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MONTEREY, Calif. — Dr. Scott Gartner, who has served as the 16th Provost of the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) since March 2021, recently announced that he will be returning to scholarship as a full professor in the NPS Department of Defense Analysis.
During his tenure as Provost, Gartner played a pivotal role in guiding NPS through a time of budget challenges and transformational change, coming aboard during the tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic. He oversaw the restructuring of the NPS academic organization, resulting in a more interdisciplinary department-based approach in collaboration with a new team of vice provosts in academic affairs, research and innovation, leadership, and warfare studies. Read More
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NPS announced the granting of promotions and tenure for AY24 for the following faculty members:
Promotion to Professor and Award of Tenure
Dr. Di Zhang, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Promotion to Professor
Dr. Michael Atkinson, Professor of Operations Research
Dr. Dragoslav Grbovic, Professor of Physics
Dr. Bradley Strawser, Professor of Defense Analysis
Dr. Preetha Thulasiraman, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Award of Tenure
Dr. Paul Lester, Associate Professor of Defense Management
Promotion to Associate Professor and Award of Tenure
Dr. Paul Beery, Associate Professor of Systems Engineering
Dr. Britta Hale, Associate Professor of Computer Science
Dr. Ryan Maness, Associate Professor of Defense Analysis
Dr. Derek Olson, Associate Professor of Oceanography
Promotion to Associate Professor
U.S. Navy Capt. Thor Martinsen, Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics
Promotion to Faculty Associate—Research (AD-05)
Ms. Tahmina Karimova, Faculty Associate in Research, Energy Academic Group
Ms. Amina Kator-Mubarez, Faculty Associate in Research, Defense Analysis
Mr. Charles Lynn, Faculty Associate in Research, Energy Academic Group
Mr. Charles Prince, Faculty Associate in Research, Computer Science
Promotion to Faculty Associate—Research (AD-03)
Ms. Anna Davari, Faculty Associate in Research, National Security Affairs
Mr. Christopher Ketponglard, Faculty Associate in Research, National Security Affairs
Ms. Nora O’Connor, Faculty Associate in Research, Energy Academic Group
For more details on these outstanding educators and their work, see the full list of promotion and tenure decisions for AY2024.
Awards
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Dr. Mara Orescanin, associate professor of Oceanography, has been selected to receive the 2024 Richard W. Hamming Faculty Award for Interdisciplinary Achievement for her exceptional teaching, superb thesis supervision, dedication beyond the classroom, and her unflagging commitment to interdisciplinary education. |
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Articles/Books
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Dr. Tristan Volpe, assistant professor of Defense Analysis, has announced the publication of his book published through Oxford University Press, “Leveraging Latency: How the Weak Compel the Strong with Nuclear Technology.” |
Grants
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Dr. Aleksandar Matovski, assistant professor, and Dr. Covell Meyskens, associate professor, both of National Security Affairs, were awarded a grant to pursue fundamental social science research of particular relevance to U.S. national security through the FY 2023 Defense Education and Civilian University Research (DECUR) Partnership, a program under the department's Minerva Research Initiative. |
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NPS celebrates global cultures
Students showcased their home countries’ traditions, customs, and food at the highly popular NPS International Day in early May. Cultural information, photographs and national flags served as backdrops for the delicious food displayed on tables lined along the entire walkway of Root Hall.
A STEM challenge for local high schools
Dr. Mara Orescanin, associate professor of Oceanography, initiated and led the annual Rapid Innovation Design Challenge for high schools to develop real-world STEM-related solutions to issues with naval applications. The Design Challenge award ceremony, held May 14 at the Moss Landing Marine Labs, was followed by a special tour of the Western Flyer, a restored fishing boat once used by John Steinbeck.
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Unmanned aircraft system supports student projects
A three-dimensional, laser-scanning equipped unmanned aircraft system equipped with an infrared LiDAR, or Light Detection Ranging sensor, is being used for data collection to support multiple student research efforts in developing a more effective and reliable capability to estimate bathymetry in the tumultuous, dynamic – and operationally critical – surf zone.
Innovation group visits NPS
DARPA Innovation Fellows visited NPS to learn more about NPS, key research and innovation efforts on campus, and received a tour of select labs, all as part of their immersion program into the defense science and technology ecosystem.
C5ISR explored at JIFX
JIFX 24-3 focused on “C5ISR and Countermeasures” for 170 participants and stakeholders. Field experiments were performed using 18 unique technologies, which flew a total of 52 uncrewed aerial system sorties.
A happy send-off
Leaders on the Mezzanine, campus colleagues and family celebrated the retirement of Julie Hanley, Executive Assistant to the Provost, who acknowledged her many accomplishments; all wished her the best in the new chapter of her life.
From left to right: Capt. Jesse Currier, U.S. Navy Marksmanship Team West Officer in Charge, ITSCM Chris Martindell, OS1 Arturo Rios and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. James Howard
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From left to right: Capt. Jesse Currier, U.S. Navy Marksmanship Team West Officer in Charge, ITSCM Chris Martindell, and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. James Howard
NPS Marksmanship Team ranks first in rifle and pistol competition
The NPS Marksmanship Team earned first place in the pistol and rifle team match competition as part of the All-Navy West Rifle and Pistol Competition at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. Participants on the Navy Rifle and Pistol teams were retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. James Howard, Cmdr. Matthew Walters, ITSCM Chris Martindell, OS1 Arturo Rios, Ensign Justin Yu and Lt. Jacob Berry. Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Yousef Carpenter earned first place in the Other Service/Civilian category. In the past, NPS has won these events several times; the winning trophies are displayed in the Trident Room.
 Passing of Ray Alexander
We mourn the loss of Ray Alexander of the Financial Management Directorate who passed away on May 30th as a result of complications related to surgery. Ray served more than 20 years in the military, before joining the NPS team in 2011 as the head of the Fiscal Analysis Department. He is survived by his loving wife Etsuko Ishizuka, and for those wishing to participate in Ray's memorial services or offer condolences, please contact José Andin (jzandin@nps.edu).
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- The Systems Engineering Distance Learning Program has announced its 2025 Fall Academic Year lineup, which includes Curricula 311, 722 and SEM-PD21 and Ph.D. Curriculum 582. All applications are due by Monday, July 8. For questions, contact Dr. Walter Owen at wowen@nps.edu or Dr. Warren Vaneman at wvaneman@nps.edu.
- The Department of the Navy is accepting nominations for the Defense Civilian Emerging Leader Program (DCELP), created to recruit and develop the next generation of innovative leaders (GS-7 to GS-12, equivalent civilians and interagency partners) who possess the technical and leadership competence to meet the future leadership imperatives of the Department of Defense. Additional program information is available online. For questions, contact npshrociviliantrainingofficer@nps.edu.
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Your input is needed! You can help provide important feedback about adding sustainability and resilience projects at NPS such as SunBolt workstations and EV charging stations by taking this short survey from the NSA Monterey Installation Energy Manager.
- In advance of the annual Classified Material Clean-Out Day on July 12, all users of classified materials who store them safely in a private office on base outside of secure vaults must inspect all materials for retaining or destroying by the Security Manager, who must also be notified that the required clean-out has been completed.
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 Dr. Herschel “Hersch” Loomis, Jr., distinguished professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Space Systems who officially retired from NPS in 2017, has returned to NPS to serve in the Space Systems Academic Group.
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 Dr. Kevin Smith, Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, has been recognized as a leading expert in the field of underwater acoustic propagation physics and numerical modeling. His recent area of focus is on studies of the acoustic vector field and associated sensor processing. A former NPS Chair in Physics and the Undersea Warfare Academic Group, Professor Smith has over 50 refereed publications, over 25 conference proceedings, and has presented over 80 talks on acoustics at various national and international conferences.
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 Dr. Brian Bingham, professor and Chair in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, received his Ph.D. from MIT in 2003. Formerly at the Ocean Institute in California, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, a faculty member at the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering and at the University of Hawaii, Bingham’s research is on innovative tools for exploring, understanding and protecting the marine environment, underwater navigation, autonomous vehicles and sensor integration.
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Following a competitive search, Dr. James (Bret) Michael has been appointed as Vice Provost of Academic Affairs (VPAA), effective April 29, 2024. A professor of computer science and electrical and computer engineering, a 2023 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Fellow and 2022 recipient of the IEEE Reliability Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and a recipient of the prestigious National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Medal, Michael has served NPS in many leadership roles, including chair of the Cyber Academic Group and as Interim VPAA.
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Campus Announcements
Mandatory civilian training schedule for FY24
For the schedule of mandatory civilian trainings and their deadlines for FY24, see this table of requirements.
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Around the Campus
- The commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), U.S. Army Gen. Paul LaCamera, met with a variety of NPS constituents and addressed the entire student body during a Secretary of the Navy Guest Lecture.
- ITACS hosted a brown bag training and Q&A on multi-factor authentication methods for passwordless devices and the CAC, including how to set them up and what the different experiences are for each.
DON/DON and Government News
- The House Armed Services Committee called on the DOD to create the test and evaluation cell within the Defense Innovation Unit beginning in FY25. The three-year pilot program would have the goal of simplifying validation processes for high-need technologies and prototypes that have the potential to provide warfighting capabilities. Read more: Lawmakers propose DIU-managed military testing and evaluation cell (c4isrnet.com)
Lectures
- The Provost Lecture Series hosted “Outsourcing Duty: The Moral Exploitation of the American Soldier,” presented by Dr. Bradley Strawser, professor of Philosophy in the Department of Defense Analysis.
- The Energy Academic Group hosted “Energy Harvesting and Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Docking to Power a Persistent Presence of Oceanographic Instrumentation,” by Dr. Andrew Hamilton, engineering division chair at MBARI, and “Masdar City: Showcasing Abu Dhabi’s Commitment to a Sustainable Future” by Steve Severance, Strategy, Business and Marketing lead for Masdar City.
Presentations
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R. Adam Pease, associate professor in Computer Science, presented “Ontology or AI Data Science and Data Management” in Germany. (Note: In the “Who’s Who” section of the May issue, it was incorrectly noted that Dr. Pease is a founder and principal consultant of Articulat Software, and an Associate Vice President at Infosys and the Program Manager for Knowledge Systems at Teknowledge. Those are former positions held by Dr. Pease.
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- The Physics department hosted a presentation on Atomic Clocks led by Penn State University Physics Professor Kurt Gibble, who discussed how atomic clocks tick and other related physics aspects of modern microwave and optical frequency atomic clocks.
- Global ECCO hosted a CTX Conversation, “The Ukraine War: Military Lessons and Prospects for Peace,” led by Dr. John Arquilla, distinguished professor emeritus of Defense Analysis, and Dr. Katya Drozdova, a distinguished professor of Business Information Systems and Political Science at Seattle Pacific University.
- The Applied Cryptographic Engineering Group hosted “Challenging the Paradigm” with presenters from Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific, and NPS.
Symposiums
- NWSI Director Randy Pugh led the eighth Naval Artificial Intelligence Summit at Quantico, VA. See the after action report.
- The 21st Annual Acquisition Research Symposium, which focused on the critical importance of learning to lead effective change and increase impact, hosted keynote speakers such as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN RD&A) Nickolas Guertin, 24 different panels, and a student research poster showcase.
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Provost Scott Gartner and VPAL Dr. Jomana Amara joined the Women, Peace and Security Symposium on “Advancing Gendered Security in a Complex World: Hard Power, Smart Power, Soft Power,” held at the Naval War College.
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 NPS welcomed the following Distinguished Visitors in May:
- U.S. Army Gen. Paul LaCamera, Commander, United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea
- U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Keith Reventlow, Marine Corps Logistics Command
- U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Mark Melson, Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Commander, Task Force (CTF) 73
- U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Frank M. Bradley, Commander, Joint Special Operations Command Forward, U.S. Special Operations Command
- Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, 26th Secretary of Defense
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 Former SECDEF Mattis Talks Leadership at Latest SGL
Former Secretary of Defense and retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis visited NPS and addressed the NPS community in the latest Secretary of the Navy Guest Lecture (SGL) on May 28. Speaking to a full house at King Hall Auditorium, Mattis answered questions in a fireside chat format with retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Eric Wendt, an NPS distinguished alumnus and professor of practice in the Defense Analysis department. Read more.
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June 1-30
LGBTQ+ Pride Month
June 11-13
Maritime Risk Symposium 2024
General Faculty Meeting, 1500, IN-122
Naval War College at NPS Graduation, 1500 King Hall
June 19
Juneteenth National Independence Day (federal holiday)
June 21
Spring Quarter Graduation Ceremony - with U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach, Commander, Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR)
June 24-27
Military Operations Research Society (MORS) Symposium
July 4
Independence Day, Non-Mustering Holiday
July 8
Summer Quarter Classes Begin
July
SECNAV Space Summit
Cafe Del Monte
Hours: 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM; Closed on federal holidays
Phone: 656-2640
Check out the menu
For daily lunch specials, follow them on Facebook!
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Check out the Campus Connections archive on myNPS!
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We welcome your comments and ideas for future issues.
Send us an email: pao@nps.edu
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