SMART Scholar Symposium

The Department of Defense (DoD) Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Program, managed under the Office of the Undersecretary for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)), hosted its fourth annual symposium on July 13-15, 2021.

A highly competitive scholarship-for-service program focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), SMART is one of the largest STEM education and workforce initiatives effort under DoD STEM. DoD STEM is the Department’s comprehensive K-20 STEM education and talent development effort, which inspires, cultivates, and develops talent to address the Nation’s technological challenges, now and into the future. SMART is empowered to make full-tuition awards during any phase of a scholar’s education in a regionally accredited U.S. university or college. The program sponsors undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral study in 21 academic disciplines that the Department has identified as critical to national security and DoD’s future. Since its inception in 2006, the program has awarded over 3,000 scholarships.

This year’s three-day virtual symposium entitled “Creating Leaders of the Future” consisted of keynote speeches by DoD leadership, a science communication workshop for SMART scholars, lightning talk presentations by 13 nominated SMART scholars representing each DoD Component, presentations by Junior Science and Humanities Symposia national oral presentation winners, and an inspiring presentation by the SMART leadership team of Ms. Karrin Felton and Dr. Brandon Cochenour. Among the DoD speakers who kicked off each day of the event were Ms. Barbara McQuiston, who is now performing the duties of the Deputy Undersecretary at OUSD(R&E), and Dr. Kevin T. Geiss, Director of Science and Technology at OUSD(R&E).