The USC SHIELD Executive Program ’25

MDAA is honored and excited to announce The USC SHIELD Executive Program ’25; Global Defense and Deterrence – Developing Leaders in Policy, Space, and Technology for National Security.

The joint program, with the University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy and Viterbi School of Engineering, is an 8-month program that educates aspiring senior leaders from the military, government, and private sectors about the intersection of public policy and engineering. It is designed to close the widening gap between theory and the practical application of National Security constructs, including new challenges from the burgeoning use of space for both civilian and military uses by the United States and its allies and adversaries.

The USC SHIELD Executive Program ’25 is led by USC’s renowned faculty in public policy and engineering, along with guest speakers from current and former senior defense officials, military leaders, and experts in defense policy, strategy, operations, and innovation. The program’s hybrid design leverages innovative technology and in-person sessions that fully prepare students to lead in the field. The capstone exercise, which will be presented during the final session in April 2025, will consist of group projects in which participants tackle some of the toughest problems facing government and military leaders in space and defense.

MDAA is led by Riki Ellison, a 1983 graduate of the USC School of International Relations and a recipient of a certificate in Defense and Strategic Studies at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Mr. Ellison was also presented with the Scholar-Athlete Award of Honor by the David X. Marks Foundation. During his time at USC, he started as a middle linebacker on the football teams that won the 1978 National Championship and the 1979 and 1980 Rose Bowls.

Applications are now open for USC SHIELD ‘25! Sign up below!

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Should Apply?

Participants are drawn from a unique cadre of aspiring senior leaders from the military, government, industry, and innovation communities to develop the executive and leadership skills needed to grapple with today’s increasingly complex security environment. While each application will be reviewed and given careful consideration, the program is intended for executives and leaders with roughly 20 years experience in national security or defense, related to strategic deterrence or missile defense.

How does The Hybrid Model Work?

The program will be conducted over the course of seven months from September 2024-April 2025, with a mix of in-person and online instruction two or three days per month.

Instruction will typically occur on Friday and Saturday to facilitate participation by working professionals. Two in-person sessions will be held on USC’s campus in Los Angeles, California to provide networking opportunities critical for professional development.

The capstone exercise of the course will consist of group projects in which participants will tackle some of the toughest problems facing government and military leaders in space and defense, and will be presented during the final session in April 2025.

SHIELD Alumni & Network

The SHIELD program has a robust network of alumni dedicated to advancing our nation’s national security through their roles in both the public and private sector. Some of our past SHIELD alumni have come from:

National Guard
Air National Guard
US Army
Space Force
United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM)
United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM)
MDA
Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and other industry partners

Program Schedule

Week 1: September 12 – 14, 2024 (USC Residency)

Thursday, September 12, 2024

8:00am – Check In and Breakfast
8:45am – USC and MDAA Program Welcome
9:00am – Faculty Lecture
- Collaborative Governance – Peter Robertson, PhD
12:00pm – Lunch Forum
1:30pm – Break
2:00pm – Faculty Lecture
- Collaborative Governance – Peter Robertson, PhD
5:00pm – Conclusion

Friday, September 13, 2024

8:00am – Check In and Breakfast
9:00am – Faculty Lecture
- Intercept. 1961 From the First Intercept of a Long-Range Ballistic Missile to Soviet Missile and and Space Defense – Mike Gruntman, PhD
10:30am – Faculty Lecture
- Leveraging Interactive Storytelling in Model-Based Systems Engineering: A Transdisciplinary Systems Engineering Approach – Azad Madni, PhD
12:00pm – Lunch Forum
1:30pm – Break
2:00pm – Faculty Lecture
- The Engineering Life-Cycle, and Which Life-Cycle Stages are Most Influential On The Success of Missile Defense Projects – Neil Siegel, PhD
5:00pm – Welcome Reception

Saturday, September 14, 2024

MDAA Coordinated Site Visit

Week 2: October 18 – 19, 2024 (Online Interactive)

Friday, October 18, 2024

9:00am – Faculty Lecture
- Common Errors in Engineering Assessment, and How To Avoid Them – Neil Siegel, PhD
12:00pm – Lunch Forum
1:30pm – Break
2:00pm – Faculty Lecture
- Big Data Management with Distributed Computing – Seon Ho Kim, PhD
5:00pm – Conclusion

Saturday, October 19, 2024

9:00am – Faculty Lecture
- Collaboration Through Engagement: Processes and Practices for Effective Problem Solving – Tara Blanc, PhD
12:00pm – Lunch Forum
1:30pm – Break
2:00pm – Faculty Lecture
- Collaboration Through Engagement: Processes and Practices for Effective Problem Solving – Tara Blanc, PhD
5:00pm – Conclusion

Week 3: November 21- 23, 2024 (USC Residency)

Thursday, November 21, 2024

8:00am – Check In and Breakfast
8:45am – USC and MDAA Program Welcome
9:00am – Faculty Lecture
- Policy Formulation: Creating Credibility in a Set of Technology-Based Recommendations – Neil Siegel, PhD
12:00pm – Lunch Forum
1:30pm – Break
2:00pm – Faculty Lecture
- Inventive Thinking – Berok Khoshnevis, PhD
5:00pm Conclusion

Friday, November 22, 2024

8:00am – Check In and Breakfast
9:00am – Faculty Lecture
- Policy Design – Rym Kaki, PhD
12:00pm – Lunch Forum
1:30pm – Break
2:00pm – Capstone Project Collaboration
5:00pm – Conclusion

Week 4: January 23 – 25, 2025 (Washington D.C. Residency)

Thursday, January 23, 2025

MDAA Coordinated Site Visit

Friday, January 24, 2025

8:00am – Check In and Breakfast
9:00am – Forum: Briefers Presentation to MDAA Guests
12:00pm – Lunch Forum
1:30pm – Break
2:00pm – Faculty Lecture
- AI-Enabled MDO & JADC2: Securing Through Autonomy – Randy Hill, PhD
5:00pm – Conclusion

Saturday, January 25, 2025

8:00am – Check In and Breakfast
9:00am – Faculty Lecture
- Potential of In-Space 3D Printing for Constructive Cleanup of Orbital Debris – Berok Khoshnevis, PhD
12:00pm – Lunch Forum
1:30pm – Break
2:00pm – MDAA Expert Feedback
5:00pm – Conclusion

Week 5: February 21 – 22, 2025 (Online Interactive)

Friday, February 21, 2025

9:00am – Faculty Lecture
- Case Studies in Space, Air Defense, and Missile Defense – Neil Siegel, PhD
12:00pm – Lunch Forum
1:30pm – Break
2:00pm – Faculty Lecture
5:00pm – Conclusion

Saturday, February 22, 2025

9:00am – Faculty Lecture
12:00pm – Lunch Forum
1:30pm – Break
2:00pm – Faculty Lecture
- Decision Analysis, Risk Analysis, Multi-Attribute Utility Theory, Information Theory, Bayesian Analysis, and Data-Based Decision Making – Ali Abbas, PhD
5:00pm – Conclusion

Week 6: March 21 – 22, 2025 (Online Interactive)

Friday, March 21, 2025

9:00am – Faculty Lecture
- Team-Building, Motivation, and Conflict Management on Complex Engineering Projects – Neil Siegel, PhD
12:00pm – Lunch Forum
1:30pm – Break
2:00pm – Faculty Lecture
- Strategic Communications and Public Diplomacy – Robert Banks, MPD
5:00pm – Conclusion

Saturday, March 22, 2025

9:00am – Faculty Lecture
12:00pm – Lunch Forum
1:30pm – Break
2:00pm – Faculty Lecture
- Organizational Behavior and Survey Design – Howard Greenwald, PhD
5:00pm – Conclusion

Week 7: April 24 – 26, 2025 (USC Residency)

Thursday, April 24, 2025

MDAA Coordinated Site Visit

Friday, April 25, 2025

8:00am – Check In and Breakfast
9:00am – Faculty Lecture
- Risk and Opportunity Management for Complex Engineering Projects – Neil Siegel, PhD
12:00pm – Lunch Forum
1:30pm – Break
2:00pm – Capstone Project Collaboration
5:00pm – Conclusion

Saturday, April 26, 2025