WSU, DARPA put spotlight on emerging tech, creators

Sep. 14—Washington State University got a "taste of DARPA" this Tuesday when the government agency hosted its conference on Pullman's campus for the first time.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, is a research organization that develops technologies used by the military and the American people. Established in 1958, the agency has been at the forefront in creating emerging technologies, like ARPANET, or the first form of the internet.

WSU, DARPA and the Department of Defense have worked together often in research endeavors — in 2018, the department and agency funded more than $46 million in research at WSU in an array of fields of study, said Elizabeth Chilton, provost and executive vice president at WSU. Chilton added that researchers at WSU have made progress in multiple areas, from exploring the musculature of rodents to developing materials more resilient to explosive bomb events.

Chilton said the university has high research activity and supports around $350 million worth of research expenditures annually. She added that WSU represents a full range of disciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary scholarship, applying teaching to benefit the state, nation and society at large.

"Washington State University has a long tradition of research supporting national security and we're honored DARPA selected our Pullman campus to host this important gathering of top research scientists," said WSU Vice President for Research Chris Keane. "This is an opportunity for the Pacific Northwest's research community to come together and demonstrate the strength and breadth of the region's experience."

Stefanie Tompkins, director of DARPA, said the government agency is a collection of people moving technology forward, developing and continuing to create technological surprise. The conference is a way to show the advancement of technology and horizons of national security, as well as share research and opportunities with young innovators. Around 100 institutions and 530 people attended the event.

Tompkins said DARPA creates breakthrough technologies for national security to find entirely new ways to solve problems. She added technology is dynamic and moves quickly, which is great for the agency because it means they can take advantage of new developments to overcome challenges.

DARPA functions in national security problems — the government agency works against terrorist networks and criminal networks in both the physical and digital world.

Tompkins said national security doesn't look like what many people think, adding that it's not just aircrafts, ships or weapons, but everything from biodefense to cyber material science, and atmospheric and climate modeling.

By continuing to recruit researchers and advance technology, DARPA has challenged researchers from across academia, industry and government to create transformative solutions to national security problems, Chilton said. Over the past 50-plus years, the government agency has developed precision weapons, stealth technology, automated voice recognition, language translation, GPS and advanced artificial intelligence, Chilton added. They have also been responsible for being a part of developing MRNA vaccines to help soldiers overseas, later used in COVID-19 vaccinations, according to Tompkins.

DARPA will continue its conference today, where they will discuss new technologies and innovations.

For more information about DARPA and the conference, visit forward.darpa.mil/event/Washington-State-University.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com or on Twitter @Emily_A_Pearce.