Why ODU & Coastal Virginia

National Security is one of ODU’s core strategic research focus areas, supported by cross-cutting strengths in artificial intelligence and machine learning; autonomous and networked systems; computational and data science; cybersecurity and network security; and modeling and simulation.

Aptera draws on those capabilities while adding expertise in Mission Engineering, cloud computing, decision science, electromagnetic spectrum operations, test and evaluation, policy, international security, collaborative leadership and other mission-relevant fields.

The program creates a new way to bring together expertise across disciplines and research areas while building on interdisciplinary integration already established across ODU’s research enterprise.

Old Dominion University is located in Coastal Virginia’s Hampton Roads region, where military commands and installations, maritime infrastructure, defense and technology companies, federal activity and applied research exist in unusual concentration.

For Aptera, that ecosystem becomes part of the learning environment. Participants can connect academic research and emerging technologies with perspectives from organizations confronting complex operational, technological and policy questions in practice.

Coastal Virginia is more than Aptera’s location. It is part of its infrastructure.

ODU’s Center for Mission Engineering advances applied research, experiential learning, practices, tools and methods focused on designing, analyzing, integrating and improving systems’ ability to deliver mission outcomes.