Wednesday, January 14, 2015 // The Statement
4B
Wednesday, January 14, 2015 // The Statement
5B
B
efore
transferring
to the University of
Michigan, Cody Gid-
dings — now a Public Policy
junior — attended the United
States Military Academy at
West Point. As a Military
Academy
cadet,
Giddings
developed
an
interest
in
international security, in part
through his interaction with
professors, some of whom had
experience gathering infor-
mation for military purposes.
At West Point, Giddings
explored
this
interest
by
assisting on a security-related
research project. The oppor-
tunity allowed him to develop
a deep knowledge in subject
areas pertinent to the safety
of U.S. citizens — areas receiv-
ing a considerable increase in
attention post-9/11 and that
remain important today.
The 2001 terrorist attacks
prompted
a
tangible
and
immediate shift in perspec-
tive on U.S. national secu-
rity. It also evidenced a gap
between in the level of infor-
mation that the government
had on terrorist activity and
the level needed to keep the
United States safe from other
potential attacks.
Even after 14 years, the
fear of a subsequent attack
has not subsided to pre-9/11
levels. According to a Gallup
poll conducted in March 2014,
39 percent of Americans were
worried a “great deal” about
future attacks.
The concern is justified,
evidenced by more recent
terrorist activity in both the
United States and abroad —
including
targeted
attacks
in Paris against the satirical
magazine “Charlie Hebdo.”
Efforts to combat such acts
of terrorism require a host of
information on the structure,
dynamics and interactions of
terrorist groups. While this
knowledge is most often gath-
ered by state organizations
such as the CIA, certain proj-
ects have been subcontracted
to the University and various
research institutes nation-
wide.
In 2011, for instance, the
University received $62.7 mil-
lion in Defense Department
funding. Though much of
this funding went to projects
based in the health and engi-
neering research, other areas
of study, such as the social sci-
ences, make up a unique com-
ponent of the work going on at
the University contributing to
national security efforts.
DOD-funded social science
research doesn’t just con-
tribute to national security
efforts. These projects also
provide
student
research-
ers with a unique opportu-
nity to develop research skills
through real-world applica-
tions.
When Giddings transferred
to the University, he assisted
on a project focused on study-
ing the alliances between ter-
rorist organizations through
the Undergraduate Research
Opportunity Program — a
University program that helps
underclassmen find jobs as
research assistants in labs
across campus. Philip Potter, a
former public policy assistant
professor, manages the proj-
ect in conjunction with the
University of Denver and the
University of Pennsylvania.
Under the Defense Depart-
ment’s
Minerva
Initiative,
which provides funding to
universities for social science
research, the project posed a
unique opportunity to con-
tribute to national security
by exploring the relationship
dynamics of non-state violent
actors.
“When I ended up deciding
to leave, I wanted to be able
to contribute more than I was
at West Point,” Giddings said.
“So that’s why I came here —
because it was one of the big-
gest research universities in
the world, and I knew that Dr.
Potter had been putting some-
thing unique together, and I
wanted to be a part of it.”
The project is unique in its
attempt to collect and code
data on every terrorist orga-
nization in the world in a cen-
tralized database. And it is the
first effort to do so, according
to Rackham Student Isaac
Jenkins, a graduate student
manager for the project.
Students
working
on
the project are tasked with
researching and coding infor-
mation on the interactions and
relationships between various
violent non-state actions, and
in doing so, develop a deep
knowledge of the politics of
terrorism.
“I have seen students in our
group meetings who are far
more knowledgeable on ter-
rorist organization, and rebel
group alliances and relation-
ship dynamics than almost
anyone else,” Jenkins said.
“Students that are working on
this project have developed
expertise. It’s actually quite
extraordinary.”
Students working on the
project were exposed to the
methods and dynamics of
social science research, allow-
ing them to not only learn
about the various terrorist
organizations that they were
researching, but also their
academic discipline.
For LSA sophomore Erin
Eusebi, who also came to the
project through UROP, this
academic element was espe-
cially important. She said her
experience on the project has
contributed to her current
interest in pursuing a gradu-
ate degree in political science
and a career in research by
allowing her to see the ways in
which academic research can
bring different perspectives to
issues of national security.
Through her work, Euse-
bi was also able to connect
with a mentor, who provided
information on pursuing an
advanced degree.
Psychology
Prof.
James
Jackson, director of the Uni-
versity’s Institute for Social
Research, said undergraduate
researchers involved in social
science projects often have
the opportunity to grow in
both their research and writ-
ing skills. These roles can
allow for significant develop-
ment, and some experienced
undergraduate
researchers
may even assist with analyses
or paper writing on their proj-
ects.
Those working on projects
designed to help contribute to
national security seem to have
an additional benefit — the
opportunity to contribute to
research that they personally
find impactful.
“It’s often hard, especially
on defense projects, to see the
full impact you’re having,”
Giddings said. “I do know that
just coming from West Point
and knowing people who
were currently in Afghanistan
and Iraq that I was personal
friends with … every bit, detail
helps, every piece of informa-
tion can save someone’s life …
It’s projects like this that are
going to support efforts that
we have going on abroad.”
However, not every social
science project designed to
promote security is related to
terrorism.
This past year, the Defense
Department awarded more
than $2.4 million in funding to
T
he
army-adminis-
tered backpack slung
over Nursing Senior
Autumn Augustine’s shoul-
ders wasn’t the only item that
signaled her role as a Reserve
Officer Training Corp stu-
dent.
Augustine arrived at 12:00
p.m. on the dot. Her punc-
tuality, firm handshake and
straight posture indicated her
trained discipline.
In ROTC at the University
since her freshman year, she
rose through various leader-
ship roles in her career. This
semester marks her new role
as battalion commander, the
highest leadership position
available to students in the
program.
Augustine said she initially
joined ROTC largely because
of
its
financial
benefits
regarding tuition. Through
a School of Nursing scholar-
ship, the army paid for her
schooling.
“It started off as a means
to pay for school. I wanted
to go to Michigan and then
I thought ‘Wow this sounds
like a really great opportu-
nity,’” Augustine said. “And
then I got into it and I loved it.
I love the people I met. I love
the culture. It’s been a great
experience.”
The U.S. Army requires
all individuals interested in
staff positions to complete a
four-year bachelor’s degree
before starting off as a second
lieutenant, the first officer
rank. There are three routes
that can be taken to become
an officer: joining ROTC,
attending a military academy,
or completing the intensive
Officer Candidate School pro-
gram.
The ROTC is a four-year
program at a non-military
university that allows inter-
ested students to achieve both
a bachelor’s degree and a mili-
tary sciences education simul-
taneously.
ROTC
students
at the University are offered
scholarships
and
monthly
stipends in return for meet-
ing certain obligations during
their time in the program.
Students in ROTC are not
referred to by academic years,
but by their military science
years. A freshman in ROTC,
for instance, would be called
an MS1.
All students in the organi-
zation are required to attend
an hour-long physical train-
ing class three times a week at
the CCRB and a two-hour lab.
Juniors teach lab classes for
freshmen and sophomores,
while seniors run classes on
their own.
The most pivotal year for
a military science student is
junior year, where students
are now required to attain at
least one leadership position.
“The third year is more of
your leadership capstone,”
Augustine said. “You’re learn-
ing a lot about tactics and are
also in roles such as platoon
leader, platoon sergeant and
squad leader. You have a
direct role in the organiza-
tion and you’re facilitating the
training, so junior year is kind
of a big step.”
Augustine, in her own
junior year, held three differ-
ent leadership positions: pla-
toon sergeant, squad leader,
and executive officer under a
previous battalion command-
er. Her promotion to battal-
ion commander was the next
natural step.
As platoon sergeant and
squad leader, Augustine led
her peers through battle drills
in the Nichols Arboretum as
part of previous lab experi-
ences.
“We’d have a two hour lab
where we would be running
a mission as a squad or run-
ning a mission as a platoon,”
she said. “You start off with
building up with squad tactics
and then you shift into pla-
toon and patrolling tactics in
the winter semester.”
But in her new role as bat-
talion commander, Augustine
serves as the face of the orga-
nization — and her cadre, or
staff — as a whole.
“Everything that happens
with the battalion, whether
good or bad, rests on my
shoulders,” she said. “I’m the
one that ultimately answers to
our cadre for that.”
Answering to the ROTC
cadre, high-ranking military
officials, is immense pressure
for a student.
Added Augustine: “That’s
the way it should be.”
She manages her own staff,
comprised of her fellow peers,
who brief her on everyday
issues cadets are facing or
possible changes that may
need to be addressed.
Notably, Augustine is the
only woman in her staff.
ROTC itself is largely male.
But Augustine said she does
not feel any prejudice against
her because of her gender and
has always been welcome by
her peers.
“I’ve never felt like I’ve
been excluded because I’m a
female,” she said. “Everyone
treats each other the same. We
all have that ability to make a
lot of friendships with each
other. I might have to be a lit-
tle bit more firm sometimes,
just because I am a female as
opposed to male, but there’s
no animosity between us for
sure.”
Rather, challenge rather,
she said, will be leading her
peers — the atmosphere is
much different with her inter-
action with them inside the
organization versus outside.
“That’s one thing that
makes it hard,” Augustine
said. “It’s your peers that
you’re leading as opposed to
strangers.”
Kinesiology student Jordan
Macocha, her executive offi-
cer and battalion commander,
said she is a hands-on leader,
invests effort into her work
and is receptive to ideas, but
is “by no means a push-over.”
“She’s not just going to
stand back and let some-
thing run and pat you on the
back and say ‘Hey, good job,’”
Macocha said. “If she sees
something where she believes
you can be improved or has
an idea, she’s going to let you
know and that’s a good thing.”
Augustine said she plans
on partnering with Team
Red, White and Blue, a vet-
eran nonprofit organization,
and hosting STEM events
in southeast Michigan high
schools with JROTCs in her
final semester as a University
student and military sciences
leader.
“These aren’t ideas that
just
happened
overnight,”
Macocha said. “She spent a lot
of time preparing for this role
Students contribute to national
security through social science research
$2,479,069
3,900
$2,777,257
Funds recieved by
Michigan, Indiana,
and Ohio
Budget for large-scale
government project to
support business
stabilization
People laid off in
these three states
since 2012 cuts in
funding
In Command: New student leader of
ROTC discusses challenges, rewards of
highest post on campus
DESIGN BY JAKE WELLINS
PHOTO BY LUNA ANNA ARCHEY
See PAGE 7B
See PAGE 7B
By Tanya Madhani, Daily Staff Reporter
By Victoria Noble, Columnist