GovCon Wire
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Recorded on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 9:00am-11:00am EST Virtual, ON24
Defending the homeland has taken on a whole new meaning in the modern era as new technologies, threats and competitors emerge. In the United States’ homeland security efforts, science and technology play a pivotal role in identifying operational gaps, conceptualizing new solutions and delivering results that bolster the country’s security and resilience.
At GovCon Wire’s Defending the Homeland: Science & Technology Forum, speakers from DHS, industry and other national security-focused agencies will take a deep dive into the S&T priorities, initiatives and programs steering the country’s homeland security missions today.
Chuck Brooks, President of Brooks Consulting International, is a globally recognized thought leader and subject matter expert Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies. Chuck is also Adjunct Faculty at Georgetown University’s Graduate Cybersecurity Risk Management Program where he teaches courses on risk management, homeland security technologies, and cybersecurity. He is also IEEE Cyber Security for Next Generation Connectivity Systems for Quantum IOT Vice-Chair and serves as the Quantum Security Alliance Chair for IOT. LinkedIn named Chuck as one of “The Top 5 Tech People to Follow on LinkedIn.” He was named as one of the world’s “10 Best Cyber Security and Technology Experts” by Best Rated, as a “Top 50 Global Influencer in Risk, Compliance,” by Thompson Reuters, “Best of The Word in Security” by CISO Platform, and by IFSEC, and Thinkers 360 as the “#2 Global Cybersecurity Influencer.” He was featured in the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Onalytica "Who's Who in Cybersecurity" He was also named one of the Top 5 Executives to Follow on Cybersecurity by Executive Mosaic, He is also a Cybersecurity Expert for “The Network” at the Washington Post, Visiting Editor at Homeland Security Today, Expert for Executive Mosaic/GovCon, and a Contributor to FORBES. He has an MA in International relations from the University of Chicago, a BA in Political Science from DePauw University, and a Certificate in International Law from The Hague Academy of International Law.
Mr. Donald L. Coulter serves as the Senior Science Advisor for Cybersecurity within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate. In this capacity he is responsible for providing strategic and technical leadership for S&T’s cybersecurity RDT&E initiatives and investments, and expert advice on next-generation and emerging capabilities that advance the Department’s cybersecurity mission and address Congressional, White House, Secretarial, and Under-Secretarial initiatives. Mr. Coulter is also responsible for creating and communicating forward-looking research agendas informing high priority requirements, policy, and strategy at the highest levels within the Department, serving as the technical advisor representing the Department and S&T Directorate in the cybersecurity R&D domain. He previously served as the Senior Science & Technology (S&T) Advisor for the Army Network Cross-Functional Team (N-CFT) and the Network S&T Portfolio Manager for Army Futures Command Headquarters. In these capacities, he oversaw a research portfolio across the Network / Command, Control, Communications, Computers, CEMA, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) technology domains. He advised senior leaders and collaborated with Army, DoD, Industry and Academia partners to identify and seize opportunities to develop, integrate, and transition technologies to enhance Army technological superiority. Prior to joining the N-CFT, he served in a variety of roles within the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) C5ISR Center, including Chief of Commercial Technology Integration and Evaluation, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Lead for Trusted Systems & Networks, and Lead for Mission Command Technologies. His previous research spanned secure software engineering, cryptographic systems, distributed / mobile computing, and Human Computer Interaction. He has a BS in Computer Science from Bethune-Cookman University, a MS in Business Administration from Texas A&M University-Texarkana, and a MS in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology. He also holds the (ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification.
Dr. Adam Cox serves as the Director of the Science and Technology Directorate’s Strategy and Policy Office (SPO) where he oversees a portfolio including strategic planning and metrics, policy development and coordination, investment portfolio alignment, and strategic program reviews. Dr. Cox has worked at DHS S&T as a federal employee and contractor since 2003. Previously, Dr. Cox served as the Deputy, and then Acting Director, of the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) within S&T. Created at the same time as DHS, HSARPA worked to strengthen America's security and resiliency by providing knowledge and innovative technology solutions for the Homeland Security Enterprise which includes the DHS operational components, such as Customs and Border Protection and The Transportation Security Administration; the state and local first responder community; private sector infrastructure owners; as well as other Federal agencies. In this role, he oversaw cutting edge research in the areas of border and maritime security, chemical and biological defense, cyber security, explosives detection, and resilient systems. Dr. Cox also served as the Chief of Staff and Deputy Director for the Strategy, Policy and Budget division before taking a leadership role in HSARPA. In this role, he acted as a principal liaison with congressional staff, DHS CFO, and OMB and worked to align DHS S&T programs with the priorities and goals of the Administration, Congress and the Department. Dr. Cox also served as a visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Prior to joining DHS, Dr. Cox contributed to research projects at Vanderbilt University on electromechanical systems for micro and meso-scale robotics. His work in bio-mimetic robotics and micro-aerial vehicles was conducted for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the Central Intelligence Agency (Office of Research and Development). In 2003, he earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering, and a dissertation on piezo-electrically driven, flapping flight for micro-aerial vehicles. Dr. Cox also received bachelor’s and master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University.
Garfield S. Jones is the Associate Chief of Strategic Technology for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Dr. Jones is responsible for developing the strategy and providing guidance on the use of innovative and leading-edge technology across CISA, including articulating and documenting the future technology vision to achieve the organization’s mission objectives and goals. Dr. Jones was Deputy Program Manager for the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Program responsible for Systems Engineering, Architecture, and Testing. Prior to joining DHS, Dr. Jones worked as a Systems Engineer developing complex weapons, geographic, and information systems for agencies such as Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). In 2018, he retired from the Army Reserves after serving 25 years (16 years active duty and nine years reservist) as an Information Systems Warrant Officer. Dr. Jones holds a Doctor of Engineering in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a concentration in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. He serves as a professor at two universities teaching Computer Science and Systems Engineering. Dr. Jones has also filed for a patent regarding the use of the Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN) for Vulnerabilities Risk Calculation of a Text Document.
Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov [Kooz-NETS-off] was confirmed as the Under Secretary for the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) on September 8, 2022. As the science advisor to the Homeland Security Secretary, Dr. Kusnezov heads the research, development, innovation and testing and evaluation activities in support of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) operational Components and first responders across the nation. S&T is responsible for identifying operational gaps, conceptualizing art-of-the-possible solutions, and delivering operational results that improve the security and resilience of the nation. Prior to DHS, Dr. Kusnezov was a theoretical physicist working at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) focusing on emerging technologies. He served in numerous positions, including the Deputy Under Secretary for Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Technology where he led efforts to drive AI innovation and bring it into DOE missions, business and operations, including through the creation of a new AI Office. Dr. Kusnezov has served in scientific and national security positions, including Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Energy, Chief Scientist for the National Nuclear Security Administration, Director of Advanced Simulation and Computing and the Director of the multi-billion-dollar National Security Science, Technology and Engineering programs. He created numerous programs, including for Minority Serving Institutions, international partners, private sector and philanthropic entities. He has worked across agencies to deliver major milestones such as DOE’s 10-year grand challenge for a 100 Teraflop supercomputer, and first of their kind and world’s fastest supercomputers. Prior to DOE and his pursuit of public service, Dr. Kusnezov had a long career in academia where he published more than 100 articles and edited two books. He joined Yale University faculty where he was a professor for more than a decade in Theoretical Physics and served as a visiting professor at numerous universities around the world. Before this post, Dr. Kusnezov did a brief postdoc and was an instructor at Michigan State University, following a year of research at the Institut fur Kernphysik, KFA-Julich, in Germany. He earned his MS in Physics and Ph.D. in Theoretical Nuclear Physics at Princeton University and received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Physics and in Pure Mathematics with highest honors from UC Berkeley.
9:00am - 9:05am EST
Welcome & Opening Remarks
9:05am - 9:45am EST
Keynote: Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov
Keynote Introducer: Chuck Brooks
9:45am - 10:45am EST
Panel: Chuck Brooks (Moderator), Donald Coulter, Dr. Adam Cox and Dr. Garfield Jones
10:45am - 11:00am EST
Closing Comments
