Students and faculty from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) showcased their unique research projects at a two-day event held in Washington, D.C., Sept. 9-10.

Coinciding with the school’s fall Board of Advisors meeting, the event served as a platform for NPS students, faculty and leaders to interact with representatives from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and senior leadership from the Pentagon, intelligence community, Department of Homeland Security, and the White House.

The showcase featured both basic and applied research projects from each of NPS’ four schools: The Graduate School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, The Graduate School of Business and Public Policy, The School of International Graduate Studies, and the Graduate School of Operational and Information Sciences.

"Our students and faculty are some of the most talented researchers this country has to offer," said NPS Provost Leonard Ferrari. "And we want to ensure that leaders from the Department of Defense and other government agencies and institutions gain a better understanding of their extraordinary work, which is directly advancing the security and freedom of our country, our international allies, and friends from around the globe.”

NPS President Dan Oliver said the showcase was designed to not only highlight the education and research programs at NPS, but to help defense leaders forge new partnerships with the school.

During the opening event on Sept. 9, NPS students and faculty presented several current projects at ONR headquarters.

Dr. Karl van Bibber, the NPS Dean of Research, said he was very pleased with the depth of engagement between the attendees and students. “Our students are really impressive; their operational experience is most often the inspiration for their thesis research here at the Naval Postgraduate School, and I think the attendees took away how vertically integrated NPS research is,” he said. “It’s the whole chain of innovation from basic and applied science through technology, prototyping and field experimentation.”

On Sept. 10, the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead hosted a research showcase reception at the Army Navy Country Club in honor of the school’s 100th year of academic excellence.

Vice CNO Adm. Jonathan Greenert spoke to attendees and lauded the quality education NPS provides, saying, “the best that I’ve worked with [in financial management] are graduates of this institution.”

Vice CNO Adm. Jonathan Greenert spoke to attendees and lauded the quality education NPS provides, saying, “the best that I’ve worked with [in financial management] are graduates of this institution.”

Greenert also emphasized the need for DoD to grow more “cyber warriors,” and called NPS the Navy’s “greatest resource” for developing the country’s future cyber leaders.

“NPS is playing a leading role worldwide in establishing joint education training programs, research partnerships, and international forums that bring leading experts and complex problem-solvers together to discuss and develop solutions to the most pressing and urgent global challenges,” Oliver stated.

“In this era of the 21st Century Cooperative Maritime Strategy, I believe that the closer you look, the more you will realize that NPS is an extremely effective institution of soft power and support of this strategy. “

For more information about NPS research programs visit www.nps.edu/Research.