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Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines! Department of Defense conference held at UHMaking Connections, Showcasing Research Dual Focus of Two-day Event

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From defusing bombs to treating post trauma, the U.S. armed forces face challenges on multiple fronts. The University of Houston will host a Department of Defense (DoD) research conference to address such issues Nov. 1 and 2 at the Hilton UH Hotel and Conference Center.

The purpose of the conference is to give attendees an opportunity to connect with DoD services and representatives, as well as showcase UH research expertise related to various aspects of defense. Multiple services and agencies within the DoD, a range of academic disciplines and key local industries will be represented at the conference.

Key agenda items spanning the two days include improved detection of and safe detonation of improvised-explosive devices, proper diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, ways to improve training, emergency response, equipment diagnostics and maintenance, data storage and data transfer, sensors, face and target identification and detection, and personnel protection and well-being.

Registration and agenda information are available at https://orion.tlc2.uh.edu/dod/. The fee to register is $130, with members of the ROTC and UH faculty and staff receiving free admission.

Conference speakers were selected based upon the areas of expertise of UH researchers. For example, in the area of domestic security, topics include improved information security, data mining techniques, networks, foreign-language training and energy acquisition. For operations on the battlefield, speakers will discuss such vital areas as optics, sensors, imaging, materials and communication. Post-combat issues also will be addressed in response to the need for quality care for active-duty personnel and war veterans, including top-notch physical and mental-health assessments once soldiers return home.

“Armed with state-of-the-art technologies, UH researchers are proactively pursuing new means to improve the lives of American troops from boot camp to the battlefield to their return home,” said Donald L. Birx, vice chancellor for the UH System and vice president for research for UH.

“Our goal in hosting this research conference is not only to put UH’s own innovations to work on the military’s immediate and future technology needs, but also to provide a forum where researchers and interested parties from partnering institutions and other organizations, as well as the public, can come to our campus to learn straight from DoD representatives what it takes to tackle defense issues in today’s climate.”

At 5 p.m., Nov. 1, following the first day of scheduled conference sessions, ROTC cadets will lead public tours through a variety of UH’s research facilities and laboratories.

“This is yet another superb opportunity for the new Houston Corps of Cadets consisting of Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine ROTC programs to support the war effort and the higher education community,” said Col. Phil Bossert, USAF, the commander of Air Force ROTC at UH. “We are honored to be supporting this unique conference, the only research events co-hosted by any ROTC units in the nation.”

Sponsored by the Division of Research and co-hosted by the Houston Corps of Cadets, the conference also will showcase relevant materials and exhibits from various colleges, departments and research centers. Tables staffed by a diverse group of representatives will feature an assortment of demonstrations and literature from the Army ROTC, Air Force ROTC, Air Force Association, Navy ROTC, Bravo Zulu Services, UH’s Center for Advanced Materials, the UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the UH College of Technology’s Senior Project Lab, the UH Graduate College of Social Work’s Virtual Reality Clinical Research Center, the Computational Biomedicine Lab and Computational Physiology Lab from the UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, UH’s Cullen College of Engineering, the Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH and the Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture at UH.

For additional conference information, visit https://orion.tlc2.uh.edu/dod/ or contact DoD Research Development Officer Taylor Locker at tlocker@central.uh.edu or 713-743-4097.

About the University of Houston The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

To receive UH science news via e-mail, visit www.uh.edu/admin/media/sciencelist.html.

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