17th Annual Events Series to Showcase Sponsored SERC Research
The 17th SERC Annual Events series will take place on November 19-20 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. This two-day gathering of academic experts, sponsors from the federal government, and industry innovators will showcase funded SERC research projects and foster vigorous discussions on trends in systems engineering.
“It’s fantastic to have our defense stakeholders engage with each other as well as with our SERC researchers, especially in today’s fast-moving dynamic,” said SERC Deputy Chief Technology Officer Dr. Valerie Sitterle. “We spark impactful dialogue among stakeholders who aren’t usually in the same communication circles, which helps us all define what comes next.”
The series will start on November 19 with the 13th annual SERC Doctoral Student Forum (SDSF), where students from SERC-collaborating universities will present in competition for the Dr. Barry Boehm Award for Doctoral Student Research Excellence.
“Hearing from such impressive students with new ways of looking at problems is one of my favorite parts of the event,” said Dr. Sitterle. “It is meaningful and a joy for us to name the next recipient of the Boehm Award.”
The 17th annual SERC Research Review of funded projects will take place November 20 and feature technical presentations that cover the range of SERC research areas.
“Annually, the SRR illustrates that the systems engineering practice must advance and is, in fact advancing,” said SERC Researcher Philomena Zimmerman (Stevens Institute of Technology). “It is an opportunity to meet the researchers and the customers in order to understand the potential and power of SE, through the lens of applicable research.”
Included in this year’s agenda:
Digital and Data-Driven Systems: Dr. Mark Blackburn (Stevens Institute of Technology) will speak on “Systems Engineering Transformation Through Digital Engineering” and “Roadmapping a Framework of Computationally Enabled Ontologies for Digital Engineering.” Dr. Michael Orosz (University of Southern California) will present “Space Systems Command Military Communications & Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Directorate – Mission Engineering and Integration of Emerging Technologies.” Dr. Paul Wach (Virginia Tech) will present “Optimized Portfolio Digital Engineering Transformation.” Dr. Sitterle and Mr. Tom McDermott (SERC Chief Technology Officer) will speak on “Department of the Air Force (DAF) Digital Materiel Management (DMM) – Standards to Structure and Secure Data” and “DAF DMM Data-Driven Methods, Policies and Solution Architectures.”
Enterprises and System-of-Systems: Ms. Zimmerman will present on Digital Materiel Management. Dr. Ali Raz (George Mason University) will speak on “DoD Systems Engineering Guide for Systems of Systems Revision.” Dr. Bryan Mesmer (The University of Alabama in Huntsville) will speak on “Improving and Assessing Architectures and Architecture Decision Making.” Dr. Mesmer has presented on this topic during previous reviews, including in 2022 and 2024.
“I’m excited this year to be co-presenting with my Army sponsor,” Dr. Mesmer said. “The SRR is a ‘must-attend’ event whether presenting or not. As a presenter, the feedback and discussion are invaluable, as there is a wealth of experience from different sectors in the room providing multiple perspectives. This breadth has enlightened me on additional and impactful applications as well as implementation challenges that I had not thought of previously. As an audience member, the SRR keeps me up-to-date on the latest research occurring around the nation at other SERC universities.”
Trusted Systems: Dr. Barry Ezell (Old Dominion University) will present “Spectrum Advanced Training Technology Laboratory.” Dr. Peter Beling (University of Virginia) will discuss SERC’s Trusted AI SE Challenge. Dr. Zoe Szajnfarber, SERC Chief Scientist and Research Council Chair; Professor and Faculty Director, GW Trustworthy AI Initiative, will give “Insights from AI4SE & SE4AI 2025,” following SERC’s popular fall workshop co-hosted with the Army DEVCOM Armaments Center. McDermott, Beling, and Dr. Sachin Shetty (Old Dominion University) will discuss “Center for Offshore Wind Energy Cyber Vulnerabilities and Threat Identification.” A speaker, to be determined, will present “Framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Resilience Through Evaluation of Systems and Technology.”
Workforce Development: Dr. Nicole Huchison (Virginia Tech National Security Institute) and Mr. McDermott will speak on how the HELIX model is incorporated into the Defense Civilian Training Corps (DCTC) program to understand current defense workforce needs and the employability skills that meet these. McDermott will also speak on “The Future of Managing Megaprojects,” following a webinar series he presented for SERC’s Acquisition Innovation Research Center and Defense Acquisition University. Dr. Blackburn will present “Handbook on Digital Engineering with Ontologies.”
Details on other guest speakers will be announced soon. Tickets to both the SERC Research Review and the SERC Doctoral Student Forum are available via Eventbrite. For questions, contact SERC Communications Manager Alan Skontra.
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