Students, intelligence community to come together at annual colloquium

Julia Shapiro is using new and emerging technologies to solve age old problems. 

“We’re trying to maximize efficiency while minimizing costs,” said Shapiro, a graduate research assistant at the Virginia Tech Ted and Karyn Hume Center for National Security and Technology. “But we’re using a quantum computer to make that possible.”

Shapiro, who was recently named Outstanding Graduate Student in the Virginia Tech College of Science, has been working on this research project focusing on quadratic assignment problems at the Hume Center for almost two years.

“In the real world, this is a problem companies face every day. They want to know where they should place new locations to get the most profit for the lowest cost,” said Shapiro, who is also a graduate student in the Department of Mathematics. “There is no efficient algorithm to solve this problem though. Even a simple example could traditionally take days or weeks to solve, but using a quantum computer helps us find solutions in a fraction of the time.”

Shapiro and her team’s work investigates how to best formulate problems on the quantum computer to improve the probability of correctness while speeding up the usually time-intensive process.

Shapiro will present her findings during the 11th annual Hume Center Colloquium. Hosted by the Hume Center and sponsored by the Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence grant, the event is set for April 9 from 10:15 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Commonwealth Ballroom of Squires Student Center on Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus. Registration is open and free to the public. 

Shapiro is one of over 200 undergraduate and graduate students whose research will be on display across more than 20 presentations and 50 posters in front of Virginia Tech faculty as well as representatives from government and industry.

“Presenting at the colloquium is special because of the diversity of the audience who will get to learn more about your research,” Shapiro said. “At most conferences or other opportunities to share your research, you’re presenting to an audience of other academics who are in the same niche field. When you have a wide variety of research interests all in one room, plus government and industry, it can lead to more opportunities.”

In addition to the research presentations and poster session, students will have the opportunity to participate in a series of roundtable discussions with government and industry leaders.

These sessions will allow students to have face to face interactions with professionals in the national security field, including leaders from the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Ground Intelligence Center, Leidos, and CACI. To participate in the roundtables, students must fill out the colloquium registration and select "Yes" to the last question to be prompted to select your choice of session.

The event will conclude with a keynote address, including a fireside chat with three senior leaders from the CIA: 

• Christopher M. Jones, associate deputy director for science and technology
• Ryon Klotz, deputy CIO for information technology enterprises
• Kathleen K. Sichenze, senior directorate for science and technology career development officer

The keynote speakers will discuss the theme of this year's colloquium, "The Role of the Intelligence Community in a turbulent 2025-2075," and Virginia Tech’s continued endeavor to develop the next generation of national security leaders.

“This event is a great way to explore the research activities of Virginia Tech students and how they might directly apply to the national security mission of the U.S. intelligence community,” Klotz said. “The Virginia Tech motto Ut Prosim translates to ‘That I May Serve,’ which is what opportunities in the intelligence community are all about – service to the nation. The work being done today by these students might very well enhance the security of the United States in the future.”