Chapter Scores Strong Growth with Conference

The challenges and opportunities associated with cyberthreats, cloud computing, big data, information dominance and mobile devices were the focus of the chapter's third annual ACE (AFCEA Conference and Expo), which took place in San Antonio in December. The event, which centered on Mission Assurance in a Changing Global Environment, drew some 1,100 government, military and industry professionals from cyberspace, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), medical information technology, and education and training missions. That is an attendance increase of more than 30 percent from the 2011 ACE and a positive indicator for the chapter's academic scholarships and grants program, which is funded primarily through the annual event. In addition to a two-day symposium featuring noted military commanders and industry experts, the ACE also provided free certification-level training sessions for participants from six vendors and an invitation-only networking event for small businesses and major contractors. A charity event benefiting wounded warriors was also included. For the first time, students from two local high schools who were top finishers in a regional robotics competition also were on hand to demonstrate their projects (two versions of a mechanically sophisticated space elevator) and to make connections with professionals in the scientific, technical and engineering fields as they worked the floor of the trade expo. The chapter awarded a total of $25,000 in scholarships to five students from the teams, paving a way for their studies at the University of Texas-San Antonio.