Fort Detrick hosted a local leaders networking event on Friday, May 20 in order to inform visitors about ongoing research and potential partnership opportunities.
Local leaders, educators and elected officials from Frederick and Montgomery Counties attended the event, which included product displays, a tour of the U.S. Army Center for Environmental Health Research and a concluding roundtable discussion. The goal of the event was to strengthen the ties between the local community and Fort Detrick through education and discussion of potential collaboration.
During the product display showcase in an army tent, experts gave brief poster presentations about their work to the leaders. The leaders arrived in two separate groups to ensure ample time for questions and a fuller appreciation of the presentations.
"I am always impressed by the caliber of scientists, both civilian and military, working side-by-side on the complex and important research occurring at Fort Detrick," said Frederick Alderman Michael O'Connor of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command product displays, which included hands-on demonstrations and examples of real products that Soldiers use in the field.
The USACEHR tour and closing roundtable session followed the product display portion of the event. Leaders were invited to a discussion with representatives of various Fort Detrick-based organizations on topics including employment resources, leadership development, communication efforts and potential education collaborations. During this time, the visitors engaged in an open discussion with panelists and asked questions about research.
Col. Thomas Timmes, USACEHR commander and panelist at the roundtable discussion, afterwards commented on the researchers' appreciation of the local leaders' interest, saying there were "lots of good questions from the Frederick leaders, and we enjoyed sharing our research that spans from our fish biomonitors keeping the local drinking water safe to our mice on the international space station helping astronauts learn about science in microgravity."
During the roundtable, Doctor Theresa Alban, superintendent of Frederick County Public Schools, commented on her wish to see Frederick County middle schoolers educated on current research.
"Fort Detrick is an important installation nationally, but its importance as an employer and economic development asset to local government cannot be overstated," said O'Connor. "The visit and opportunity to hear from and speak to leadership on post is a helpful reminder, as we look at priorities in municipal budgets, that we want to remain a community that can attract and retain the high quality workforce Fort Detrick requires."
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