MDAA is partnering with some of America’s leading Universities on executive programs that provide cutting-edge educational experiences to train the next generation of national security leaders in the critically important fields of Space, Missile Defense, and Deterrence.
MDAA has partnered with the University of Southern California, the University of Arizona, and the University of Hawaii on these programs, which are led by each university’s Dean of the School of Engineering and School of Public Policy. These programs have leading scholars and world-class professors providing the instruction, such as USC SHIELD professor Dr. Neil Siegal, who recently received the National Medal of Technology awarded by the President of the United States.
What makes these programs unique is the exposure to current and former senior U.S. military leaders, who not only provide presentations, but also engage in regular meetings and dialogue with the program participants as they work on Capstone projects throughout the eight-month course. Senior leaders participating in these programs include the Commander of U.S. Northern Command, General Glen VanHerck, the Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral John Aquilino, and the 11th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, General John Hyten.
The subjects of the Capstone projects researched by program participants are recommended by current national security leaders, such as the Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and reflect some of the toughest challenges they face in real-world situations today.
The research done in these programs is highly relevant and influential in its impact. The participants in the programs at these three Universities have produced 18 completed Capstone projects, which have been briefed to flag officers and senior civilians at major U.S. military commands, the Pentagon, and current U.S. Members of Congress and their staffs. These current leaders on the front lines benefit from the insights gleaned from these Capstones, which they put to use rapidly.
These programs break the mold of traditional executive education programs by giving the program participants, informed by world-class academics at these leading universities, the opportunity to develop themselves while also getting the opportunity to inform, advocate, and lead U.S. strategy in these pivotal areas of national security.
For example, recent Capstones by USC SHIELD graduates were completed on the following topics at the forefront of national security challenges:
- An Assessment of the Viability of Dirigibles in Support of United States Missile Defense and National Communications,
- Accelerating Solutions to Defend Against Hypersonic Threats,
- Leveraging Commercial Best-of-Breed Companies to Increase Agility and Lethality For Integrated Deterrence in the Information Age
The MDAA website highlights these special and unique partnerships in the Academia tab, which includes sub-tabs for each respective executive program at the University of Southern California, University of Arizona, and University of Hawaii, with links to apply for future programs, such as USC SHIELD 25, and the completed Capstones.
This is part of MDAA’s mission to advocate for effective missile defenses to make the World and our Nation a safer place by training the next generation of leaders steeped in the latest thinking in these vital disciplines with advanced abilities for critical thinking forged in these cauldrons of excellence.
