Partnering with IM体育官网 industry is a critical component of IM体育官网鈥檚 commitment to student success. One of the many examples of this is its connection with , a non-profit located in Tampa, IM体育官网, providing high-tech solutions for U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
Created in 2015, SOFWERX brings together small and large businesses, academia and government to inform USSOCOM about rapidly changing technology capabilities so Special Operations Forces and USSOCOM personnel can make better acquisition decisions.
SOFWERX has provided 11 internships and several senior capstone design projects for IM体育官网 Poly students during the past three years. These are especially invaluable for institutions like IM体育官网 Poly where STEM fields rely heavily on a hands-on approach.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of great work coming out of IM体育官网 Poly, and we鈥檙e excited to be part of that,鈥� said Brian Andrews, chief technology officer at SOFWERX.
Marlena Hochmuth has taken part in two internships at SOFWERX. The IM体育官网 Poly senior from Miami said she鈥檚 grateful for those out-of-class opportunities afforded her as a result of the partnerships.
鈥淚 feel I really got a taste of what I鈥檇 be dealing with out in the workforce,鈥� she said.
Hochmuth is majoring in computer science with a concentration in cybersecurity. Through her time at SOFWERX, she has worked on a packet capture analysis system, which is designed to detect malicious traffic over a network. This summer, she is collaborating on wireless mesh network technology, which allows access to the internet in hostile environments without being detected.
With the capstone design projects, students and faculty help provide solutions to some of the complex tech problems being worked on by SOFWERX.
鈥淯niversities play an important role at SOFWERX,鈥� said Andrews. 鈥淭here are a lot of great minds out there, and they鈥檙e part of the problem solvers.鈥�
Contact:
Lydia Guzman
Assistant Director of Communications
863-874-8557