DoW CIO Announces ASCEND Challenge Winners, Capping Historic National Cyber Symposium

May 4, 2026, PITTSBURGH, Pa. –

In a high-stakes, "Shark Tank"-style showdown designed to revolutionize the nation’s cyber workforce, three elite universities emerged victorious as the Department of War (DoW) Chief Information Officer (CIO) unveiled the winners of the Aligned Skills Curriculum and Experiential Network Design (ASCEND) challenge. Serving as the explosive capstone to the annual Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cybersecurity Community Symposium on May 1, the finale convened over 600 premier leaders from academia, government, and industry. Driven by an urgent mandate from DoW leadership to "Get Involved," the symposium challenged nearly 500 participating institutions to forge the future of U.S. cyber supremacy. As the cornerstone of this strategic initiative, the ASCEND competition creates an aggressive fast track to pioneer agile, cutting-edge educational models for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity.

"The collaborative energy of this symposium and the innovative spirit of the ASCEND challenge are critical to securing America's technological advantage, “stated Hon. Kirsten Davies.

A "Shark Tank" for National Security

Moving away from traditionally lengthy curriculum development timelines, the ASCEND challenge sourced innovative designs from a pool of more than 60 applicants. The competition culminated in a live finale where five finalist teams pitched their unique educational frameworks to a panel of DoW experts.

The following three winners were awarded a $1,000 cash prize, and their models will now serve as the blueprint for a formal DoW solicitation to build scalable learning frameworks deliverable through academic institutions nationwide:

Holly Yuan and Brandon Cross, University of Wisconsin-Stout
Brian Scavotto, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Amith Kamath Belman, San Jose State University

Congratulations are also for the two other finalist teams: the University of Maine at Augusta and Anderson University.

From Collaboration to Capability

The ASCEND finale punctuated a symposium defined by a historic shift in national security education, as DoW leadership challenged representatives from almost 500 National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) to urgently "Get Involved" and collaborate across the Cyber Defense, Operations, Research, and AI communities. Because there is no replacing a critically thinking, well-trained, and decisive operator, these NCAE-C institutions—recognized for meeting rigorous standards in cyber curricula, research, and technical expertise—serve as the absolute bedrock of this effort. By empowering these academic partners through strategic initiatives like ASCEND, the DoW ensures they are equipped to directly shape the future of national defense, harnessing the collaborative energy of the symposium to deliver on the President's vision of "peace through strength" and secure America's technological advantage for generations to come.

Please direct any questions to Pentagon Press Operations: osd.pa.dutyofficer@mail.mil.

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The @DeptofWar CIO, Hon @DoWCIODavies, is excited to highlight the Cyber Academic Engagement Office (#CAEO) Community Exchange “Listening Room” at this year’s Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cybersecurity Symposium in Pittsburgh, PA. Over the past week, this space https://t.co/E2yir592XM

Pictured left to right in the Listening Room: Michael Tu, university of Purdue NW University; Dr. Emanuel El-Sheikh, University of West Florida; Scott Nelson, acting PD CEAO; Adel Elmaghraby, University of Louisville; and Omar Garada, Dcode

The Dept of War CIO’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office kicked off the annual National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) Symposium, by challenging universities to join the "front lines" of the nation's cyber defense,” and highlighted @POTUS, @DeptofWar https://t.co/BlM8f9TvpD

Pictured left to right: Scott Nelson, Acting Principal Director of the DoW CIO Cyber Academic Engagement Office delivering the keynote at the NCAE-C Symposium; representatives of the 28 new NCAE-C institutions at the certification ceremony.

Clockwise from upper left: Ms. Ayanna Baker (Cyber Human Capital Program Analyst), Mrs. Marci McCarthy (DoW CIO Director of External Engagements), Acting Secretary of Labor The Honorable Keith Sonderling, and Ms. Chimia Nelson (DoW CIO Program Director); Seated: DoL Acting

The Department of War CIO announces the launch of our new DoW Cyber Registered Apprenticeship Program (#CyberRAP). Yesterday, during the National Apprenticeship Week signing ceremony at the Department of Labor, Mrs. Marci McCarthy, Director of External Engagements, kicked off the https://t.co/qRJT5sfZyM

🦅 @DeptofWar CIO, the Honorable Kirsten Davies, joined the 71st Siouxland/Washington Conference & Steak Reception, sharing an inspiring message of collaboration 🤝 with Senate and Congressional members and the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. Emphasizing the vital partnership https://t.co/eSXro6KLT7

Moving at the speed of war! 🦅 Yesterday at the Potomac Officers Club Digital Transformation Summit, DoW CIO Hon. Kirsten Davies delivered a powerhouse keynote to defense and industry leaders that are moving at the speed of war to deliver capabilities to our Warfighters that are https://t.co/uN7gmstX6B

@DeptofWar, the Honorable Kirsten Davies, formally announces the onboarding of five new senior leaders to the team today. Read more at: https://t.co/UUcM1GUGUV https://t.co/08puLxMVKw

The Hon. Kirsten Davies drove home the sense of urgency she feels to make lasting change for the Warfighter and the nation. This is “not business as usual,” as significant changes are underway in how the @DeptofWar develops IT and cyber tools. Under the leadership of @POTUS and https://t.co/nwyGhf6yHf

The DoW CIO, Hon Kirsten Davies, is pleased to announce that Mrs. Marci McCarthy (@marcimccarthyUS) has been appointed as the new Office of the CIO Director of External Engagements. Mrs. McCarthy will be responsible for shaping our strategic communications and leading our https://t.co/OeE4e11ufg

The DoW CIO is excited to announce Ms. Kayla Huthoefer Nelson as our new Chief of Staff. In this role she will support executive decision-making, organizational coordination, and leadership priorities across the @DeptofWar information, technology, and digital modernization https://t.co/kZZnHGqgzE

Hon. Kirsten Davies, @DeptofWar CIO, highlighted the focus driving enterprise transformation during her testimony at the House Armed Services Committee Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation (CITI) subcommittee. This effort will reshape all facets of our programs, https://t.co/uv3wvPVh8L

Last week, at the Cyber Workforce Summit 2.0 (#CWS2.0) portfolio managers from the @DeptofWar CIO’s Workforce Innovation Directorate (WID) led discussions that highlighted the Department’s coordination with private industry. Ms. Chimia Nelson, Talent Management Branch Chief and https://t.co/CHV0Va0mGe

Hon. Kirsten Davies, DoW CIO, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee Cybersecurity Subcommittee on March 24th discussing Pillar 2: Agile Digital Capabilities of the @DeptofWar strategy to make our Warfighters the most lethal in the world and support @SecWar https://t.co/1saxyXrsxY

During her testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee Cybersecurity Subcommittee on March 24, Hon. Davies, United States Department of War CIO, outlined a strategy for transformation that supports Secretary Hegseth's Arsenal of Freedom and the National Defense Strategy. https://t.co/2olJlWXt44

IMPORTANT REMINDER Applications for the 2025-2026 DoW Cyber Workforce Rotational Programs cohort are closing in ONE MONTH on April 24, 2026! Eligibility for this program is open to Department of War civilians, other federal agency civilians, and industry employees in https://t.co/GeajEDVTNM

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DoW CIO Announces ASCEND Challenge Winners, Capping Historic National Cyber Symposium

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