Naval Postgraduate School

09/30/2026

The latest cohort of Navy and Marine Corps students participating in the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) program visited the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) campus, Sept. 23, to meet with faculty and share their developing research.

The LEAD program is a unique partnership between NPS and the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) that prepares junior officers to serve as USNA company officers, with instruction focused on leadership development, team dynamics, and mentorship, leading to a master’s degree from NPS.

“The LEAD program develops students’ abilities to think critically and analytically, and focuses on the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for understanding, designing, and conducting leader and team development,” said NPS Associate Professor Marco DiRenzo, who oversees the program. “As such, they are critical skill sets for current and future USNA, Navy, and Marine Corps leaders.”

During their time at NPS, LEAD students introduced the campus community to the research projects they will continue developing during the program. While the LEAD program supports the cohort’s development as future USNA company officers, the impact of the program extends well beyond this initial assignment as these service members continue to lead Sailors and Marines across the force.

“The concepts taught in our classes will undoubtedly guide them in their Company Officer billets,” DiRenzo says, “But the concepts and discussions employed in the LEAD program are intended to extend well beyond these short-term roles and help them rise to the challenge of strategic level leadership throughout their ensuing careers more effectively.”

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | United States Naval Academy

09/29/2026

Emerging maritime and defense innovations from Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) inventors were on full display at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey, Sept. 22, during the BlueTech Nexus reverse pitch event.

BlueTech Nexus is the latest in the “From Lab to Launch” series by NPS’ Emerging Technology and Innovation Office (ETIO), part of the school’s Office of Research and Innovation. The goal of the series is to accelerate technology transfer from military and academia to industry for commercialization, advancing innovations into fielded capabilities for warfighters.

“We have researchers, industry leaders, community partners, all gathered here tonight to make a national security difference,” said ETIO director Kaitie Penry. “What we're really looking to do is to see how we can take these technologies from lab to launch. Most importantly, we're hoping that tonight sparks new partnerships and new collaborations.”

After doing deep dives in the technologies of NPS researchers, students from California State University Monterey Bay put their pitching skills to the test on five NPS inventions: a water detection submersion switch; a reduced file transfer protocol; a spatial-temporal photogrammetry system; accelerated AI optimization; and, 3D-printed artificial muscles.

Staff from Stanford’s Doerr School also pitched five technologies from their researchers, including: rapid surface fixes for marine assets; drone-deployed profiles for hard-to-reach waters; underwater touch for low-visibility robots; hydrophone arrays with consistent sensitivity; and, remote ammonia monitoring without field visits.

A poster session followed the pitches, allowing the industry technologists and investors in attendance to get more details from the inventors. FLEETWERX, the NPS Foundation, and TechLink collaborated with NPS and Stanford in presenting BlueTech Nexus.

• Learn more about NPS efforts to transition technologies to the warfighter: https://nps.edu/-/from-lab-to-launch-nps-accelerates-technology-transition
• More about the NPS Office of Research and Innovation: https://nps.edu/web/research
• About Stanford’s Maritime Sensing and Autonomy technologies: https://techfinder.stanford.edu/collections/physical-sciences/maritime-sensing-autonomy

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | U.S. Department of War | Office of Naval Research | U.S. Naval Research Laboratory - NRL | TechLink | Naval Postgraduate School Foundation & Alumni Association | California State University, Monterey Bay | Stanford University

09/28/2026

The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is one of the U.S. Navy’s top drivers of STEM workforce development, but interest in STEM careers should start well before joining the service or becoming a naval engineer.

This past weekend, NPS was a featured booth at the California International Airshow’s STEM Zone, with more than 20 students, faculty and staff teaming up to man the NPS booth. Through a variety of compelling demonstrations and displays, the NPS STEM Zone booth introduced airshow attendees to several Navy-relevant scientific concepts covering physics, autonomous systems, advanced manufacturing, CubeSat design and much more.

On top of the scientific demonstrations, the NPS team also promoted the school’s various high school and college internship programs, as well as funded Navy scholarships for college-bound students.

A big thanks to the NPS team for supporting this great opportunity to share the scientific concepts that power the force, while demonstrating the values of national and community service. !

• Read more about STEM internships at NPS: https://nps.edu/web/stem
• Learn about “Discovery Day” at NPS, coming May 7, 2027: https://nps.edu/web/stem/discovery-day

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | Office of Naval Research | DoW STEM

09/25/2026

Congratulations to our 2026 Summer Quarter class! Today, 177 graduates crossed the stage in King Hall ready to apply their education to challenges facing the fleet, joint force, government and allied partners.

Retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Ann E. Rondeau, president of NPS, opened the commencement ceremony and emphasized how relationships built through experience represent an important outcome of an NPS education, particularly when graduates may later find themselves working together under pressure.

“What's core is trust,” Rondeau said. “Trust that we are competent, that we are confident, that we can lead the team to the best possible solution with information changing every second.”

Commencement speaker Hank Plain, board chair of the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation, reinforced the connection between people, technology and mission. He told graduates the value of those efforts ultimately depends on what they enable people to accomplish.

“Innovation's not just an abstract idea here, and NPS innovation is measured by whether a decision can be better made, whether a mission can be carried out more effectively, whether a service member can be protected, and whether conflict can be deterred,” Plain said.

Watch the ceremony, see more photos, and learn more about the Summer Quarter class: https://nps.edu/2026-summer-graduation

- Read the full graduation story: https://nps.edu/-/nps-summer-graduation-emphasizes-trust-and-leadership

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao | The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations | Naval Postgraduate School Foundation & Alumni Association

09/25/2026

Congratulations to all the NPS Summer Quarter graduates who will cross the stage in King Hall this Friday to receive their Master's and Ph.D.'s. Among them is U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Dylan Bruns, who completed the Electronics Systems Engineering program, where his research explored how virtual models can help engineers better understand and test military power systems before units rely on them in the field.

At NPS, Bruns built a digital twin of a microgrid, a compact power system that provides electricity to specific areas or facilities. He compared the digital model with measurements from a working microgrid to see how closely the virtual system reflected the real one.

Reflecting on his time at NPS, Bruns said, "My professional take away is certainly going to be from the joint teams we had to work with. No person is a singular expert on any of these systems or in any of these problems, and I think taking that forward and the connections to solve problems in that way is the biggest take away."

Bruns will join 177 of his classmates graduating at 1000 on Friday, you can watch the proceedings live on our streaming page here: https://nps.edu/graduation

- Read more about Capt. Bruns applied research here: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/575616/nps-graduate-applies-virtual-modeling-research-strengthen-military-energy-resilience
- More about Electrical and Computer Engineering at NPS: https://nps.edu/web/ece

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao | The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

09/24/2026

It's graduation week at NPS! This Friday the Summer Quarter class will cross the stage at King Hall and receive their hard-earned NPS Master's and Ph.D.'s. The graduating class includes a Folsom, California, native graduating with a master's in computer science after researching how artificial intelligence (AI) can help the Navy identify weaknesses in its computer networks before an adversary does.

U.S. Navy Lt. Kristina Bodeman worked with her thesis partner Swedish Army Lt. Col. Sven Bengt Mattias Gaalnander to develop SPELL, short for Spec-to-Shell, a system that works through user-inputted objectives to successfully gain access to a test computer.

"I didn't really know about AI before I came to NPS, but through interacting with professors and even other students about what is going on, what is of interest, what is of interest to the Navy, it really drove me to pursue this particular topic," Bodeman said.

Bodeman will join 177 her classmates graduating at 1000 on Friday, you can watch the proceedings live on our streaming page here: https://nps.edu/graduation

- Read the full story about Lt. Bodeman and her AI research: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/575522/navy-cryptologic-warfare-officer-helps-strengthen-navy-cybersecurity-through-research-naval-postgraduate-school
- More about Computer Science at NPS: https://nps.edu/web/cs

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao | The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations | Naval Information Forces

09/22/2026

! Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Lindsay Sholes and Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Joshua Doucet received their anchors Sept. 16 during a chief petty officer pinning ceremony in King Hall at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), marking a major milestone in their careers and their transition into the Chiefs Mess.

The pinning ceremony is a time-honored Navy tradition recognizing more than advancement to E-7. With the anchors comes an increased responsibility to lead Sailors, develop the force, uphold standards and bring years of experience and technical expertise to their commands.

For Sholes and Doucet, that technical foundation comes from the cryptologic technician interpretive community. CTIs serve as the Navy’s enlisted language, regional and cultural experts, applying those skills in support of naval operations around the world.

As chiefs, Sholes and Doucet now take on a greater role in training, mentoring and leading Sailors while carrying forward the technical expertise developed throughout their careers.

Congratulations to CTIC Lindsay Sholes and CTIC Joshua Doucet on earning their anchors and joining the Chiefs Mess!

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao | The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations Naval Information Forces

09/21/2026

Answering the U.S. Navy’s call to rapidly transition innovative technologies from discovery to fleet capability, the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Emerging Technology and Innovation Office (ETIO) will hold their next “Lab to Launch” reverse pitch event tomorrow, Sept. 22, during BlueTech Nexus.

Through its coordination with NPS’ Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) organizations, ETIO connects researchers and technologies with potential industry partners and investors in their efforts to transform invention into warfighting capability.

And its working!

The institution’s inaugural reverse pitch event in 2025 led to a licensed student/faculty invention, demonstrating the value of connecting innovators directly with the commercial marketplace. And through DOW’s new Defense Patent Holiday initiative — lowering the barriers for industry to explore federal technologies for commercialization — 10 of the 14 U.S. Navy technologies licensed to date under the initiative are NPS inventions.

Check out today’s full piece on NPS efforts in technology transfer, and see how NPS is accelerating the innovation process, shortening the distance between discovery and deployment.

⬇️ Read the full story: https://nps.edu/-/from-lab-to-launch-nps-accelerates-technology-transition
• And learn more about BlueTech Nexus: https://www.fleetwerx.org/opportunities-new/bluetech-nexus

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | U.S. Department of War | Office of Naval Research | U.S. Naval Research Laboratory - NRL | TechLink | Naval Postgraduate School Foundation & Alumni Association

The Naval Postgraduate School is answering the U.S. Navy’s call to speed innovation from the lab to the warfighter with a sustained, institutional effort in technology transfer. Through a series of reverse pitch events, critical partnerships, direct engagement with potential partners, and more, th...

09/18/2026

A group of NPS students teamed up with the Monterey Fire Department to participate in a nationwide Memorial Stair Climb in honor of fallen 9/11 heroes.

U.S. Navy Ensign Jonathan Davis, one of 16 NPS students participating in the effort, said the team felt honored to participate in this memorial with members of the regional first responder community.

“To do a stair climb is one thing, but to do it alongside first responders is a totally different experience,” Davis said. “You feel the gravity of the situation a little bit more as you grow tired and sweaty and realize that the first responders in 2001 were doing it in a full kit, making their way up crowded stairs, and knowingly going into harm's way.”

Organized by communities and fire departments across the country, 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs honor the 343 fallen FDNY firefighters lost when the World Trade Center collapsed on September 11, 2001. Since the first stair climb in 2003, more than 13,000 participants across 40 states have joined in on the effort, climbing 110 flights of stairs representing the 110-story Twin Towers, in honor of the heroes of 9/11.

“I think I can speak for everyone in this, but it was a really impactful experience that helped to strengthen ties with our local heroes,” Davis said. “Especially for a lot of us who were born after 9/11, it is increasingly more important for us to connect with those who were, so that we may never forget.”

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | City of Monterey - Government | National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

09/15/2026

From Lab to Launch! NPS’ Office of Research and Innovation is showcasing several emerging technologies shaping the future of maritime and defense innovation during the upcoming BlueTech Nexus reverse pitch event, Sept. 22 at 6:00 p.m. at Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey … All part of the institution’s efforts to accelerate the transition of NPS inventions into fielded capabilities through direct engagement with potential partners.

A preview of some of the technologies to be featured …

➡ Accelerating AI Optimization – This optimization technology borrows from missile trajectory calculations to accelerate AI model training by up to 70 percent, drastically reducing computational time and energy costs. By providing a light-weight software framework rather than relying on expensive hardware upgrades, it enables rapid deployment across machine learning environments.

➡ Reduced File Transfer Protocols – Keeping remote assets like satellite clusters and unmanned vessels securely updated shouldn't drain their batteries or your communications budget. The Reduced File Transfer Protocol ditches vulnerable, power-hungry server downloads in favor of a smart, low-power peer-to-peer swarm approach. The Reduced File Transfer ensures your critical networks stay perfectly synchronized and safe from tampering, eliminating redundant data costs while maximizing the operational lifespan of your most isolated hardware.

• Learn more about all of the NPS technologies to be pitched at the upcoming BlueTech Nexus: fleetwerx.org/opportunities-new/bluetech-nexus

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | Stanford University | California State University, Monterey Bay | TechLink | Naval Postgraduate School Foundation & Alumni Association