DARPA Forward conference comes to CSU Aug. 30-31

Colorado State University and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will host a two-day conference in Fort Collins on Aug. 30-31, the first such event in a series at six universities around the country.

The DARPA Forward conference at CSU will energize and unite innovators across the Rocky Mountain region to develop new breakthrough technologies for national security. Attendees will hear from world-renowned scientists, accomplished innovators and senior defense leaders on a wide range of issues connected to national security.

For CSU, it is an opportunity for experts across the university to showcase research achievements in agricultural biosecurity, pandemic prevention and response, bio-cybersecurity, One Health disease prevention and environmental protection, clean energy technology and climate change solutions.

Some 300 to 500 people are expected to attend.

'Thriving innovation ecosystem'

"As a former DARPA program manager, I am delighted that our campus will share in the unique DARPA culture of sharing new ideas to help solve today's grand challenges to protect the country," said Alan Rudolph, vice president for research at CSU. "I am glad CSU is the first stop for the DARPA Forward conference series, and I look forward to showcasing the thriving innovation ecosystem here."

Throughout its more than 60-year history, DARPA has challenged researchers from across academia, industry and government to create transformative solutions to national security problems. Many of these solutions also have benefited daily civilian life.

"With DARPA Forward, we want to inspire new thinking across and at the intersection of disciplines to support our mission of creating technological surprise," said DARPA Director Stefanie Tompkins. "We want people to take from these events a desire to help change the world for the better and to know working with DARPA is a tangible way to do it."

CSU discussion leaders

Twelve CSU faculty members will lead discussions during the conference, including:

• Tami Bond, the Walter Scott, Jr. Presidential Chair in Energy, Environment and Health at the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering
• Angela Bosco-Lauth, an assistant professor of biomedical sciences and researcher at the CSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
• Amy Charkowski, chair of the Agricultural Biology Department at the College of Agricultural Sciences
• Deana Davalos, director of the Aging Clinic of the Rockies and program coordinator of the cognitive neuroscience program in the Department of Psychology at the College of Natural Sciences
• Karyn Hamilton, director of the Translational Research on Aging and Chronic Disease Laboratory at the CSU College of Health and Human Sciences and associate director of the Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging
• James Hurrell, the Scott Presidential Chair of Environmental Science and Engineering and a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science at the CSU Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering
• Michael Kirby, director of the CSU Data Science Research Institute
• Craig Partridge, chair of the Department of Computer Science at the CSU College of Natural Sciences
• Steve Simske, professor of systems engineering at the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering
• Susan VandeWoude, a University Distinguished Professor and director of the CSU One Health Institute
• Bryan Willson, executive director of the Energy Institute
• Lise Youngblade, dean of the CSU College of Health and Human Sciences

To register

Registration opens June 1. Attendees may join in person or virtually, and the rate schedule is available on the DARPA conference website.  

Dates and locations for other universities in conference series are:

• Sept. 13-14: Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
• Oct. 4-5: The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
• Oct. 25-26: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
• Nov. 15-16: Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
• Dec. 13-14: University of California, San Diego

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