UND Fireside Chat Examines National Security And Space From Capitol Hill

(UND photo via UND Today)

(By David Dodds. UND Today) – From the evolution of satellite communications to the future of missile defense and artificial intelligence, defense industry leaders, consultants, alumni and other friends of the University of North Dakota gathered at the U.S. Capitol last week for a wide‑ranging discussion on national security and space.

Hosted by UND President Andrew Armacost, the fireside chat featured John McNiff, senior vice president of national security missions at Iridium Communications, as part of the UND LEADS: Broad Perspectives on National Security speaker series. The event, which alternates between settings on campus and the nation’s capital each fall and spring, drew about 75 people.

The audience included 13 master’s students from UND’s Nistler College of Business & Public Administration. The students were in Washington D.C., for spring break for visits with business consultants, accountancy professionals and regulators, and government relations specialists, as well as other networking opportunities. They comprised the first two rows of the fireside chat.

The event underscored UND’s growing role as a national convener on security and space issues, bringing together higher education, industry and government leaders.