Naval Postgraduate School Foundation & Alumni Association

“NPS student experience and background is absolutely essential to all the research and development work we are doing here.”

Dr. Michael Hesse, Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, oversees the development and ex*****on of research priorities that advance the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Department of War.

Prior to joining NPS, Dr. Hesse served in senior leadership roles at NASA Ames Research Center and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Today, he supports research excellence focused on relevant applications in the Fleet and beyond, while fostering partnerships with government, industry, and academia.

That focus on operational relevance is reflected in the way NPS research is conducted. As Dr. Hesse explains, NPS students help define and shape research projects so they remain relevant to the operational environments the students come from, ensuring research remains grounded in the needs of the mission.

📖 Read the full interview: https://www.npsfoundation.org/faces-of-nps/dr-michael-hesse

Naval Postgraduate School | NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration |

Congratulations to RTX on being named our 2026 Corporate Partner of the Year!

For more than a decade, RTX has partnered with the Naval Postgraduate School and NPS Foundation to advance defense-relevant education, research and innovation. From supporting programs like the Meyer Scholar Program to collaborating on critical research areas including AI, autonomy, hypersonics, undersea warfare, directed energy and wargaming, RTX has helped connect operational challenges with cutting-edge technology and expertise.

The NPS-RTX partnership demonstrates the power of sustained collaboration between academia, industry and the defense community to accelerate capabilities that strengthen mission readiness and prepare the next generation of military leaders and innovators.

We are proud to recognize RTX for its commitment to advancing innovation with operational impact.

Read more: https://ow.ly/VPsi50ZaJBN

Last call for exhibitors! Applications for Converge @ NPS close tomorrow, June 12.

Converge @ NPS will bring warfighters, academia, industry, and government organizations together from July 22 to 24 at the Naval Postgraduate School to connect technology and innovation with operational needs through research, education, and collaboration.

❗Key things to know:
• Applications close June 12
• Limited exhibitor spaces remain
• Selected exhibitors will pay a $2,500 participation fee covering up to four team members
• Exhibitors receive four tickets to an evening event at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

🔗 Apply now before the deadline: npsfoundation.org/partners/convergenps

NVIDIA AI

Industry Exhibitor Applications and NPS Student/Faculty Project Submissions are now open for Converge @ NPS, July 22-24 in Monterey, California.

⚠️ Exhibitor applications and project submissions close June 12.

Converge @ NPS brings together warfighter students, defense focused faculty, industry, and government and military professionals to connect technology and innovation with operational needs and accelerate solutions for the warfighter.

Industry interested in exhibiting technology and highlighting collaborative projects to NPS and government and military organizations should submit an exhibitor application.

NPS students and faculty interested in pitching projects to industry partners and government or military sponsors for collaboration, funding, or other partnership opportunities can submit projects and participate in the showcase.

🔗 Submit your application or project proposal: npsfoundation.org/partners/convergenps

Naval Postgraduate School

Members of the NPS Cycling Club recently competed in the Bass Lake Triathlon, earning multiple podium finishes across the duathlon, sprint triathlon, and Olympic triathlon events.

The race weekend highlighted the dedication, teamwork, and competitive spirit of the club, with participants representing the Naval Postgraduate School community across a range of age groups and divisions.

Interested in getting involved? Learn more about NPS clubs at: npsfoundation.org/membership/clubs

Exhibitor applications are now open for Converge @ NPS, July 22–24.

Converge @ NPS brings together warfighters, academia, industry and government agencies to connect technology and innovation with operational needs through research, education, and collaboration.

❗Key things to know:
• Applications close June 12
• Limited exhibitor spaces available
• Selected exhibitors will pay a $2,500 participation fee covering up to four team members
• Exhibitors receive four tickets to an evening event at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

🔗 Apply now: www.npsfoundation.org/convergenps

Naval Postgraduate School | Fleetwerx

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐏𝐒 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜. 𝐈𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠.”

Michael Cadenazzi, MS in Electrical Engineering ’00, is Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy, where he leads efforts to develop and maintain the U.S. defense industrial base to ensure a secure supply of materials critical to national security.

His career spans military service as a U.S. Navy cryptologic warfare officer and leadership across the aerospace and defense sector, with experience in signals intelligence, data analytics, and strategy across domains from space to undersea.

At the Naval Postgraduate School, Mr. Cadenazzi developed an engineering mindset focused on applying technical knowledge to the technical and tactical support of the warfighter.

📖 Read the full interview: https://www.npsfoundation.org/faces-of-nps/michael-cadenazzi

U.S. Department of War

The African Heritage Club hosted another session of its “Building Bridges Through Culture” US–Africa Dialogue Series, held monthly since October 2024 for members of the Naval Postgraduate School and Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center communities.

The series explores how culture shapes leadership, security, innovation, education and diplomacy through discussions that connect students, faculty, officers, staff, spouses and alumni. The club is open to anyone interested in cross-cultural dialogue and strengthening US–Africa relationships.

The African Heritage Club meets on the first Thursday of every month at noon at the NPS Foundation Cottage for discussions and community engagement, along with a free lunch. Community members interested in attending are encouraged to join the next meeting on June 4.

🎧 Listen to the latest podcast episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4K3xguhMhkGPabnvOob1xg?si=qdrj4D-bQEeHBrC3_bEbPA

The NPS Outdoors Club visited Lake Tahoe last month for a family ski trip at Heavenly Mountain. Students, spouses, and kids hit the slopes and shared quality time together after long days on the mountain.

🙌 Interested in joining the Outdoors Club or one of the other 20+ NPS Foundation student clubs? Visit npsfoundation.org/membership/clubs.

Naval Postgraduate School