SMU and Air Force Academy forge agreement for mentorship, collaborative research opportunities for cadets and faculty
DALLAS (SMU) – SMU’s AT&T Center for Virtualization has signed a four-year agreement with the United States Air Force Academy to collaborate on mutually beneficial projects and joint research, providing opportunities for both USAF cadets and SMU students.
SMU (Southern Methodist University) and the Academy intend to collaborate on a range of research areas, including (but not restricted to) immersive environments, artificial intelligence/machine learning/deep learning, autonomy, the internet of things, cyberspace, cognition and context-aware computing and ubiquitous computing. Projects in these areas will expose cadets to important science and engineering opportunities through independent study, cadet summer research and capstone opportunities.
“We are very pleased to provide research opportunities to the men and women who will be leading our Air Force in years to come,” said Suku Nair, director of the AT&T Center and University Distinguished Professor in the Lyle School of Engineering. “This partnership will also create invaluable opportunities for our SMU students pursuing degrees in fields such as data science, statistical science, computer science, software engineering, cyber security and systems engineering, because it will put them in positions of visibility for recruitment in careers that support Department of Defense initiatives.”
In the AT&T Center for Virtualization at SMU, researchers from across the University conduct interdisciplinary research to address technical, economic and social issues related to virtualization – the creation of devices and machines that have no real, physical existence apart from their existence created or simulated by software. The center draws on expertise from across the disciplines at SMU, including the Lyle School of Engineering; Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences; Meadows School of the Arts; Simmons School of Education and Human Development; Dedman School of Law; Cox School of Business; and SMU’s center for graduate video game education, The Guildhall.
As stated in the collaborative research and development agreement, SMU and the Air Force Academy have a mutual interest in researching advanced education and research activities. “SMU, an education and research institution, does significant work through the computer and cyber science space and has academic values that align with the educational activities of the Air Force Academy,” the agreement reads.
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