This spring, undergrads and graduate students in a course exploring artificial intelligence (AI) and homeland security received an unexpected bonus. Ridgeline International, a leading provider of data privacy and secure infrastructure solutions, partnered with American University’s School of Public Affairs (SPA) to offer hands-on learning for future national security practitioners. As students worked to learn more about the threat landscape and explore digital security topics, Ridgeline International aided their professional development by offering greater insight into technology-driven solutions. Members of the Ridgeline team joined the class throughout the semester to provide expert insights on timely security issues and demonstrations of the innovative solutions Ridgeline offers its clients. The course culminated with student presentations to Ridgeline on how the company’s technology can be applied to support government agencies with some of their most pressing technical challenges.

Throughout the course, SPA students learned more about the intersection between emerging technology and national security and built practical skills ranging from project planning to briefing. Representatives from Ridgeline worked with the students to develop practical, real-world solutions to combat threats to the homeland and helped them gain a better understanding of how Ridgeline solves these challenges through their products and services.

Students engaged in multiple learning sessions to understand the basics of AI through in-class demonstrations, robust exploration of academic research, and deep dives into government publications. Students analyzed and discussed articles covering various issues facing the homeland security sphere, including critical infrastructure, trade and travel security, border control, and counterterrorism.

“From the beginning, we wanted to create a new kind of course,” said Dr. Trace Lasley, the professor of the course. “We designed a course that was not only substantively enriching and built student knowledge but one that was professionally rewarding by giving them hands-on experience tackling challenges to enhance their skills and abilities.”

On Thursday, April 24, the students presented their capstone projects to senior Ridgeline staff at the company’s headquarters in Tysons, Virginia. Student teams engaged in a friendly competition to present their proposals while answering key questions from the audience.

“One of Ridgeline’s core tenets has always been to develop the next generation of technology leaders,” says Erik Wittreich, CEO of Ridgeline. “Partnering with American University and working with this incredible group of students has been a rewarding experience for our staff who was involved. We hope our participation has inspired some students to continue in this field and join us in solving some of our government’s toughest technical challenges.”

AI is already changing homeland security and will only grow in prominence. Through the AI and Homeland Security course, SPA will ensure that students have a thorough understanding of AI’s place in homeland security, how to best use AI, and what comes next. Thanks to the team at Ridgeline, students were able to see how the Terrorism and Homeland Security Policy program continues to find new ways to bridge academic research and theory with real-world practice, preparing them for the realities of the job and how to thrive in the field.