WASHINGTON, D.C.- A group of Mercyhurst University students and faculty are taking part in an intelligence studies event in Washington, D.C. T Since 2018, the Intelligence Studies Consortium partners with universities to collaborate in exploring issues and solutions that can improve national security. The program allows students and faculty to hear from experts and other universities on a variety of issues in homeland security, global powers, emerging technologies, and more.
“The symposium exposes us to the academia behind intelligence,” said Gabriel Thomison, a second year graduate student in Mercyhurst University’s applied intelligence program. “I think looking at what the other schools, what students and faculty are presenting, I think that Mercyhurst- not to be biased- we have a very robust and practical kind of approach to intelligence whereas the other schools are more based on academia.”
This is the first time students and faculty from Mercyhurst University are participating in this event.
“I would say overall the big topic of conversation is artificial intelligence,” said Brandon Mazzi, a second year graduate student in Mercyhurst University’s applied intelligence program. “That’s happening a lot not only in the media but academia, national security space that’s also happening. So, I think the integration of AI in intelligence analysis was one of the key takeaways I had.”
They say the event gives them a chance to network, take part in the career fair, hear from other universities and even present some of their work.
“So I looked at China’s holdings of US treasury accounts and tried to correlate that through large datasets of what a future military conflict with Taiwan could look like because of them allocating their resources outside of the Treasury Department,” said Evan Olszowka, second year graduate student in Mercyhurst University’s applied intelligence program. Olszowka also gave a presentation at the event.
They add the event puts the students’ work with Mercyhurst in the spotlight and gives students a huge opportunity.
“We have an opportunity to recruit new students,” said Ted Stanich, Executive Director of Mercyhurst University’s Department of Intelligence Studies. “We have an opportunity to recruit students who may want to enter into our master’s program and we have the opportunity to make connections and internships for future job opportunities so it really does put Mercyhurst back on the map and again, our program was the first program in the country to have an intelligence studies program so to be able to get reengaged here in Washington is a really important step for the University.”
