Power of ERDC

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Latest Episodes:

#3: Cybersecurity Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

The importance of cybersecurity continues to increase, both as more functions become connected to the internet and as adversaries exploit cyberattacks as a weapon in future conflicts. From the SolarWinds Orion hack to the breach of a Florida water treatment plant, recent attacks have underscored the critical function cybersecurity plays to national security interests. ERDC is playing a key role in the efforts to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity. It protects the Defense Research and Engineering Network, safeguarding the intellectual property of defense labs across the United States and the world. ERDC also performs independent assessments of cybersecurity controls, conducts research to discover innovative cyber-protection strategies, and performs adversarial emulation to proactively identify and mediate vulnerabilities and security weaknesses for the Army, DOD and federal agencies. On today’s episode, we talk cyber security with Chris Callahan, the chief of the Cybersecurity Engineering and Analysis Branch at ERDC’s Information Technology Laboratory. Topics include lessons from the SolarWinds Orion breach (4:39), the dangers hacking can pose to critical infrastructure (6:30), the importance of cybersecurity to national security (10:59), ways smaller entities can improve cybersecurity (12:02), ERDC’s cybersecurity niche (13:30), white-hat hackers (18:29), and things everyone can do at home to secure their networks (24:37). Visit https://www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org for more information. LINKS: CyberPatriot youth education program (https://www.uscyberpatriot.org/) DOD Bug Bounty Program/ Hack the Pentagon program (https://www.hackerone.com/hack-the-pentagon) Scholarship for Service program designed to recruit and train next generation of cyber security professionals (https://www.sfs.opm.gov/)

#2: Installations of the Future Feb 26, 2021

Show notes

The nature of military bases is changing throughout the Armed Services. New defense doctrine increases their strategic importance for projecting power and for protecting Warfighters from emerging unconventional threats. Meanwhile, leaders desire more modernized facilities that will improve quality of life, keep pace with smart city technologies, and minimize their environmental footprint. ERDC is developing new technologies to help meet these goals. And many of those technologies are being put to the test during an ambitious rebuild of Tyndall Air Force Base, which was devastated by Category 5 Hurricane Michael in 2018. ERDC is playing a key role in the effort to re-imagine Tyndall’s future, and it will learn valuable lessons that can be applied to installations across the Army and the Armed Services. On today’s episode, we are joined by Dr. Buddy Bartels, a research civil engineer at ERDC’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory. Buddy discusses how today’s ERDC research is enabling tomorrow’s Installations of the Future. Topics include the changing nature of installations (4:55), ERDC’s involvement in the Tyndall rebuild (10:00), ERDC’s Virtual Testbed for Installation Mission Effectiveness (11:23), and the breadth of ERDC’s involvement in the Installations of the Future effort (18:49). Visit https://www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org for resources and more information.

#1: Post-wildfire Flood Risk Management Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

The intensity and frequency of wildfires in the United States is increasing, bringing immense devastation that is compounded by a lesser-known threat. Flood risks also increase exponentially after a wildfire due to sediment hazards, vegetation loss, soil changes and the reduced capacity of reservoirs. Destructive debris floods can be 1,000-times larger than pre-wildfire floods. In the past, a limited understanding of this increased risk left fire-torn communities particularly vulnerable to flooding. New research and improved modeling are critical to better manage the impact of debris flows, save lives, and protect infrastructure and property. That’s why a team of ERDC researchers is developing new modeling techniques that accurately predict the areas at highest risk for deadly debris flows. On today’s episode of the Power of ERDC Podcast, we are joined by Ian Floyd, a research physical scientist at ERDC’s Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory. Co-hosts Megan Holland and Chris Kieffer talk with Ian about how ERDC is working to solve the challenges presented by post-wildfire floods. Ian discusses what makes it so difficult to model and predict post-wildfire flooding (3:55), the new science his team is using (6:33), how ERDC is able to help communities better manage these increased flood threats (10:18), military applications (18:20), how prepared the country is to face the current post-wildfire flood season (16:53), and more. Visit https://poweroferdcpodcast.org/podcast-deep-dive-post-wildfire-flood-risk-management for resources and more information.

Introducing the Power of ERDC podcast Jan 13, 2021

Show notes

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has been solving the nation’s toughest challenges for more than 90 years. Now, you can go behind the scenes as some of our nation’s smartest engineers and scientists solve complex problems across ERDC’s broad Civil Works and military mission space. Introducing the new “Power of ERDC” podcast, now available in all major podcast players and at https://www.powerofERDCpodcast.org. New episodes will be released each month and will dive into a different ERDC research project that is solving a pressing a problem, including interviews with the researchers to explain how they are discovering, developing and delivering cutting-edge solutions that make the world safer and better. Satisfy your curiosity and join us on a problem-solving journey as we unravel the nation’s toughest science and engineering challenges.

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