8:45 Am
welcome with bart stewart
Chief Data and AI Officer (CDAO)
Chief, S6 Information Dominance Division
Space Systems Command, USSF
Bart Stewart
Bartley "Bart" Stewart is a problem-solving professional with extensive experience in the defense and space sectors. As Division Chief at Space Systems Command, he leads initiatives that enhance the United States' space capabilities. His prior roles include Integration Engineer, Entropy Manager, and International Affairs Officer, reflecting his versatility in managing complex projects and fostering global collaborations. Bart's expertise in applying complexity theory to enterprise cyber risk and emerging A.I. technologies, coupled with his innovative approach to cybersecurity challenges, culminate in an uncanny ability to uncover the often hidden connections between systems and ideas. Bart promotes community, scalability, and intuition to create positive behaviors and successes within organizations.
9:00 Am
featured speaker: paul contoveros
Mr. Contoveros is Chief, Combat Force Enhancement Division at Headquarters, Space Operations Command, Peterson SFB, CO. As Director, Mr. Contoveros leads all innovation activities in support of SpOC’s Deltas. This includes direct support to Deltas’ Combat Development Teams and Supra Coders; Community Engagement with industry, academia, NGOs, Coalition mission partners, and the DoD Ecosystem; Enterprise Change Management and Continuous Process Improvement; and Innovation Capabilities Integration.
Mr. Contoveros entered the Air Force via Officer Training School in July 1999 after completing his enlistment in the Ohio Army National Guard. Mr. Contoveros is a career Space Operations officer with instructor and evaluator experience principally in del 4, operating Space-based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) and Ground Based Radars (GBRs), culminating as 12th Space Warning Squadron Operations Officer, Thule AB, Greenland. He has HQ Air Staff Staff experience as a Program Element Monitor for SBIRS and GBRs and as the Deputy Career Field Manager for Space Operations. Mr. Contoveros’ military career closed with his successful command of the 319th Combat Training Squadron.
Upon retiring from the USAF with 26 years of military service, Mr. Contoveros worked as a contractor supporting the HQ AFSPC S5/9 Advanced Capabilities Team, which morphed into the Directorate of Innovation upon the standup of HQ SpOC. In this role he created the monthly Delta Innovation Collaboration Exchange (DICE), authored the Accelerated Delta Innovation Process (ADIP) and is leading the delivery of a digital status of forces tool. Under the SpOC re-organization in 2024, the Directorate was re-named as the Combat Force Enhancement Division (S35F).
Chief, Combat Force Enhancement Division
Space Operations Command
Paul Contoveros
9:30 Am
featured speaker: karen Lawrie
10:00 Am
Interactive activity: sam Louque
facilitating student, industry & gov’t. dialogue
11:00 am
PANEL II: the future of education & workforce development
Building the Next Generation of Information Leaders
As the demand for expertise in AI, cybersecurity, data science, and space operations grow, how do we prepare the next generation of leaders, analysts, and warfighters? This panel will explore how higher education, workforce training programs, and government initiatives are adapting to meet the needs of an information-driven world. Experts from universities, defense organizations, and technology firms will discuss strategies for bridging the skills gap, fostering innovation, and developing talent pipelines that will shape the future of national security and information dominance.
submit your questions for the future of education & workforce dev. panel
grant parker
moderator
Purdue Data Mine Student Representative
First Lieutenant, US Army
1LT Parker graduated and commissioned from the United States Military Academy at West Point in May 2023. After graduation, he accepted a Purdue Military Research Institute (PMRI) Fellowship, allowing him to pursue a Joint Masters in Statistics and Computer Science and conduct research for the Department of Defense at Purdue University. During the Spring of 2024, 1LT Parker served as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for a DataMine Project sponsored by Lockheed Martin, where he led a team to generate cyber threat reports using Large Language Models (LLMs). In August 2024, he began his ongoing role as a TA for a DataMine of the Rockies (DMR) project sponsored by the SDA Tap Lab, where the focus is predicting adversarial launch prediction based on weather forecasts. After graduating from Purdue in May 2025, 1LT Parker will be assigned to Ft. Eisenhower, Georgia to begin his career as a Cyber Officer.
Megan Dison
panelist
Amber Oakley
panelist
Systems Engineer working at Space Systems Command Tactical SATCOM Delta
Mac-Rufus Umeokolo
panelist
MS Computer Science Student Representative, UCCS
First Lieutenant, U.S. Space Force
Amber is a 2023 graduate from Clemson University where she studied Mechanical Engineering. As a student she received the SMART scholarship through the Department of Defense which enabled her to pursue a career with the United States Space Force as a developmental engineer. So far in her career she has had the opportunity to work as a Vehicle Engineer with the Innovation and Prototyping branch under Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power. She now works as a Systems Engineer with the Protected Tactical SATCOM branch specifically focusing on integration and test for their next generation ground system capability to deliver the Protected Tactical Waveform to the warfighter.
1LT Umeokolo is a Space Systems professional with a background in satellite ground system operations, cybersecurity, and software development. He previously served at Space Systems Command’s Innovation and Prototyping Directorate, where he led sustainment efforts and guided multiple satellite ground systems through successful Authority to Operate (ATO) renewals. As a software development consultant, he contributed to the SSC “Front Door” initiative - an innovation gateway for government-industry collaboration.
He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Computer Science at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, where his academic focus includes large language models (LLMs), cybersecurity, and agentic AI. He conducts cybersecurity research as a graduate research assistant at the Laboratory for Cybersecurity Dynamics (LCD), working on next-generation security solutions. 1LT Umeokolo also served as a guest lecturer for UCCS’s “Introduction to AI” course, where he taught students about LLMs and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines, including a live demo on building intelligent search tools
After graduating with his master’s degree in December 2025, he will join the 2d Space Launch Squadron at Vandenberg Space Force Base, where he will continue supporting our national space operation's needs.
Stan Kennedy
panelist
Co-Manager, OTMV Holdings, LLC
Stanley O. Kennedy, Jr. serves as a part-time Aerospace Consultant for OTMV Holdings, LLC. Texas and the Chief BBQ Master at the O&K Ranch located in Llano, TX. After thirty-nine years of direct, hands-on experience in Aerospace Engineering the focus has turned to STEM-Outreach and developing the next generation of Space Enthusiasts. Mr. Kennedy has worked on heavy-lift launch vehicles, upper stages, multiple spacecraft programs and ground systems supporting government and commercial customers both domestic and international.
Mr. Kennedy earned his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA, and an M.S. in Engineering Management from the University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA. He is an Associate Fellow and Lifetime member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) serving at both the regional and national levels. Mr. Kennedy is the Technical Chairman of the AIAA/SmallSat Frank J. Redd Student Competition held annually in conjunction with the AIAA/SmallSat Conference in Logan, UT, USA. Mr. Kennedy is the Chairman of the Board of the Space Force Cadet Corps. helping to develop Cadets and Cadre Guardians of the future Mr. Kennedy is a member of the Technical Committee of the Small Satellite Systems & Service (4S) Symposium. The 4S Symposium is Co-Sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) of France. He also has served on the U.S. Commerce Department's Industry Trade Advisory Council on Aerospace (ITAC-1). The Committee advises the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representatives concerning trade matters.
Mr. Kennedy has held technical and management/executive positions with Redwire Space, Inc., Oakman Aerospace, Inc., Comtech AeroAstro, General Dynamics - Advanced Information Systems, and Lockheed-Martin Space Systems Company.
Stanley is currently working with the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) in Michigan to develop a Mission Operations Center (MOC) and training and certification programs for Mission Engineers and Mission Controllers focused on under-served and under-represented communities. The Homestead MOC provides high-fidelity Digital Engineering and Digital Twinning modeling and simulation of complete Space Systems. Mr. Kennedy also serves on the Space Force Association (SFA) leadership team and Educational Subcommittee.
1:30 pm
featured speaker: erin miller
erin miller
Executive Director, Space ISAC
Ms. Erin M. Miller is the Executive Director of the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space ISAC). Space ISAC serves as the primary focal point for the global space industry for “all threats and all hazards.” Stood up at the direction of the White House in 2019, Erin led the Space ISAC to open its operational Watch Center, alongside its Cyber Malware and Analysis Vulnerability Laboratory in Colorado Springs, CO, USA. Under Erin’s leadership, Space ISAC’s headquarters facility is already serving several countries to achieve its mission of security and resilience for the global space industry. Each year Space ISAC puts on the Value of Space Summit (VOSS), co-hosted with The Aerospace Corporation at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.
Erin has over a decade of experience building meaningful tech collaborations and has formed hundreds of formal partnerships between government, industry and academia to solve problems for warfighters and national security.
As a serial entrepreneur in the non-profit space, she thrives in launching new programs and new organizations from stand up through building and scaling operations.
Erin was the Managing Director of the Center for Technology, Research and Commercialization (C-TRAC) and brought three USAF-funded programs to bear at the Catalyst Campus for Technology & Innovation (www.catalystcampus.org). Her expertise in brokering unique partnerships using non-FAR type agreements led to the standup of the Air Force’s first cyber focused (#securebydesign) design studio, AFCyberWorx at the USAF Academy, and the first space accelerator, Catalyst Accelerator, at Catalyst Campus in Colorado Springs - in partnership with Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX.
In 2020 Erin was a recipient of the Woman of Influence award. In 2018 Erin was recognized by the Mayor of Colorado Springs as Mayor’s Young Leader (MYL) of the Year Award for Technology. She is also the recipient of the Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce Award for Young Female Leader in 2018.
In her previous roles she developed and managed intellectual property portfolios, technology transfer strategies, export control/ITAR, secure facilities, and rapid prototyping collaborations.
Erin serves on the advisory board of CyberSatGov, CyberLEO and is a board member for the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce & EDC. She has guest lectured at Georgetown University, United States Air Force Academy, University of Colorado at Boulder, and Johns Hopkins University. She is frequently found public speaking at notable events like, Defense Security Institute’s Summits, CyberSatGov, State of the Space Industrial Base, and other forums focused on security and space resiliency and critical infrastructure.
2:00 pm
data mine of the rockies poster session
Explore the Future of Data Innovation with the Data Mine of the Rockies.
Discover how students and researchers are solving real-world national security challenges using data science, AI, and analytics. This interactive poster session showcases the groundbreaking work of the Data Mine of the Rockies, connecting education with defense, aerospace, and innovation.
3:45 pm
featured speaker: JOHN FERENCY
JOHN FERENCY
Senior Strategic Director of Real Estate & Business Development Purdue Research Foundation
Jon Ferency is currently the senior strategic director of real estate and business development for the Purdue Research Foundation's (PRF) economic development organization. He leads a team working to bring companies into the Purdue ecosystem while fulfilling the university's priorities and initiatives
Ferency also manages a team at the West Gate Academy near NSWC Crane, which allows him to be a liaison between Purdue, PRF, Purdue Applied Research Institute and multiple defense agencies housed at NSWC Crane.
Before this role, Ferency served as the chief development officer of corporate and foundation relations for the Purdue University College of Engineering. Earlier in his career, after obtaining his MBA, Ferency worked for the Krannert School of Management as the inaugural director of alumni relations. In between hisroles at Purdue, he held finance-focused positions in manufacturing and health care outside the university, including global finance business manager for Roche Diabetes Care.
Jon is a triple-degreed Purdue graduate. He received his bachelor's in mathematics in 1990 and followed that with an MBA from Krannert in 2006 and a master of science in legal studies in 2024.