Higher education, research critical to nation's defense
<p><strong>WHAT</strong><br />Major General Walter Givhan, Commandant, Air Force Institute of Technology, will give the inaugural address in the ASU Security and Defense Distinguished Speaker Series:</p><separator></separator><p>“The Competitive Advantage for America’s Military Force: Education and Research”</p><separator></separator><p>Open to the public. Free admission.<br /><strong></strong></p><separator></separator><p><strong>WHEN</strong><br />Thursday, April 28, 10 a.m. to noon<br /><strong></strong></p><separator></separator><p><strong>WHERE</strong><br />ASU Tempe campus, ASU Memorial Union, Alumni Room (second floor)</p><separator></separator><p><strong>TOPIC<br /></strong>General Givhan will discuss the importance of graduate education and research to U.S. military forces, and the related critical need for education of the nation’s students in science, engineering, technology and mathematics fields. <br /><strong></strong></p><separator></separator><p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong><br />This is the first event in a series of speaker programs and seminars that will bring national leaders – including military leaders, researchers and academics – to ASU to discuss issues relevant to the mission of the university’s Security and Defense Systems Initiative (SDSI).</p><separator></separator><p>“Security and defense certainly involve technology, but they are about more than technology. They are also about legal issues, policy issues, and the socioeconomic causes of security threats,” says SDSI director Werner Dahm. “We want to engage the public in exploring all these threads of defense challenges to gain a broad range of perspectives.”<br /><strong></strong></p><separator></separator><p><strong>ABOUT THE SPEAKER</strong><br />General Givhan has been deputy military assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, chief of the Congressional Action Division for the Air Force Legislative Liaison, chief in the Combat Forces Division, and director for the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff Executive Action Group. </p><separator></separator><p>Among many honors, he has received the Bronze Star Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with bronze star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. <br /><strong></strong></p><separator></separator><p><strong>MORE INFORMATION</strong><br />Call 480-727-8313<br />RSVP to <a href="mailto:sdsievents@asu.edu">sdsievents@asu.edu</a></p><separator></separ… /><strong></strong></p><separator></separator><p><strong>SOURCE:</strong><br />Werner Dahm, <a href="mailto:Werner.dahm@asu.edu">Werner.dahm@asu.edu</a><br />Security and Defense Systems Initiative<br />Professor<br />School of the Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy<br />(480) 727-8598<br /><strong></strong></p><separator></separator><p><strong>ASU MEDIA CONTACT:</strong><br />Joe Kullman, <a href="mailto:joe.kullman@asu.edu">joe.kullman@asu.edu</a><br />(480) 965-8122 office<br />(480) 773-1364 mobile</p><separator></separator><p>Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering<br />Arizona State University<br />Tempe, Arizona USA<a href="http://engineering.asu.edu/"><br />http://engineering.asu.edu/</a></p>