The 17th Annual STAR-TIDES Capabilities Demonstration took place on April 15th-16th, 2024 at George Mason University’s Mason Square campus.
The Demo showcased products and activities of the STAR-TIDES (Sharing To Accelerate Research – Transformative Innovation for Development and Emergency Support) global knowledge-sharing network.
The network includes thousands of members engaged in building sustainable resilience, promoting human security, and creating life-changing social and economic activities. STAR-TIDES is coordinated through GMU’s Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities (C-RASC).
This year’s theme was “Adapting to Climate Change,” emphasizing collaborative cross-sector approaches (such as energy + communications) to help communities adapt to the “new normal” of climate change in their region. As Thomas Friedman has pointed out, “it’s not the strongest, fastest, or smartest that survives, but rather the most adaptable.”
The related TIDES event in the Pentagon Center Courtyard took place on April 17th-18th.
A student poster contest was held in conjunction with the Demo. The contest was open to students doing research in the areas of resilience, sustainability, disaster relief and recovery, emergency management, and related topics. Eleven students submitted an entry. Judges were recruited from among the exhibitors and a few of the attendees with strong backgrounds in these areas. None of the judges were affiliated with GMU.
The first-place winner is a Civil Engineering PhD student; the second-place winner is a team of Bioengineering undergraduates.
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First place: High urban flood risk and no shelter access disproportionally impacts vulnerable communities in the USA, by Alireza Ermagun, Virginia Smith, and Fatemeh Janatabadi
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Second place: Usage of Hydrogel for Energy Efficient Desalination/Purification of Water, by Amir Dani, Bijan Chamanara, Berk Kasimca, Peter Touma, and Eray Tulun
We are very proud of these students and delighted they chose STAR-TIDES to showcase their work. There is a small monetary prize associated with the contest.
Please contact the STAR-TIDES Team at startide@gmu.edu with any questions regarding the Capabilities Demo. For the latest information, follow #STARTIDESdemo on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram. Videos of the panel sessions, keynote sessions, and exhibitors may be viewed here.
Thank you to the following sponsors and exhibitors for their generous support:
GOLD SPONSORS
Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities at George Mason University
Global Tactics
Mattereum
SILVER SPONSORS
C5I Center at George Mason University
Institute for a Sustainable Earth at George Mason University
BRONZE SPONSORS
People-Centered Internet
Unbox
List of Exhibitors
4Cast
alfa8
Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities at George Mason University
CHB Infrastructure, Technology, and Marketing Group
Ecosophy
EMP Shield Tech Lab
First Responder Network (FirstNet) Authority
GATR Technologies
Hawk Networks | Althea
Hybrid Air Transport, Inc.
International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) at George Mason University
INCOSE Washington Metro Area Chapter
Lyman Communications
Mattereum/Hexayurt
Naval Postgraduate School
Pangea Filtration Technology, LLC
Parsec Antennas
Quanterion Solutions Inc.
Resilient American Communities
SemperComm®
Solar Stik
Southern Beams Builds (Dragon Wings)
VIP GlobalNet
VSee
Wakefield School
Agenda for the Demo (all times EDT):
Sunday, April 14th, 2024
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Setup displays as desired
Monday, April 15th, 2024
7:00 am – 9:00 am: Setup displays
9:00 am – 10:00 am: Introductions and Morning Keynote, “Threat Multiplier to Opportunity Multiplier: Climate Security, Innovation, and Leadership for the 21st Century,” by Sherri W. Goodman, national security executive, public policy leader, board director, and lawyer. The author of the forthcoming book, Threat Multiplier: Climate, Military Leadership & the Fight for Global Security, Ms. Goodman served as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Environmental Security).
10:00 am: Displays open
10:30 am – 11:30 am: Panel: “Promising Adaptations to Climate Change and Disruptions.” Moderator: Sudha Balajapalli, PhD (College of Science, George Mason University), Francisco Aquino-Serrano (Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust), Natalie Fiertz (Henry L. Stimson Center, Environmental Security Program), and Iliad Terra (alfa8)
1130 am – 12:00 pm: Networking—visit exhibits
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Luncheon keynote: “Closing the Value-Action Gap: How to Incentivize the Private Sector to Invest, at Scale, in Climate Resilience” by Sharron McPherson, senior policy advisor on the intersection of climate, infrastructure and national security, senior adjunct in project finance, co-founder and CEO of Resilience Technologies.
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Panel: “Empowering Communities through Collaboration (e.g. Power-Comms Cooperatives).” Moderator: Linton Wells II, PhD (founder, STAR-TIDES), Javier Baella (REMCOOP, Puerto Rico), Keone Nakoa (Deputy Assistant Secretary, Department of the Interior), Scott Sklar (The Stella Group)
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Networking—visit exhibits
3:30 pm – 4:45 pm: “Collaborative Adaptation to Climate Change in Virginia” panel discussion featuring James Kinter, PhD (GMU’s Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies), Robert Lazaro (Northern Virginia Regional Commission), Demetra McBride (Arlington County’s Office of Sustainability & Environmental Management), and Leah Nichols, PhD (GMU’s Institute for a Sustainable Earth)
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Call to action panel. “How Government, Business, and Non-Profit Organizations Can Provide Opportunities for People to Make a Difference in Adapting to Climate Change.” Moderator: Linton Wells II, PhD (STAR-TIDES), Sarah McCue, PhD (Axion, UN, World Bank), Claudia Nierenberg (NOAA Climate Program Office), and Aaron Rose (Global Tactics)
6:15 pm – 8:00 pm: Keynote Reception
Tuesday, April 16th, 2024
Multifaceted engagement with exhibitors which will be organized to provide for substantive two-way exchanges
9:00 am: Displays Open
9:00 am – 1:00 pm: Windows available for visits to the Mason Innovation Lab, Smart Grid Lab, the new Fuse building, and Scott Sklar’s Net Zero facility. Breakout rooms available for targeted visits with exhibitors, arranged in advance, by businesses, governments, communities, student groups, etc.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: “Shark Tank”-like pitches to investors for feedback.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: “Lighting Talks”
3:00 pm: Signing of MOU between GMU C5I Center and EMP Shield Tech Lab, Inc., Tokyo
4:00 pm: Exhibits close. Prepare for convoy to Pentagon on Wednesday, April 17th for those companies and organizations who exhibited at GMU.
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Set up exhibits in Pentagon Center Courtyard
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Exhibits open in Pentagon Center Courtyard
Thursday, April 18, 2024
9:00 am – 4:00 pm: Exhibits Open in Pentagon Center Courtyard
4:00 pm: STAR-TIDES 2024 closes