{"682915":{"#nid":"682915","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How MGRP Develops Mission-Ready Leaders","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom using machine learning to scan military runways for damage, to modernizing helicopter communications and deploying nuclear power units for disaster relief \u2013 all while earning a STEM master\u2019s degree \u2013 this year\u2019s Military Graduate Research Program (MGRP) cohort at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) took on defense challenges with real-world impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMGRP offers U.S military personnel the opportunity to conduct Department of Defense-related part-time research in a GTRI lab while simultaneously obtaining a master\u0027s degree in a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM)-related program at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cohort consists of 9 officers \u2013 five from the U.S. Air Force, three from the U.S. Navy and one from the U.S. Space Force \u2013 who are working in four of the eight GTRI labs. That brings the participation total in the program up to 38 since its inception in fall 2020.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMGRP funds its graduate degree program through Georgia Tech\u0027s Graduate Student Tuition Remission Plan (GSTRP). Throughout the program, each participant serves as a military graduate research assistant (MGRA), which is the equivalent of a graduate research assistant or graduate teaching assistant (GRA\/GTA). GTRI covers associated degree fees. Some tuition and fees are also waived due to the MGRA\u0027s military status. Book expenses are the MGRA\u0027s responsibility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMGRP Chair Mario Mifsud, who serves as the associate lab director of GTRI\u0027s Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory (EOSL), called the program a win-win for all the involved parties, allowing service members to solve applied engineering problems on sponsored, real-world DoD-related projects while providing GTRI with top talent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022People say there is no free lunch,\u0022 Mifsud said. \u0022But in this program, there is. All of the players, all of the stakeholders, get something more economically than they would if they were doing things on their own.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne member of the current cohort is Ryan Luetjen, a future submariner who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2024. Over the past year, he has worked in EOSL while simultaneously obtaining his master\u2019s degree in electrical and computer engineering at Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuetjen is set to graduate from Georgia Tech this summer and will then attend the Nuclear Power Training Unit (NPTU) in Charleston, South Carolina. NPTU Charleston is a technical school that trains personnel for shipboard nuclear power plant operation and maintenance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe chose to participate in MGRP to gain additional hands-on experience and classroom training before starting submarine school.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was in a good place at the Naval Academy where I could pursue grad school, and figured I might as well do it while I\u2019m still in school mode,\u201d Luetjen said. \u201cMGRP has allowed me to apply concepts from my graduate program to my research while also giving me a comprehensive understanding of how the technologies we develop are integrated into the military before I enter the fleet.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuetjen\u2019s research project explores using drones and LiDAR technology to scan damaged military runways and then applies machine learning to analyze the data and assess the extent of the damage.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s been great to take what I\u2019ve learned from my undergrad and grad studies and apply it in a hands-on way,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHelen Works and Mihiri Fernando are two other cohort members and recent graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Works is a civil engineer in the Air Force and is conducting research in GTRI\u2019s Advanced Concepts Laboratory (ACL). She is set to graduate with her master\u2019s in nuclear engineering from Tech in December. Fernando is working in the Applied Systems Laboratory (ASL) at GTRI and earning her master\u2019s in computational science and engineering, with graduation also in December.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorks\u2019 research has focused on developing a basemat to support a deployable microreactor \u2013 a nuclear reactor designed to fit in a shipping container and provide power in remote or disaster-stricken areas. The base mat serves two key purposes: to stabilize the reactor on uneven terrain and to shield the ground from radiation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter graduation, Works will receive her station assignment for the Air Force and is eager to apply the nuclear energy research she conducted through MGRP.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI would love to take what I learned here and advance the future of reactor technology, whether within the Air Force, in a lab or with a private nuclear company,\u201d Works said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce Fernando graduates, she plans to attend Undergraduate Pilot Training, which is a rigorous year-long program that trains newly commissioned Air Force officers to become military pilots.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe start out flying trainer aircraft, but my ultimate goal is to fly bombers, ideally the B-1 or B-2,\u201d Fernando said. \u201cI\u2019m very excited for that and to apply what I\u2019ve been learning here at Georgia Tech and GTRI.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt GTRI, Fernando has been contributing to a project aimed at upgrading the communication systems of the U.S. Army\u2019s CH-47 Chinook helicopters, specifically replacing outdated and unsupported hardware with new radio controls, cryptographic systems and tactical communication equipment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe said the most rewarding part of her research has been watching everything come together over just a few months.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I started in the fall, the size and complexity of these projects felt overwhelming,\u201d she said. \u201cBut now, I\u2019m at the point where I understand how everything fits together and it\u2019s been exciting to contribute to that. For example, seeing something go from an Excel sheet to an actual program has been really fun.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll three cohort members agreed that transitioning from the structure and discipline of their military academies to part-time research and grad school, where they have more flexibility over their time, has been an adjustment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut they said MGRP has equipped them with the critical thinking, strategic planning and problem-solving skills needed to succeed in their next phase of their careers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGTRI has provided us with a lot of support through MGRP; it\u2019s been a rewarding experience,\u201d Luetjen said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe MGRP selection process has three components.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst, the military officer must apply to a service sponsoring program, and the program must put the individual on active duty, Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders to the Atlanta area to participate in MGRP. At the same time, candidates apply to the Georgia Tech STEM graduate degree program of their choice and must be accepted into their desired program to be eligible to participate. Thirdly, candidates must fill out an MGRP program application, which is available on GTRI\u0027s MGRP webpage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce these three steps are completed, the candidate\u2019s application package is forwarded to the GTRI labs, divisions, and branches that best align with the candidate\u2019s graduate degree program and research area(s) of interest.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELab placements represent a best fit and many participants receive more than one offer from within the different GTRI labs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the fall semester, the MGRP is adding support for a new role, the Military Affiliated Researcher (MAR).\u0026nbsp;This category of MGRP student comes to Georgia Tech with their degree program already funded, but still elects to work at GTRI to gain research experience.\u0026nbsp; MARs also have their pay and allowances covered by their military service, so they are zero cost to GTRI and the project sponsor.\u0026nbsp; The program is tracking to have three MARs onboard in the fall cohort.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to spreading the word about GTRI\u0027s science and engineering expertise, MGRP builds a lifelong bond with service members and further strengthens GTRI\u0027s relationship with the military \u2013 for whom much of its work is dedicated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you are interested in learning more about MGRP, please visit: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/outreach\/mgrp\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMilitary Graduate Research Program | GTRI\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGTRI is proud to host nine U.S. military officers in its latest Military Graduate Research Program (MGRP) cohort \u2013 bringing total participation to 38 since the program launched in 2020. MGRP enables U.S. service members to conduct part-time Department of Defense research in GTRI labs while earning a master\u2019s degree in a STEM-related field at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"This year\u0027s Military Graduate Research Program (MGRP) cohort at GTRI took on defense challenges with real-world impact. "}],"uid":"35874","created_gmt":"2025-06-27 12:37:00","changed_gmt":"2025-06-27 13:10:37","author":"Anna Akins","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677299":{"id":"677299","type":"image","title":"Current MGRP cohort members from L to R: Helen Works (Air Force), Ryan Luetjen (U.S Navy) and Mihiri Fernando (U.S. Air Force).","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMembers of GTRI\u0027s latest MGRP cohort said the program has equipped them with the critical thinking, strategic planning and problem-solving skills needed to succeed in the next phase of their careers.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1751028699","gmt_created":"2025-06-27 12:51:39","changed":"1751028699","gmt_changed":"2025-06-27 12:51:39","alt":"Three members of GTRI\u0027s latest cohort pose for a photo. ","file":{"fid":"261184","name":"2025_0617_image_MGRP_GTRI-HQ_04.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/27\/2025_0617_image_MGRP_GTRI-HQ_04_2.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/27\/2025_0617_image_MGRP_GTRI-HQ_04_2.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":13829524,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/27\/2025_0617_image_MGRP_GTRI-HQ_04_2.JPG?itok=c5iWo7LF"}}},"media_ids":["677299"],"related_links":[{"url":"entity:node\/682915","title":""},{"url":"https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/outreach\/mgrp","title":""}],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"191147","name":"MGRP"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMedia Inquiries: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:gtri.media@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Egtri.media@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWriter: Anna Akins \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:anna.akins@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eanna.akins@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["gtri.media@gtri.gatech.edu","anna.akins@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}