Army Futures Command, Vanderbilt form partnership

Army Futures Command and Vanderbilt University signed anagreement on April 9 that links creative, innovative soldiers with top-tierVanderbilt University experts so that ideas quickly can become useful products.

Leaders from the two groups say this five-year educationpartnership agreement is a potential model for military-academic collaborationacross the nation, not only on research and design of new technology, but alsoto promote greater understanding among institutions. It is expected to increaselearning for both soldier and civilian students in STEM (science, technology,engineering and math), management, entrepreneurship and design, plus grant theDepartment of Defense more laboratory space and expertise to address modernchallenges.

“It is absolutely critical to have partnerships between twoinstitutions that work on teams, that celebrate the diversity of thought andideas and that are mission oriented if we’re to solve the world’s greatchallenges,” said Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos. “Our society needs to be doingmuch, much more to bring these two institutions together. This isn’t just agreat thing for Vanderbilt and the Army – the results of the military andresearch universities working hand-in-hand can be transformative for ournation.”

The signing ceremony launched a full day of interactionbetween leaders of Army Futures Command – including Command Sgt. Maj. MichaelCrosby and Command Innovation Officer Jay Harrison – representatives of the 3rdBrigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division from nearby Fort Campbell andVanderbilt administrators and professors.

Crosby credited the 3rd Brigade commander, Col. JohnCogbill, with initiating the relationship between the Army and Vanderbilt afterseeing the value of soldier-inspired innovation. Pairing soldiers withscientists and engineers can shorten the research-development-productionprocess from months into weeks, or even days.

“Having feedback from soldiers who have been on the battlefield,understanding their complex experiences, and putting that together withresearchers is going to be invaluable for addressing real-life challenges toensuring American soldiers dominate any future conflict,” Crosby said.

After physical training with Vanderbilt ROTC students,soldiers toured the Engineering and Science Building and The Wond’ry innovationcenter and makerspace, later discussing with Zeppos, Provost Susan Wente andVice Provost for Research Padma Raghavan how the agreement is likely to impactthe future of both institutions. That includes determining specific design,research and educational opportunities that help each side.

Real impact in thereal world

Wente introduced a number of researchers and explained howtheir work immediately can benefit soldiers. She also introduced MichaelDavies, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, who won a Department ofDefense scholarship to work at Elgin Air Force Base on detecting and stoppingcracks in aircraft wings. “He is the ideal example of how a Vanderbilteducation can prepare our students to make real impact in the real world, andhow someone at any point in their training or career can make an enormousdifference,” Wente said.

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Army Futures Command wentoperational last year to more fully prepare Army leadership to understandfuture operational needs, predict and assess emerging threats and embracestate-of-the-art technology.

Last August, both Vanderbilt and Army Futures Command got apreview of how the agreement could work when members of the Bravo Company 21stEngineer Battalion worked with Wond’ry advisers to design and prototype explosiveordinance housings. The advisers traveled to Fort Campbell a few weeks laterfor a field test, which was successful.

“I look at what Vanderbilt and the 101st are doing as a newbusiness model that was being prototyped within the Army without any explicitdirection or permission from highest levels of leadership,” Harrison said. “Nowwe at Army Futures Command want to formalize that relationship and make sure ithas the resources to scale and grow beyond the opportunities it would have onits own.”

“Our research is very curiosity-driven,” she said. “Eitherby design or by self-selection, it’s in our DNA. We’re always wondering what’sat the fundamental core of whatever we’re looking at, we’re willing to testanything and we’re not afraid to fail. Our labs are full of graduate andundergraduate students working night and day, on cross-disciplinary teams,solving problems at their core."

Another recent highlight demonstrating the university’scommitment to the military was last year’s $25-million gift from the Lee andRamona Bass Foundation to fund the Bass Military Scholars Program. It providesfinancial aid and programming support for military veterans in five ofVanderbilt’s schools: the Law School, the Owen Graduate School of Management,Peabody College, the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing. The programwill fund at least six scholarships for veterans starting in the 2019-2020academic year. Once fully endowed, it will support a cohort of 40 studentsannually among the five schools and colleges.