IDA in the Research Community

IDA Research Staff participate actively in various professional activities – both within their disciplines and ancillary to them – including publishing in the open literature. Below are some recent citations of IDA Researchers and their work.

Numrich Wins NTSA Lifetime Achievement Award
Sue Numrich earned the National Training & Simulation Association (NTSA) Lifetime Achievement in Modeling and Simulation award for her contributions to the science and technology of modeling and simulations.
Greenwood and Savage Publish Article on Technology and Warfighting
Tom Greenwood and Pat Savage published an article in the Marine Corps Gazette on the relationship between technological innovation and warfighting. In the article, they analyze cases from recent history and argue that new technology alone cannot guarantee victory. Rather, a combination of effective incorporation of that technology, strategic advantage and other human factors are needed to gain the upper hand.
Greenwood Wrote Article on the Ukraine War
Tom Greenwood published an article in The National Interest in which he posits why it is difficult to produce a strategically decisive breakthrough — the kind that could pull the Ukraine War out of stalemate — and notes their historical rarity. He contends that a synchronized tactical approach integrating Ukraine’s limited manpower and legacy machines is crucial to its success.
Fanto Presented at Second International Orbital Debris Conference
Paul Fanto presented a paper, which he coauthored with SED’s Cameron Liang and Angelo Signoracci, at the Second International Orbital Debris Conference, in Sugar Land, Texas. Paul presented a model framework for quantifying the risk of debris growth.
Pechkis Spoke at Executive Roundtable Event on Space
Dan Pechkis participated in an executive roundtable event, Utilizing Space for the Benefit of Earth, hosted by the Embassy of Sweden at the House of Sweden on November 30. He spoke on how space-based data, such as Earth observation data, can be used to solve real world problems.
Wojton Spoke at Data Symposium
Director, Research Quality and Chief Data Officer Heather Wojton served as a panelist at the 11th Annual Big Data for Intelligence Symposium, November 15-16, 2023. The panel, “AI Applications for Advancing Data-Driven Digital Modernization,” explored how DOD, the intelligence community and the federal government are looking to artificial intelligence to improve big data management to help fight and win wars.
Zientek Spoke at Text Analytics Forum ’23
Margaret Zientek presented “Multi-Use Text Analytics” at the Text Analytics Forum ’23. She addressed how machine learning and natural language processing technology can help sort through large quantities of documents and files, providing IDA’s use of text analytics capabilities as an example. The forum was held November 8-9, 2023, at the JW Marriott in Washington, D.C.
Verma Spoke at R for Government Conference
Aayushi Verma spoke at the R for Government Conference held at Georgetown University on October 20. The conference brought together data scientists and users of the programming language R who work within the government and public sector. Aayushi’s talk, “From Data to Collaboration: Connecting Our Researchers with R and Shiny,” focused on how R and Shiny, an open-source R package, have enabled IDA to gain new research insights and connect researchers.
Farris Spoke at Conference in Munich, Germany
Ashley Farris presented “COVID-19 Lessons Identified for NATO Bio-responsiveness Capability” at the biennial Medical Biodefense Conference at the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology in Munich, Germany on October 24. Julia Burr and Catherine Scheible, who co-authored the presentation, also attended.
ITEA Publishes DATAWorks Special Issue
The International Test and Evaluation Association (ITEA) Journal published its Defense and Aerospace Test and Analysis Workshop (DATAWorks) special issue, which features research in test and evaluation from the workshop hosted by IDA earlier this spring. Contributors include Aayushi Verma; Elizabeth Green, Miriam Armstrong, Carrington Metts and Curtis Miller; and Janna Mantua.
Presence at Naval History Symposium
Bob Angevine, Eleanore Douglas, Jessica Huckabey and Peter Kouretsos presented papers at the 2023 McMullen Naval History Symposium held at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis on September 21. Each of their well-received papers outlined different perspectives on the Cold War Soviet navy as part of a panel chaired by Steve Wills (Center for Maritime Strategy, Navy League of the United States). The biannual symposium, the world’s largest naval history conference, recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Lillard Represented IDA on OSD Program Panel
Bram Lillard, Director, OED, represented IDA on an FFRDC panel session for the new Analyst Leadership Program. The Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation of the Office of the Secretary of Defense recently initiated the program to aid the development of rising DOD analytic leaders. During the panel, Bram advised on how DOD can improve their use of IDA’s unique tools and expertise.
Sbragia Discussed China and Taiwan at CSIS Conference
Chad Sbragia discussed Taiwan-China relations at the China’s Power: Up for Debate 2023 conference, hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Chad and the other discussant focused on Xi Jinping’s goal to reunify Taiwan with China and posit measures that the U.S. can take to deter Chinese aggression.
Wong Writes Book Review for Science Magazine
Gifford Wong wrote a book review for Science magazine on Kelly and Zach Weinersmiths’ new release, “A City on Mars.” In his review, Gifford lauds the co-authors’ use of humor and objectivity to question human readiness for space settlement. Gifford previously published book reviews for Science on Vanessa Heggie’s “Higher and Colder” and Alice Bell’s “Our Biggest Experiment.”
Herrera Published in Proceedings Magazine
Mark Herrera and DOD Director, Operational Test and Evaluation Nikolas Guertin co-authored an entry for the “Comment and Discussion” section of the U.S. Naval Institute’s journal Proceedings with. In it, they respond to a previous article on the use of temporal metrics in cyberwarfare and emphasize the need for realistic testing to prepare U.S. weapon systems to operate and fight in a cyber-contested environment.
Tate Speaks on Defense Software Productivity
David Tate was featured on a podcast hosted by Arun Seraphin at the National Defense Industrial Association’s Emerging Technologies Institute.
Bhatt and Mantua Chapter Published in New Book
Sujeeta Bhatt and Janna Mantua coauthored a chapter in a book that discusses scientifically informed solutions to cybersecurity issues in the intelligence sector. The coauthors’ chapter focuses on the threat of radicalization via online gaming.
Mantua Selected for JSOU Fellowship
Janna Mantua was recently selected to participate in the Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) Non-Resident Fellows Program. During the fellowship, Janna will develop and publish special operations-relevant work focused on cognitive domain operations.
Bharadvaj Published on PAXsims
Akar Bharadvaj wrote “Building a new generation of wargame professionals with intention: From Avalon Hill to Oregon Trail and beyond,” published on the blog PAXsims. Akar presented the paper at the Connections Wargaming Conference in 2022.
Joint Force Quarterly Publishes Letter to the Editor Coauthored by Fischerkeller
ITSD’s Michael Fischerkeller, U.S. Cyber Command’s Emily Goldman and University of Cincinnati’s Richard Harknett coauthored a letter to the editor in response to a book review and an article that appeared in Joint Force Quarterly.
Harbert and Balakrishnan Published in Issues in Science and Technology
Marilyn Harbert and Asha Balakrishnan co-authored “Why Space Debris Flies Through Regulatory Gaps,” published in Issues in Science and Technology. The article makes a case for orbital debris regulation.
Balakrishnan Spoke on Panel at TPI Aspen Forum
Asha Balakrishnan spoke on the panel “Space Cowboys: Key Outer Space Policy Questions” at the Technology Policy Institute’s 2023 Aspen Forum on August 21. Forum participants discussed how technology policy and regulation impact daily life.
Sbragia Interviewed by USIP Blog
Chad Sbragia was featured in an interview for The Olive Branch, a blog run by the United States Institute for Peace. In the interview, Chad discusses the unique challenges that U.S. interlocutors face in their attempts to develop crisis communications mechanisms with China.
Wong Selected as Fellow for Clean Energy Leadership Institute
Gifford Wong was accepted into the 2023 Fall Fellowship at the Clean Energy Leadership Institute. Fellows will examine inequity in energy policy and market structures and develop holistic solutions to current green energy industry challenges.
Sbragia Presented at Intelligence and National Security Summit
Chad Sbragia spoke on a panel, Pacific Partnerships: Lessons of NATO, at the Intelligence and National Security Summit. Chad and the other panelists will discuss the implications of NATO’s emerging relationships with Indo-Pacific countries. The panel was held July 14.