Global Strike expands Fellowship program for defense tech projects
STRIKEWERX Director Russ Mathers speaks to the crowd for a special signing ceremony celebrating South Dakota School of Mines and Technology students joining the Air Force Global Strike National Security Fellowship at Rapid City, SD, April 8. The students are the first in a new partnership between Air Force Global Strike Command, Louisiana Tech Applied Research Corporation, the Cyber Innovation Center, and STRIKEWERX. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo by Sean Green, STRIKEWERX)
By Sean Green | CIC Facilitation and Outreach Manager
BOSSIER CITY, La. — The Air Force Global Strike National Security Fellowship is expanding its footprint to add more brainpower for complicated defense tech projects.
Eight students, four from Louisiana Tech University and four from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, will support Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) projects ranging from artificial intelligence, drones, and robotics to mechanical engineering and decision tools.
“I am excited to see the Fellowship program expand beyond northwest Louisiana,” said Warren Ward, president of Louisiana Tech Applied Research Corporation (LTARC). “While the LTARC team will provide administrative program oversight, our mentorship includes opportunities to learn about U.S. national security structure, AFGSC, and historic airpower accomplishments. Through this program, the fellows emerge with a strong appreciation of national defense.”
The students from South Dakota Mines are part of a new partnership that will expand the reach of the Fellowship to solve real world innovation projects at the wing level. These students will work with mentors at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota.
"Partnering with STRIKEWERX gives our students and faculty the opportunity to engage directly with defense challenges, accelerate applied research, and contribute meaningful solutions to Ellsworth Air Force Base's mission,” said Brian Tande, South Dakota Mines president. “These fellowships are an extension of South Dakota Mines' mission to prepare graduates who are ready to solve the nation's most complex problems."
The fellowship program is a collaborative effort between AFGSC, LTARC, and the Cyber Innovation Center (CIC). The year-long Fellowship is funded and managed by STRIKEWERX, the innovation hub for AFGSC at the CIC. The CIC and STRIKEWERX utilize the Fellowship to introduce undergraduate and graduate students to the Department of War while using their skills in computer science, mathematics, and other fields that bolster the command.
“We’re excited to see this project spread to more Global Strike bases and increase its impact beyond the command’s headquarters,” said Kevin Nolten, CIC president. “Just as exciting is the real-world experience in innovative problem-solving the Fellowship offers students, which they would otherwise miss out on if they only stuck to classwork and traditional internships.”
The Fellowship will run to May 2027 where students will deliver their projects to AFGSC staff at the Louisiana Tech Research Institute in Bossier City, Louisiana.