VICEROY MAVEN Interns Pentagon Visit

Department of War Honors Top VICEROY MAVEN Interns with Pentagon Visit and Leadership Engagement

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 4, 2026 — The Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)) welcomed eight of the Department of War’s (DoW) highest-performing VICEROY MAVEN interns to the Pentagon, Tuesday, August 4. This key engagement recognized their exceptional contributions to national security research and provided direct engagement with senior DoW leadership responsible for shaping the future of the Nation’s cyber-spectrum workforce.

Hosted by the VICEROY National Director and Director of Cyber Academic Engagement for the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)), Mr. Chester “CJ” Maciag, the annual Pentagon engagement connected the scholars with senior leaders across the DoW, including Mr. Michael Holthe, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology (ASW(S&T)); Mr. Kedar Pavgi of the Department of War Innovation Unit (DIU); Mr. Steven Brier, Director for Cyber, OUSW(R&E); and a surprise photo opportunity with the Honorable Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering.

Representing VICEROY Academic Partners from across the country, these scholars spent the summer embedded within Department organizations supporting operational missions in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software assurance, digital engineering, electromagnetic spectrum operations, and critical infrastructure protection. The VICEROY Initiative has built a robust Network of 50 post-secondary institutions nationwide, and places approximately 200 interns each summer across 27 DoW internship host sites. The impact of this strategic investment is clear: 61 percent of VICEROY scholars transition directly into Federal, State, DoW, or Defense Industrial Base (DIB) roles upon graduation.

“This is much more than a recognition engagement,” said Mr. Chester “CJ” Maciag, Director of Cyber-Spectrum Academic Engagement and National Director of VICEROY, OUSW(R&E). “The Pentagon visit serves as a bluing experience for the best of the best VICEROY MAVEN Interns, providing them with direct access to senior leaders and exposing them to the strategic environment in which critical DoW decisions are made.”

The visit also included a Pentagon tour led by Mr. Maciag, providing participants with a broader understanding of how research conducted throughout the Department contributes to national defense at a strategic level.

The annual Pentagon engagement represents a thoughtful investment in the Department’s future workforce. By connecting VICEROY ELITE Scholars with senior leadership and exposing them to the mission, culture, and operational impact of Department service, VICEROY helps transform talented scholars into committed public servants while strengthening the Department’s long-term ability to compete for highly qualified cyber-spectrum professionals.

These meritorious VICEROY MAVEN Interns have already demonstrated outstanding initiative and applied effort in solving real, complex problems facing the Department today. They are contributing to mission-critical research, working alongside our scientists and engineers, and gaining a deep understanding of warfighting and battlefield readiness that cannot be replicated in a classroom. VICEROY delivers an exceptional return on investment, rebuilding our military’s cyber-spectrum superiority and equipping these future leaders to field emerging technologies that maintain our global edge.

The overall progress and achievements of VICEROY ELITE Scholars are tracked dynamically through the VICEROY Institute Dashboard (VICEROY’s Learning Management System). This immersive experience reinforces the connection between technical research and operational outcomes while demonstrating the Department’s commitment to developing the next generation of highly Qualified cyber-spectrum professionals.

Among the scholars recognized for their active involvement and outstanding initiative in projects advancing DoW modernization were:

  • Leslie Trevino (Houston Community College): Strengthened DoW CIO compliance frameworks and supply chain risk management.
  • Baron Hendricks (Tuskegee University): Researched the application of large language models to modernize and secure legacy COBOL infrastructure.
  • Devin Monner (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign): Developed secure digital twin technologies for AI-enabled tactical defense data centers.
  • Elliott Small (Washington State University): Researched advanced software assurance techniques to patch vulnerabilities in legacy systems without source code.
  • Anne Kredell (William & Mary): Developed radio-frequency machine learning workflows to support distributed sensing capabilities.
  • Angel Ekeh (Houston Community College): Enhanced battlefield readiness through adversarial penetration testing and cyber assessments.
  • Sam Giang (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa): Contributed to a cyber range that provides realistic offensive and defensive training for future operators.
  • Kelly Tam (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa): Developed an operational AI capability dashboard supporting U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Collectively, the scholars’ work supports some of the DoW’s highest-priority initiatives, including cybersecurity resilience, artificial intelligence, software modernization, digital engineering, electromagnetic spectrum warfare, and operational readiness.

During the engagement, scholars participated in discussions with senior DoW leaders on warfighting innovation, workforce development, and the evolving role of emerging technologies in maintaining the United States’ military advantage.

“Our national security and deterrence readiness depend on attracting exceptional technical talent and giving them meaningful opportunities to contribute directly to the warfighter early in their careers,” said Mr. Michael Holthe, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology (ASW(S&T)). “VICEROY demonstrates that when scholars are trusted with high-stakes mission challenges, they deliver innovative solutions that rebuild military capabilities. These experiences ensure our workforce is ready on Day One to defend our Nation.”

Through partnerships with Academic Partners, Department laboratories, operational organizations, and industry, VICEROY continues to build one of the Nation’s premier talent pipelines for cyber and electromagnetic spectrum professionals. Scholars gain hands-on experience solving operational challenges while Department organizations benefit from fresh perspectives, technical innovation, and early access to highly qualified future employees.

As competition for cybersecurity and artificial intelligence talent continues to intensify, initiatives like VICEROY provide the Department with a decisive advantage by introducing exceptional scholars to meaningful mission work before graduation and inspiring many to pursue careers supporting the Warfighter.

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About VICEROY

Authorized under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), VICEROY is a mission-focused cyber-spectrum development pathway that unites specialized cyber institutes through a singular virtual institute of higher learning. By integrating foundational education, experiential learning, and operational application, the initiative directly strengthens defense readiness by equipping the next generation of leaders to meet evolving challenges in cyber and electromagnetic spectrum operations. This ensures that the Department of War (DoW) and vital defense industries have immediate access to a robust pipeline of highly qualified, mission-capable professionals ready to fill critical research and operational roles and contribute on day one.

Media Contact:
Ms. Pamela D. Mustee, Engagement and Communications Lead, VICEROY
Email: Pamela.d.mustee.ctr@mail.mil | Phone: (315) 749-8324