The Institute of Defense Studies and Education (IDSE) was created one year ago as a conduit for Wright State University to partner more fully with other entities in the Dayton region. With Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) as one of the largest stakeholders in the region, creating new partnerships with the base and, as a consequence, the Department of Defense (DoD), was a logical place to start.

While many of Wright State’s colleges and units had already established relationships to extend their educational programs to the base, a more holistic approach was needed to tie together all of the university’s resources to make them conducive to Wright-Patterson’s and DoD’s needs.

“The Institute of Defense Studies and Education was set up to meet the mandate that we cater to and change the way we offer education opportunities to WPAFB and across the entire Department of Defense by utilizing all of the resources that are available within the university system,” said Vikram Sethi, IDSE director. “When we funnel these resources through IDSE, we can create packages and educational programs that directly fit what WPAFB, the Air Force, and the DoD need at this very moment.”

“Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is critical to the future of the Dayton region,” said Jim Leftwich, president and CEO of the Dayton Development Coalition. “The Institute of Defense Studies and Education is the result of the region’s system of partnerships and allows us to respond to the workforce needs of the United States Air Force. I believe that this project and the talent it provides is critical to a strong and vibrant Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which is this region’s greatest economic development catalyst. I am confident that the Institute of Defense Studies and Education will continue to be beneficial to the base and to the region as a whole.”

Executive certificate in supply chain management

After engaging in dialogue with various military and civilian personnel in DoD to understand their pressing educational needs, IDSE then looks inside WSU to determine how areas of expertise within the university can be utilized to create an executive or certificate program that meets the DoD need. Internal partnerships are formed with various units and faculty, and, if necessary, external partnerships are formed to supplement the WSU experts.

One of IDSE’s first partnerships resulted in the creation of the week-long Executive Certificate in Integrated Supply Chain Management program. Now that the third offering of this certificate program has concluded, more than 60 students have received the certification. The students have come from locations as diverse as WPAFB here in Dayton, Hickam AFB in Hawaii, and Ramstein AFB in Germany. The students include both military and civilian personnel.

“We have Air Force officers and civilians together in the same room talking about the same set of issues and generating ideas on how better to solve the problems that they bring to the table,” said Sethi. “It becomes such a powerful educational experience that you have literally got to be in the room to realize that you are truly seeing something beyond classroom education taking place.”

Vikram Sethi, IDSE director

Students who have earned the Integrated Supply Chain Management certificate, as well as area leaders, recognize the value that has resulted from IDSE’s first year of work.

“There are people coming from other states and other countries to Dayton, Ohio. This program has a global impact,” said Pete Hager, director of central services for the City of Dayton. Hager often presents a letter on behalf of Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin to program participants at their graduation ceremonies. “This type of knowledge building and sharing benefits not only the entire region, but the country as a whole. The skills that are developed in this program are applicable to the private sector, not just the Department of Defense. IDSE teaches the core concepts of supply chain management and helps people apply these concepts to their own parts of the world.”

Jack Smith with the National Center for Medical Readiness at the Boonshoft School of Medicine participated in the Executive Certificate in Integrated Supply Chain Management class in March. “This intensive class gave me a much better understanding of the various aspects of supply chain management including warehouse design, order processing time, and the pros and cons of various transportation options. Additionally, it helped me to identify costly inefficiencies throughout the supply chain and to anticipate potential problems within the system,” said Smith. “By applying sound business principles to military and disaster logistics, not only are we better stewards of taxpayer dollars, but we also provide a more reliable supply chain for the war fighter, the civilian rescuer, and the disaster victim.”

According to Kiel Rottgen, who works in purchasing and strategic sourcing at Wright State, “You are able to immediately implement what you learn in the program into your everyday working processes and improve efficiencies. I strongly recommend this program for all supply chain professionals whether it be in government or the private sector.”

On-campus partnerships meet off-campus needs

IDSE engages in dialogue with the government to understand their needs and then returns back to the university to see how areas of expertise within Wright State can be utilized to create an executive or certificate program to meet those needs.

For example, a partnership between IDSE and the School of Professional Psychology (SOPP) resulted in a new workshop on the psychology of terrorism that will be offered in October. “The collaboration between the Institute of Defense Studies and Education and the School of Professional Psychology to offer the Psychology of Terrorism executive workshop is an outstanding opportunity to provide the community and the nation a level of expertise unseen before. Through this collaboration, we will be able to assist all attendees in acquiring critical knowledge in understanding terrorism, how to respond to the threat, and develop prevention strategies,” said Larry James, dean of the SOPP.

Students from IDSE's executive certificate program in supply chain management celebrate their graduation at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Another partnership is with the Wright State Research Institute (WSRI). “WSRI and IDSE have developed a great working relationship. The complementary natures of our products and services offer customers many potential synergistic benefits, and the total value we can provide is tremendous,” said S. Narayanan, executive director of WSRI. “For example, WSRI can solve an immediate or longer-term research and development problem that an organization is facing while IDSE helps the company address its knowledge gap and develop the in-house expertise necessary to carry the solution forward. This combination of research support and workforce development can transform an organization’s competitive position.”

Given IDSE’s mission to build education and research programs that support the DoD’s transformation principles, IDSE aims to make Wright State University the premier institution that the DoD turns to for its educational needs. Sethi expects that a collateral effect of IDSE’s programs is to expand the number and types of people who are exposed to WSU and its other programs. “If we do a good job for the students in our certificate programs and our executive education programs, not only they, but their families and their children will matriculate to Wright State University,” said Sethi.

Visit www.wright.edu/idse for more information about the Institute of Defense Studies and Education.

Meet a student from the Executive Certificate in Integrated Supply Chain Management program.

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