basis in February.

In this capacity, Dunlap provides policy guidance, oversight and strategic direction to DOD’s efforts to advance digital infrastructure modernization efforts in support of defense operations.

He also oversees DOD Information Network modernization initiatives, software modernization and cloud implementation within and outside the continental U.S.

Dunlap previously served as CIO and director of the IT directorate within the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. His two-decade career at DARPA included time as chief of classified IT operations and Special Access Program CIO.

Prior to DARPA, the deputy CIO for information enterprise served in the U.S. Air Force as a Security Forces member.

/
Leonel Garciga Releases Army’s Mobile Applications Vetting & Approval Guidance
Published on
Leonel Garciga Releases Army’s Mobile Applications Vetting & Approval Guidance

Leonel Garciga, chief information officer of the U.S. Army and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, has issued a memorandum outlining the steps officials need to take when authorizing mobile applications that link to Army systems in Department of Defense and commercial application stores.

The memo published on Friday offers updated guidance on mobile application vetting and approval and identifies three paths for deployment that are available for Army mobile applications.

According to the document, the mobile application authorization process includes establishing and maintaining a phased mobile app submission and evaluation process, assessing Army mobile apps in accordance with Defense Information Systems Agency and National Information Assurance Partnership Protection Profile requirements and ensuring that the apps meet the criteria specified in the Non-tactical Pathway to Production before being approved for use on the military branch’s information technology and networks.

The pathway to production includes several steps, including analysis that calls for determining needs, design and development review and implementation of approved mobile products.

The memo also assigns responsibilities to Army authorizing officials, the chief information security officer, Army deputy chief of staff G-6 and command CIOs, among others.

GSA Targets Government Sustainability Goals With Latest P100 Federal Building Standards Update
Published on
GSA Targets Government Sustainability Goals With Latest P100 Federal Building Standards Update

The General Services Administration has released its 2024 update to the P100 Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service.

The update seeks to advance the U.S. government’s federal sustainability goals, which includes achieving net-zero emissions from all federal buildings by 2045, the adoption of clean and efficient technologies and the use of low-carbon construction materials made in the U.S., the GSA said Monday.

The 2024 edition of the P100 includes standards for building equipment and systems electrification using clean energy sources; benchmarks for enhanced building envelope performance, with the aim of minimizing energy loss; a mandate for buildings to have a potable water reuse rate of 15 percent; and requirements for the use of low-carbon methods when constructing federal buildings.

Commenting on the latest update to the P100, GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said, “These new standards represent GSA’s decades-long commitment to sustainable design practices and will accelerate our progress toward achieving a net-zero emissions portfolio by 2045.”

For his part, Public Buildings Service Commissioner Elliot Doomes said, “What I’m particularly proud of is that the P100 includes new standards that will push the industry toward using more sustainable materials and pioneering practices.”

1 … 275 276 277 278 279 … 2,656