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In the News

News | May 4, 2026

DoW CIO Announces ASCEND Challenge Winners, Capping Historic National Cyber Symposium

By DoW CIO

May 4, 2026, PITTSBURGH, Pa.  –  

In a high-stakes, "Shark Tank"-style showdown designed to revolutionize the nation’s cyber workforce, three elite universities emerged victorious as the Department of War (DoW) Chief Information Officer (CIO) unveiled the winners of the Aligned Skills Curriculum and Experiential Network Design (ASCEND) challenge. Serving as the explosive capstone to the annual Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cybersecurity Community Symposium on May 1, the finale convened over 600 premier leaders from academia, government, and industry. Driven by an urgent mandate from DoW leadership to "Get Involved," the symposium challenged nearly 500 participating institutions to forge the future of U.S. cyber supremacy. As the cornerstone of this strategic initiative, the ASCEND competition creates an aggressive fast track to pioneer agile, cutting-edge educational models for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity.

"The collaborative energy of this symposium and the innovative spirit of the ASCEND challenge are critical to securing America's technological advantage, “stated Hon. Kirsten Davies.

A "Shark Tank" for National Security

Moving away from traditionally lengthy curriculum development timelines, the ASCEND challenge sourced innovative designs from a pool of more than 60 applicants. The competition culminated in a live finale where five finalist teams pitched their unique educational frameworks to a panel of DoW experts.

The following three winners were awarded a $1,000 cash prize, and their models will now serve as the blueprint for a formal DoW solicitation to build scalable learning frameworks deliverable through academic institutions nationwide:

  • Holly Yuan and Brandon Cross, University of Wisconsin-Stout
  • Brian Scavotto, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
  • Amith Kamath Belman, San Jose State University

Congratulations are also for the two other finalist teams: the University of Maine at Augusta and Anderson University.

From Collaboration to Capability

The ASCEND finale punctuated a symposium defined by a historic shift in national security education, as DoW leadership challenged representatives from almost 500 National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) to urgently "Get Involved" and collaborate across the Cyber Defense, Operations, Research, and AI communities. Because there is no replacing a critically thinking, well-trained, and decisive operator, these NCAE-C institutions—recognized for meeting rigorous standards in cyber curricula, research, and technical expertise—serve as the absolute bedrock of this effort. By empowering these academic partners through strategic initiatives like ASCEND, the DoW ensures they are equipped to directly shape the future of national defense, harnessing the collaborative energy of the symposium to deliver on the President's vision of "peace through strength" and secure America's technological advantage for generations to come.

Please direct any questions to Pentagon Press Operations: osd.pa.dutyofficer@mail.mil.

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Electric energy yesterday as the DoW CIO @DoWCIODavies spoke to a full room at the Gartner® Security & Risk Management Summit on June 3rd in National Harbor, MD, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with colleagues from across the @DeptofWar and interagency partners! Under the https://t.co/TO825Sr8PK Electric energy yesterday as the DoW CIO @DoWCIODavies spoke to a full room at the Gartner® Security & Risk Management Summit on June 3rd in National Harbor, MD, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with colleagues from across the @DeptofWar and interagency partners! Under the https://t.co/TO825Sr8PK
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Amazing kickoff at #TechNetCyber! Honorable Davies opened the conference, delivering an inspiring address to a crowd of over 2,000 cyber, IT, and defense leaders. A special thank you to the @AFCEA team for organizing an outstanding event as we celebrate #America250. During her https://t.co/uQ03Sb0Bvv Amazing kickoff at #TechNetCyber! Honorable Davies opened the conference, delivering an inspiring address to a crowd of over 2,000 cyber, IT, and defense leaders. A special thank you to the @AFCEA team for organizing an outstanding event as we celebrate #America250. During her https://t.co/uQ03Sb0Bvv
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DoW CIO Kirsten Davies hosted Director General Tae Kon Kim, Defense Acquisition Program Administration (@dapapr) last week. Their meeting reaffirmed our two nations shared commitment to risk-based frameworks for defense technologies. @SecWar Hegseth has discussed the importance https://t.co/Lr3Sk394E5 DoW CIO Kirsten Davies hosted Director General Tae Kon Kim, Defense Acquisition Program Administration (@dapapr) last week. Their meeting reaffirmed our two nations shared commitment to risk-based frameworks for defense technologies. @SecWar Hegseth has discussed the importance https://t.co/Lr3Sk394E5
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The DoW is proud to see our cyber workforce mission recognized as Mr. Mark Gorak wins the 2026 @MeriTalk Powering Progress Award (Cyber Defender)! 🏆 Our people are our decisive edge. We are driving modernization by: ✔️ Focusing on demonstrated capabilities alongside academic https://t.co/PaX3eRxU7s The DoW is proud to see our cyber workforce mission recognized as Mr. Mark Gorak wins the 2026 @MeriTalk Powering Progress Award (Cyber Defender)! 🏆 Our people are our decisive edge. We are driving modernization by: ✔️ Focusing on demonstrated capabilities alongside academic https://t.co/PaX3eRxU7s
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The @DeptofWar is modernizing the Arsenal of Freedom with a $9.7B CETA contract with Dell Federal Systems for Microsoft services. 🦅 Delivering on @SecWar Hegseth’s mandate to reduce IT redundancies, this is not new spending. We are consolidating fragmented IT budgets into a https://t.co/LGWRSZxPZ1 The @DeptofWar is modernizing the Arsenal of Freedom with a $9.7B CETA contract with Dell Federal Systems for Microsoft services. 🦅 Delivering on @SecWar Hegseth’s mandate to reduce IT redundancies, this is not new spending. We are consolidating fragmented IT budgets into a https://t.co/LGWRSZxPZ1
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RT @DoWCIODavies: An incredible honor to remember and celebrate our fallen warriors and American heroes at today’s Memorial Day services at…
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Please join the @DeptofWar CIO this Memorial Day weekend 🇺🇸in pausing to honor and remember the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. As we proudly support those who defend our nation across every domain — land, sea, https://t.co/AvzFhLVoDg Please join the @DeptofWar CIO this Memorial Day weekend 🇺🇸in pausing to honor and remember the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. As we proudly support those who defend our nation across every domain — land, sea, https://t.co/AvzFhLVoDg
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Hon Kirsten Davies, @DeptofWar CIO, led the U.S. delegation to the @NATO Digital Policy Committee. This is a bi-annual meeting of the Allies to discuss IT and Cyber initiatives ranging from the Alliance’s cloud program to its approach to Cybersecurity. Reinforcing the importance https://t.co/cxJYwJBj2G Hon Kirsten Davies, @DeptofWar CIO, led the U.S. delegation to the @NATO Digital Policy Committee. This is a bi-annual meeting of the Allies to discuss IT and Cyber initiatives ranging from the Alliance’s cloud program to its approach to Cybersecurity. Reinforcing the importance https://t.co/cxJYwJBj2G
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Mr. Aaron Bishop, DoW CISO and acting Deputy CIO for Cybersecurity, spoke today at the @PotomacOfficers Club 2026 Cyber Summit to discuss key features of the @DeptofWar way ahead for IT and Cyber transformation with an the audience of GovCon leaders. Cybersecurity always will be https://t.co/AtJCqruNpg
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Happy Armed Forces Day! 🇺🇸🦅 250 years strong—and still standing watch. As we mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, we honor those who have defended our nation from its founding to today—serving across every branch of our Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast https://t.co/LE4mlrrfa4 Happy Armed Forces Day! 🇺🇸🦅 250 years strong—and still standing watch. As we mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, we honor those who have defended our nation from its founding to today—serving across every branch of our Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast https://t.co/LE4mlrrfa4
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The Honorable Kirsten Davies, thanked her Five Eyes CIO counterparts for their hard work and candid discussion last week as part of the Defense CIO Forum (#DCIOF) and Combined Digital Leadership Summit (#CDLS). “This was my first time leading the US delegation to the CDLS and I https://t.co/2N3iCSGBmp The Honorable Kirsten Davies, thanked her Five Eyes CIO counterparts for their hard work and candid discussion last week as part of the Defense CIO Forum (#DCIOF) and Combined Digital Leadership Summit (#CDLS). “This was my first time leading the US delegation to the CDLS and I https://t.co/2N3iCSGBmp
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The @DeptofWar successfully wrapped the Combined Digital Leadership Summit (#CDLS 26.1) last week. Together with our Five Eyes partners, we are accelerating joint digital warfighting capabilities and moving hashtag#ProjectArcadia into operational reality. The core mission: https://t.co/GZ690pibFA The @DeptofWar successfully wrapped the Combined Digital Leadership Summit (#CDLS 26.1) last week. Together with our Five Eyes partners, we are accelerating joint digital warfighting capabilities and moving hashtag#ProjectArcadia into operational reality. The core mission: https://t.co/GZ690pibFA
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The @DeptofWar CIO's Office is proud to announce our Workforce Innovation Directorate’s (WID) has been awarded the 2026 Government Information Technology Council’s Workforce Development Award! This award, presented by the Advanced Technology Academic Research Center (ATARC), https://t.co/5KXxjogR31 The @DeptofWar CIO's Office is proud to announce our Workforce Innovation Directorate’s (WID) has been awarded the 2026 Government Information Technology Council’s Workforce Development Award! This award, presented by the Advanced Technology Academic Research Center (ATARC), https://t.co/5KXxjogR31
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In a high-stakes environment, isolated data can cost us the tactical advantage. The @DeptofWar's business systems must communicate seamlessly to be effective. The new Business Enterprise Architecture (BEA) Guidebook is the master blueprint that makes this interoperability happen. https://t.co/hPl5Y8wRFU In a high-stakes environment, isolated data can cost us the tactical advantage. The @DeptofWar's business systems must communicate seamlessly to be effective. The new Business Enterprise Architecture (BEA) Guidebook is the master blueprint that makes this interoperability happen. https://t.co/hPl5Y8wRFU
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Pictured from left to right: Brandon Cross and Holly Yuan, University of Wisconsin-Stout; Brian Scavotto, North Carolina A&T; and Amith Kamath Belman, San Jose State University
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Congrats to the ASCEND Challenge winners announced at the NCAE-C Symposium! 🏆 The @DeptofWar Office of the CIO commends Holly Yuan & Brandon Cross (UW-Stout), Brian Scavotto (NC A&T), and Amith Kamath Belman (SJSU). Your groundbreaking AI & cyber frameworks are forging the next https://t.co/DHiTiTP0f3 Congrats to the ASCEND Challenge winners announced at the NCAE-C Symposium! 🏆 The @DeptofWar Office of the CIO commends Holly Yuan & Brandon Cross (UW-Stout), Brian Scavotto (NC A&T), and Amith Kamath Belman (SJSU). Your groundbreaking AI & cyber frameworks are forging the next https://t.co/DHiTiTP0f3
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The @DeptofWar CIO, Hon @DoWCIODavies, is excited to highlight the Cyber Academic Engagement Office (#CAEO) Community Exchange “Listening Room” at this year’s Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cybersecurity Symposium in Pittsburgh, PA. Over the past week, this space https://t.co/E2yir592XM The @DeptofWar CIO, Hon @DoWCIODavies, is excited to highlight the Cyber Academic Engagement Office (#CAEO) Community Exchange “Listening Room” at this year’s Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cybersecurity Symposium in Pittsburgh, PA. Over the past week, this space https://t.co/E2yir592XM
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Pictured left to right in the Listening Room: Michael Tu, university of Purdue NW University; Dr. Emanuel El-Sheikh, University of West Florida; Scott Nelson, acting PD CEAO; Adel Elmaghraby, University of Louisville; and Omar Garada, Dcode
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The Dept of War CIO’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office kicked off the annual National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) Symposium, by challenging universities to join the "front lines" of the nation's cyber defense,” and highlighted @POTUS, @DeptofWar https://t.co/BlM8f9TvpD The Dept of War CIO’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office kicked off the annual National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) Symposium, by challenging universities to join the "front lines" of the nation's cyber defense,” and highlighted @POTUS, @DeptofWar https://t.co/BlM8f9TvpD
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Pictured left to right: Scott Nelson, Acting Principal Director of the DoW CIO Cyber Academic Engagement Office delivering the keynote at the NCAE-C Symposium; representatives of the 28 new NCAE-C institutions at the certification ceremony.
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