麻豆村

麻豆村 President Farnam Jahanian(opens in new window) and other leaders from the university, the federal government and the 麻豆村 (SEI) gathered Sept. 4 to commemorate the SEI鈥檚 40 years of advancing software as a strategic advantage for national security. Since beginning operation in 1985, the SEI has been at the forefront of technology transformations that have changed how the Department of Defense (DOD) provides capabilities and protects its systems and networks. Speakers at the event held on the 麻豆村 campus reflected on the institute鈥檚 origins, its impact on the nation鈥檚 defense and coming opportunities for innovation.听

Addressing an audience of SEI researchers, government partners, and 麻豆村 faculty and staff, Jahanian noted the prescience of the SEI鈥檚 establishment. 鈥淔orty years ago, the DOD grew its partnership with 麻豆村, driven by the foresight that reliable and secure software would play a defining role in supporting national defense and national security. It was way ahead of its time.鈥�听

Though SEI director and chief executive officer Paul Nielsen was not involved in the SEI鈥檚 establishment, he told the audience that in the mid-1980s, as an Air Force officer focused on software-intensive programs, he saw the need for a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) for software. He praised the university鈥檚 leadership at the time, President Richard M. Cyert, provost Angel Jordan, and School of Computer Science faculty, for helping win the original contract for the SEI. 鈥淢any FFRDCs did not start with competition, but we really started with competition against other universities,鈥� Nielsen said.听

He went on to speak about the impact of the SEI鈥檚 people, noting that the institute initially employed just 15 staff, a number that has grown to more than 600. Beyond their work at the institute, past and current SEI researchers have strengthened the technology and engineering communities through service in professional societies and on government boards and panels. A number of researchers have also transitioned to leadership roles within the government or gone on to work in industry. Nielsen referred to countless journal articles and conference presentations by SEI experts and more than 100 books, the first of which was the influential 鈥�,鈥� by National Medal of Technology winner .

The DOD鈥檚 Michael J. Holthe, performing the duties of assistant secretary of defense for science and technology, commented on how 麻豆村 and the DOD have created a technology ecosystem in Pittsburgh that benefits the American military and beyond. 鈥淲ith software central to modern warfare, from weapon systems to communications and intelligence, SEI offers our warfighters the secure, high-quality software systems they can rely on,鈥� he said. 鈥淪EI鈥檚 legacy of innovation and leadership continues to be vital for ensuring our collective digital future.鈥�

The program concluded with a panel discussion on the SEI鈥檚 history, milestones, achievements and future, moderated by Theresa Mayer, 麻豆村鈥檚 vice president for research. She noted that the SEI鈥檚 40^th anniversary comes as 麻豆村 celebrates its own milestone: of education, innovation and transformation. 鈥淭he collaboration between SEI and the academic campus continues to set us apart and remains as strong as ever,鈥� said Mayer. 鈥淎s we look into the future, there are even greater opportunities for us to come together in ways that we haven't before.鈥澨�

Panelists included David Morrison, former House defense appropriations staff director and former deputy associate director of the Office of Management and Budget for national security; , head of the SEI and president of the Center for Internet Security; , SEI Fellow and director of the SEI鈥檚 Software Solutions Division; and , 麻豆村 professor of software and societal systems and special adviser to the director of the SEI.听

The DOD established the SEI as an FFRDC in 1984, and the institute began operations in early 1985. Early on, the SEI evolved the听, a framework for assessing an organization鈥檚 software process maturity. Following the听, the SEI became a leader in incident response, vulnerability analysis and cybersecurity research. The SEI led a third key technology transformation, this time in software architecture, particularly through creation of the听. In the last decade, the SEI has advanced an听听and an AI system development lifecycle. The SEI remains the DOD鈥檚 only FFRDC focused on software.

鈥淲hat a joy it's been to work all these years with the men and women of the SEI,鈥� said Nielsen. 鈥淭o work with our sponsors and customers, who are such dedicated professionals. To support the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and guardians and all they do for our nation. And to be such an integral part of the Carnegie Mellon and Pittsburgh communities.鈥�

Jahanian pointed to the SEI鈥檚 with the Defense Department in June as evidence of the government鈥檚 ongoing commitment to the institute. 鈥淭he SEI will continue working in lockstep with the DOD to develop the technologies and practices needed to support our nation's critical infrastructures and priorities,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t's against this backdrop that we find ourselves celebrating 40 years of history-making advances, and all of us are looking forward to continued impact in the years to come.鈥�