EDUCATION
New college course assists DOD with real-life problems
John Barbour Story by Shiloh Francis // Photo by Andy Greenman
semester. Engine failure, enemy fire, weather, and more The project Barbour is working on looks at geocan quickly turn a routine flight into a life or spatial and remote sensing data to determine the death situation. When the crew is forced to most likely place personnel will be. It takes into eject because they cannot make a safe landing, consideration factors such as terrain, water, and a new challenge begins. Isolated personnel on enemy territory. His group is working to make the ground need to be recovered as quickly as that data even more user-friendly to shorten the possible. time from isolation to rescue. It is this very problem that John Barbour, a Junior at South Dakota School of Mines, and his The National Security Innovation Network is about more than a semester team are hoping to solve. He project. It aims to “build a is one of ten students enrolled network of innovators that in the National Security "It’s been rewarding to be generate new solutions to Innovation Network (NSIN) national security problems.” program at South Dakota able to speak with people The partnership connects the Mines. Through this program, and find clarity as we students are assigned to work world-class education of SD address the problem" Mines with real-life problems to on research problems to assist the Department of Defense in be solved. It also opens the door -John Barbour for business opportunities. VRC addressing needs for the United States. Metal Systems is a great example This is the first year of of a business spin-off that began with research on the school campus. the NSIN program at South Dakota Mines. It Creating these real-world experiences for gives students the opportunity to not only research complex problems, but also connect students is what sets the NSIN program apart. and ask questions as they are working. “It’s Students are not simply working on a hypothesis. They discuss and are seeing firsthand how their been rewarding to be able to speak with people solutions could be applied in the field. They are and find clarity as we address the problem,” making an impact on more than their GPA. These explained Barbour. There are four problems being students are helping our nation’s defense. researched through the SD Mines program this
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