ADELPHI, Md. -- Before new technologies reach the battlefield, they are researched and refined by some of the brightest minds in the nation. This summer, a new cohort of 250 top-tier undergraduate and graduate students arrived at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory to tackle these exact challenges.
The merit-based internship program pairs academic high-achievers with senior Department of War scientists and engineers. For several weeks, participants trade classroom theory for hands-on research in critical defense disciplines, including artificial intelligence, materials science, network security and autonomous systems.
Swapnil Saha, an electrical and computer engineering graduate student from Rutgers University, is one of those rising researchers.
Supporting DEVCOM ARL’s Network, Electronic Warfare, and Cyber Sciences Division, Saha analyzed how information flows—and can be protected—in highly complex and contested military environments.
“At ARL, the research output and end goal need to be realistic and implementable for real-world defense applications,” Saha said. “That makes the research topic both challenging and interesting. This experience has given me firsthand exposure to wireless security research and strengthened my interest in pursuing a career in defense-related research.”
Saha credits much of his summer success to his mentors, ARL electronics engineers Dr. Fikadu Dagefu and Dr. Justin Kong.
Saha noted that Dagefu's constant support and guidance have fundamentally strengthened his approach to problem-solving.
“Mentorship at ARL is about cultivating the next generation of defense scientists,” Dagefu said. “Swapnil’s dedication to understanding the nuances of wireless security in contested environments and academic perspectives for complex tactical problems is exactly the kind of innovative thinking we need. It has been a pleasure guiding his research and watching his problem-solving skills adapt to real-world defense challenges.”
For students looking to follow in his footsteps at the Army’s fundamental research laboratory, Saha offers clear advice: show up with a demonstrated passion. Future applicants should highlight prior research experience, particularly in areas that directly align with ARL’s mission to execute globally recognized fundamental research to accelerate delivery of war-winning, disruptive technologies for tomorrow's Army.
For further information, please visit https://arl.devcom.army.mil/careers/students/.
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DEVCOM ARL is the Army’s sole fundamental research laboratory serving as the nexus of science between the military, academia and industry. Operating under U.S. Army Futures and Concepts Command and the U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command, ARL executes globally recognized research to accelerate delivery of war-winning, disruptive technologies for tomorrow’s Army.
For information, visit the Army Research Laboratory website.
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