CU Boulder Provost Russell Moore speaks during memorandum signing (Photo courtesy of CU Boulder).
The U.S. Space Force has selected the University of Colorado to be the second university for the University Partnership Program (UPP). On Aug. 20, both came together and signed a memorandum of understanding to define this partnership.
The signing occurred at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs campus with attendance from U.S. Space Operations Vice-Chief General David Thompson and University of Colorado President Todd Saliman among several others.
“The state of Colorado and community of Colorado Springs have long been key members and supporters of the national security space enterprise,” Thompson said.
Saliman spoke of his delight at partnering with the Space Force. He continued on to say, “we’re excited to contribute to Space Force’s workforce and help advance our nation’s aerospace and national security capabilities.”
The University of Colorado was selected for this program due to the high quality of the STEM department and their research facilities, a strong ROTC program, a diverse student body and a focus on military support.
The U.S. Space Force has four primary goals for the UPP. Firstly, they want to provide universities with opportunities to perform research, advance academic degrees and to develop workforce and leadership skills for Space Force Guardians. Secondly, they will recognize and carry out areas of research with member universities. Next, they want to generate scholarships, internships and mentoring opportunities for students and for ROTC cadets. Finally, they plan to recruit Space Force Guardians who have a passion for STEM.
The U.S. Space Force plans to select nine additional universities to join the UPP throughout 2021. Thompson emphasized the necessity for “the brightest minds working together in high-performing teams to drive innovative solutions.”
Read more about the partnership here.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Arnav Seth at arnav.seth@colorado.edu.
