By MC2 Michael Ehrlich

Lt. Robert Fauci, left, explains the modifications he's made to a circuit board to Marine Corps Expeditionary Energy Office Director Marine Corps Col. Jim Caley, right, and NPS Associate Professor ret. U.S. Army Col. Andy Hernandez, center, during a Thesis Research Working Group (TRWG) meeting in the Dudley Knox Library, Aug. 11. Fauci's work in sustainable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight is one example of several ongoing efforts at the university started through connections made at the TRWG.

"TRWGs link students and faculty with relevant Marine Corps research topics," said Hernandez. "Sponsors leverage the operational experience of students and their newly-acquired technical skills and apply them to important problems."

Sponsors are able to focus student theses towards enhancing warfighting capabilities and the TRWG structure provides opportunities for students to receive sponsor feedback and support with continued operational relevance to ongoing Navy missions.

In Fauci's case, that means modifying lightweight components that may contribute to the development of sustainable, solar-powered UAVs capable of filling current operational gaps throughout the fleet. Hernandez hopes that student work like Fauci's, and the faculty support that makes it possible, will enhance the educational experience at NPS and provide tangible benefits to the Navy.

"The venue recruits faculty with high interest in these areas. It creates a robust talent pool of researchers and faculty at NPS, which translates into more practicable and practical discussions in the classroom," said Hernandez. "The overall effect is a naval community of officers and civilians who are better equipped to address national security challenges."