NDS Week 2025
National Defense & Security (NDS) Week
Purdue University
NDS Week was a week-long event hosted by the Purdue University NDS Chapter from November 10, 2025 to November 14, 2025 in West Lafayette, IN. Organized entirely by Purdue NDS students, this event brought together military leaders, industry professionals, policymakers, academics, and journalists for panels, lectures, a closed-session dinner, and a career fair. Over 600 students participated in at least one event across NDS Week.
Schedule of Events
Distinguished Speakers
Ms. Halimah Najieb-Locke
United States Department of Defense, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience
Col. Tucker "Cinco" Hamilton, USAF (Ret)
United States Air Force,
Experimental Test Pilot
Dr. Joel B. Mozer
United States Space Force, Director of Science, Technology, and Research, Emeritus
CDR Ward "Mooch" Carroll, USN (Ret)
United States Navy,
F-14 Radar Intercept Officer
Mr. John Norberg
Purdue Historian
Indiana Hall of Fame Journalist
Lt. Col. Brandon "Cain’n" Abel, USAF (Ret), PhD
United States Air Force, Experimental Test Pilot
Defense Innovation Panel
Moderated by CDR Ward "Mooch" Carroll, USN (Ret)
Purdue Military Advisory Board Panelists
Lt. Gen. Chris Weggeman, USAF (Ret)
Deputy Commander
Air Combat Command
Lt. Gen. Karen Gibson, USA (Ret)
Director of Intelligence,
US Central Command
ADM Charles Ray, USCG (Ret)
31st Vice Commandant,
US Coast Guard
Nuclear Deterrence Fireside Chat
Moderated by Dr. Daniel DeLaurentis, Purdue Executive VP for Research
Dr. Patricia Falcone
Deputy Director for Science and Technology at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).
Dr. J. Patrick Fitch
Deputy Laboratory Director for Science, Technology, and Engineering (DDSTE) at Los Alamos National Laboratories.
Dr. Douglas Kothe
Associate Laboratories Director (ALD) for Advanced Science and Technology and Chief Research Officer at Sandia National Laboratories.
Ms. Tyfani Lanier
Engineering Director and Chief engineer at PanTeXas Deterrence, LLC
Cyber Deterrence Panel
VADM Kelly Aeschbach, USN (Ret)
Commander of Naval Information Forces (NAVINFOR)
Mr. David Luber
Director of Cybersecurity,
US Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM)
Dr. Sorin Matei (moderator)
FORCES Executive Director,
Purdue University
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