DOE Seeks Input from Education Institutions to Help Develop Quantum Information Science Curriculum
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DOE Seeks Input from Education Institutions to Help Develop Quantum Information Science Curriculum

The Department of Energy is asking higher education institutions what they need to develop curriculum for quantum information science.

In a request for information notice posted Monday, the agency said it is seeking input from academia in compliance with the National Quantum Initiative Act and 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The latter directs DOE’s Office of Science and national laboratories to assist in the promotion of QIS in schools.

In 2021, DOE held a QIS workshop which led to the recommendation that the demand and supply sides of the field should both contribute to curriculum development. The supply side involves financial support for educational research and degrees. The demand side is comprised of the areas of research, development and manufacturing of QIS technologies.

DOE would contribute by providing QIS employment opportunities, as it currently does through its national labs. On the supply side, it would help through training programs, internships and fellowships for students and faculty.

The agency is requesting feedback on the essential skills that could be offered by the educational institutions to train new QIS employees. It also wants to understand the types of degrees and training the schools already provide.

RFI responses are due by April 20.

NASA ER-2 Aircraft Notches Over 30 Flights to Support East Coast Snowstorm Study
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NASA ER-2 Aircraft Notches Over 30 Flights to Support East Coast Snowstorm Study

NASA’s ER-2 high-altitude aircraft has completed over 30 flights as part of a study on the formation and development of snowstorms on the United States Atlantic coast.

The space agency announced Saturday that the Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Storms mission concluded on Feb. 28, after three years of ER-2 flights in Savannah and Marietta, Georgia and Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The IMPACTS science team is composed of researchers from NASA, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service and selected U.S. universities.

In support of the study, ER-2 aircraft flew at 65,000 feet to hover over the storms. They enabled scientists to gather data for developing meteorological prediction models for severe winter and other weather types.

NASA also used its P-3 research plane, equipping its wings with probes to measure storm precipitation particles at altitudes lower than the ER-2 flights.

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Acquisition Exec Douglas Bush on Tech Development Efforts to Modernize Army for 2030
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Acquisition Exec Douglas Bush on Tech Development Efforts to Modernize Army for 2030

Douglas Bush, assistant secretary of the U.S. Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, said he is focused on efforts to modernize the Army for 2030 through the advancement of new capabilities and technologies in support of warfighters.

Bush, a 2023 Wash100 awardee, told the Center for Strategic and International Studies in an interview published Friday about some of the initiatives that have begun to transition to the production phase.

“So these efforts have been going on for a while now but a lot of them are finally starting to hit production – long-range fires, dramatically increasing the range of Army systems from long-range hypersonic weapons, to ground-launched cruise missiles, to longer-range artillery and artillery munitions, to just get at a range gap that was identified by lots of smart folks in the Army, that we’re working on,” he said.

Bush noted that the Army is focused on rebuilding its air and missile defense and that some initiatives are moving into actual prototypes and production phase.

When it comes to next-generation combat vehicles, he said mobile protected fire power is currently in low reproduction stage. He offered updates on Armored Multipurpose Vehicle and Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle programs.

OMFV is “coming up on a major decision point, where we’re going to down select to three vendors to produce real prototypes on our way to production,” he noted.

Bush said the Russia-Ukraine war has provided two major lessons for the service when it comes to industrial mobilization for future conflicts, the first being the importance of ensuring that “requirements for pre-war war reserves are at the right level” and the other stresses the need to plan for mobilizations.

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Former HHS CIO Gerald Caron Assumes Similar Role at International Trade Administration
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Former HHS CIO Gerald Caron Assumes Similar Role at International Trade Administration

The International Trade Administration has named Gerald Caron its chief information officer, the executive announced in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday.

He most recently served as CIO and assistant inspector general for information technology at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Caron brings 20 years of IT and cybersecurity experience to his new role, which involves implementing tech services and strategies across the agency.

Aside from HHS, his previous government service includes 18 years at the Department of State, initially as system administrator, and ultimately as director of enterprise network management.

Caron is a tri-chair on the E-Ops Committee for Zero Trust of the U.S. Chief Information Officers Council, and chair of the zero trust working group within the nonprofit Advanced Technology Academic Research Center.

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EPA Issues Cybersecurity Protection Guidance for Public Water Systems
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EPA Issues Cybersecurity Protection Guidance for Public Water Systems

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday released a memorandum to help direct water systems in assessing cybersecurity risks to promote safe drinking water for the public.

The memo titled “Evaluating Cybersecurity During Public Water Sanitary Surveys” emphasizes the importance of deploying cybersecurity best practices when conducting periodic sanitary audits of public water systems.

EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox cited the increasing cyber-attacks targeting critical infrastructure facilities like water systems, which could possibly lead to drinking water contamination.

Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies and a previous Wash100 winner, said “EPA used a flexible approach to enable water systems to craft the most effective ways to protect water services” for the guidance memo.

Neuberger added, “EPA’s action is another step in the [Biden] Administration’s relentless focus on improving the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure by setting minimum cybersecurity measures for owners and operators of the water, pipelines rail other critical services Americans rely on.”

EPA is soliciting public comments on Sections 4 to 8 of the guidance and all appendices until May 31. Interested entities should email their comments to wicrd-outreach@epa.gov.

In addition to the announcement, the agency will provide technical assistance and resources to help water systems create robust cybersecurity programs.

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Accreditation Body The Cyber AB Advocates for National Cybersecurity Strategy; Matthew Travis Quoted
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Accreditation Body The Cyber AB Advocates for National Cybersecurity Strategy; Matthew Travis Quoted

Accreditation group The Cyber AB expressed its support for the new National Cybersecurity Strategy released by the Biden administration on Thursday.

The organization, which was founded from the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification initiative, specifically lauded the national strategy’s provisions on regulatory compliance and defense of critical infrastructure.

“We applaud this effort by the Office of the National Cyber Director and welcome the shift to rebalancing cybersecurity responsibilities and the realigning of cybersecurity incentives that the Strategy calls for,” said Cyber AB CEO Matthew Travis. “We see CMMC aligning directly to many of the Strategy’s objectives.”

Travis cited the strategy’s pillar on establishing and harmonizing cybersecurity requirements to support national security is similar to CMMC’s foundational tenets.

He also endorsed the strategy’s pledge to improve industry accountability through federal procurement, likening it to existing CMMC policies. “CMMC provides a scalable framework with third-party validation that can and should be utilized within other sectors and throughout government contracting to manage digital risk within supply chains,” he explained.

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US Government Calls for Industry Compliance With Russia-Related Sanctions
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US Government Calls for Industry Compliance With Russia-Related Sanctions

The U.S. government urged companies to comply with sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine to prevent any enforcement actions or prosecution, Reuters reported Thursday.

U.S. companies should be aware of the use of shell companies, obscured shipping data and aliases to evade U.S. sanctions or restrictions, according to a joint notice by the U.S. departments of the Treasury, Commerce and Justice.

“Businesses of all stripes should act responsibly by implementing rigorous compliance controls,” the joint notice added.

Bloomberg reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin issued new rules that would enable his government to take over companies that fail to meet defense contract requirements in the event of martial law.

According to the decree, the Kremlin will establish a government working group to oversee the operations of defense companies under martial law.

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Fornetix CTO & Founder Charles White Selected to AFCEA International Cyber Committee
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Fornetix CTO & Founder Charles White Selected to AFCEA International Cyber Committee

Charles White, chief technology officer and founder of zero trust-focused company Fornetix, has been appointed to the AFCEA International Cyber Committee.

As a member, White will help guide the nonprofit’s mission to connect the cybersecurity community, foster collaboration between the public and private sectors, solve cyber challenges and develop new capabilities, Fornetix announced in a LinkedIn post published on Monday.

White has an extensive background in systems architecture and engineering. For over 18 years, he has worked with both Department of Defense and commercial clients in the areas of enterprise identity, secure communications and encryption management, among others.

He holds more than 14 years of experience as a systems architect using Attribute Driven Design, Architectural Tradeoff Analysis Method and Department of Defense Architecture Framework.

Early in his career, he served as a senior systems architect and director of delivery engineering at Anakam, an Equifax company. During his time with the organization, he supported systems engineering, development and deployment and managed research and engineering teams.

After leaving Anakam, he served as director of systems integration and chief architect for Cape Fox Professional Services, where he oversaw solutions architecture and systems engineering at the company’s DOD and intelligence community business.

In 2014, he founded Fornetix, where he has since served as its chief technology officer.

Before entering the private sector, White was a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army. During his service, he engaged in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

He currently holds multiple patents for various encryption technologies.

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Amentum’s John Heller & ODNI’s Stacey Dixon Applauded for Accomplishments in 2023 Wash100 Spotlights
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Amentum’s John Heller & ODNI’s Stacey Dixon Applauded for Accomplishments in 2023 Wash100 Spotlights

Executive Mosaic is proud to highlight two executives from each side of the government contracting ecosystem for their selection to the 2023 Wash100 list.

Each year, Executive Mosaic diligently selects the top 100 executives of consequence within the GovCon sector. These individuals represent the best and brightest who have made significant contributions to government missions and hold great potential for the year to come.

From industry, today’s Wash100 spotlight shines on John Heller, CEO of Amentum. Heller was tapped to lead Amentum following the completion of the company’s acquisition of PAE, where he previously served as CEO. As Heller moves into his second year at the helm of Amentum, he is recognized for his leadership, his commitment to defense modernization and his vision for the future of the company. Read John Heller’s full Wash100 spotlight here. 

From the public sector, Executive Mosaic is proud to call attention to the accomplishments of Stacey Dixon, principal deputy director of national intelligence at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Dixon earned this year’s award through her work bolstering national security and ensuring the country’s intelligence advantage. Click here to read Stacey Dixon’s 2023 Wash100 profile.

Notably, Dixon won the 2021 Wash100 popular vote competition. Will Dixon reclaim her title of popular vote winner in 2023? Only you can determine that!

Visit Wash100.com to cast your votes for your favorite 2023 Wash100 Award winners. The coveted number one spot — along with the full vote standings — will be announced at the end of April. 

NAVSEA Uses Digital Tools to Demo Bridge Validation for Constellation-class Frigate Design
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NAVSEA Uses Digital Tools to Demo Bridge Validation for Constellation-class Frigate Design

A bridge validation demonstration was hosted by the Naval Sea Systems Command to show a virtual preview of pilot house arrangements on Constellation-class frigate ships.

NAVSEA announced Wednesday that the event was held at the Mariner Skills Training Center Pacific in San Diego and attended by NAVSEA engineering directorate and program offices, Constellation frigate principals and industry representatives.

The Constellation class of multi-mission, guided missile combat ships was initially announced by the U.S. Navy in 2017. The fleet is still under development, with expected delivery in 2026.

Creating a real-time virtual bridge environment, the frigate’s program office reused design artifacts to illustrate how crews will interact with general pilot house arrangements in various watchstanding conditions. Design and operational feedback were gathered from the expert audience after the demonstration.

The team also intends to digitalize the frigate’s production life cycle, from design to construction, testing and logistics support data.

“This event was a showcase that demonstrates how we connect detail design and production artifacts together with manpower, training and sustainment concepts to create a digital engineering capability that modernizes Navy shipbuilding processes,” said Jonas Brown, director of product support and readiness for the frigate program.

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