August 14, 2026

Cadet Summer Research Program 2026 prepares cadets for future missions

Cadet 1st Class Garrett Clark operates an F-35 simulator during his Cadet Summer Research Program 2026 experience at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas. In addition to contributing to the ePilot research project, Clark gained exposure to aerospace engineering and aircraft design through hands-on experiences with industry professionals. (Photo courtesy of Garrett Clark) By SSgt Michael Ward U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - During summer 2026, 287 USAFA cadets participated in Cadet Summer Research Program (CSRP), conducting research through more than 100 partnerships with military, government and industry organizations. Cadets worked on projects spanning the...

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May 4, 2026

Academy Research Showcase highlights innovation

Attendees sit and observe presentations during the Academy Research Showcase at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., April 28, 2026. The event brought together military, industry and academic partners to engage with cadet research and explore solutions to real-world challenges. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley) By SSgt. Michael Ward U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - The U.S. Air Force Academy hosted the first Academy Research Showcase at the Madera Cyber Innovation Center, bringing together military, industry and academic partners to engage with the Academy’s undergraduate research enterprise. Connecting research to real-world missions...

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July 30, 2025

CSRP 2025: taking research beyond the classroom

Cadet 2nd Class Michael Fays poses for a picture with fellow Cadet Summer Research Program participants at NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, June 12, 2025. As part of the Cadet Summer Research Program, Fays completed both the NATO Instructor Course and the NATO Strategic Operations Planning Course. (Courtesy photo provided by Michael Fays) By SSgt Michael Ward U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - More than 300 cadets participated in the Cadet Summer Research Program (CSRP), taking their research beyond the classroom and into real-world application. The Academy maintains more than 260 national and international...

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April 7, 2025

Arctic research examines impact on operational readiness

Cadets 2nd Class Anna Bardorf, Emma Bingen and Jordan Martinez stand with Cadets 1st Class Billie Botes, Colby Deleeuw and Kelsey Monaghan-Bergson on the Turnagain Arm Scenic Boardwalk at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Anchorage, Nov. 28, 2024. The U.S. Air Force Academy Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership’s Yukon Field School trip taught the cadets to identify potential challenges for future warrior leaders assigned to the region. (Courtesy photo provided by Capt. Samantha Van Cleave) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – As global interest in the Arctic escalates, the...

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February 10, 2025

Laser and optics: cadets solve problems to advance research

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadets 3rd Class Delaney Finley, left, and Annabelle Towles adjust a vacuum system that produces and traps a beam of silicon atoms in the U.S. Air Force Academy Laser and Optics Research Center, Jan. 22, 2025. The cadets’ project uses specific laser frequencies to cool and trap silicon atoms. (U.S. Air Force photo by Dylan Smith) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – U.S. Air Force Academy cadets are at the forefront of innovation as they solve real-world problems at the Laser and Optics Research Center. If successful,...

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January 28, 2025

Cadets aim to make explosive ordnance operations safer

a Cadet 1st Class Simon Gott, left, and Cadet 1st Class Gunnar Gott discuss their electronic wire stabilization and cutting tool project in the U.S. Air Force Academy Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Jan. 16, 2025. The brothers have applied for a provisional patent and hope their project is added to a list of 60 Academy patents. (U.S. Air Force photo by Dylan Smith) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – A cadet brother team developed an electronic wire stabilization and cutting tool that could revolutionize explosive ordnance operations. Military members...

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November 19, 2024

Meteorology cadet research: sea ice forecasting

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 2nd Class Beatrice Shea compares machine-learning models in her sea ice forecasting research in the Meteorology Laboratory Nov. 12, 2024. Shea and Meteorology faculty developed a machine-learning model that could aid in accurate ice forecasts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Dylan Smith) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Cadet 2nd Class Beatrice Shea’s fascination with the Arctic began long before she arrived at the U.S. Air Force Academy in the fall of 2022. Once Shea started her Meteorology core courses, she seized the opportunity to transform...

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October 29, 2024

Cadet research tackles aircraft battle damage

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadets 1st Class David Ke and Ashlynn Sweet work on their four-person autonomous identification and localization of aircraft battle damage research project in the Center for Aircraft Life Extension Aug. 26, 2024. The cadets located the airplane parts crucial to their research in the CAStLE and Department of Mechanical Engineering labs. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley) By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – A four-cadet team approaches the conclusion of their research project at the U.S. Air Force Academy. They have been using quad-rotor drones to...

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December 6, 2023

Team wins gold for iGEM research in Paris

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Cosmo Cao conducts an experiment as part of his research. Cao was part of the Academy’s 17-cadet iGEM team that earned a gold medal for their Lyme disease research during the international Genetic Engineering Machine Grand Jamboree in Paris Nov. 2-5, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Jordan Steel) By Randy Roughton and Jeff Troth U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications  U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.- The U.S. Air Force Academy iGEM team’s Lyme disease research helped them win a gold medal at the international Genetically Engineered Machine Grand Jamboree Nov. 2-5. The gold...

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October 10, 2023

Cadet AI research today leads to innovation tomorrow

Cadet 1st Class Samuel Brennen demonstrates brain-computer interface technology in the U.S. Air Force Academy Department of Computer and Cyber Sciences September 28, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Justin Pacheco)  By Randy Roughton U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications  U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.- It sounds like something straight out of Hollywood’s latest blockbuster—Airmen controlling drones with their minds.  But rather than being complete science fiction, U.S. Air Force Academy Department of Computer and Cyber Sciences cadets work to make it science fact.  Capstone research in artificial intelligence Cadet 1st Class Kayleb Klapp is just one of the cadets...

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