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From left, Assistant Professor Xudong Chen, Col. Michelle Ewy, Assistant Professor Taylor Barton and Col. Jason Mello gather on campus. Chen and Barton are part of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research's Young Investigator Program.

Leaders from the visited CU Boulder last week to learn about new research initiatives happening on campus and meet CU researchers working on Air Force-related projects.

Visiting from Arlington, Virginia, were , acting director of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and , chief of the office’s Science and Engineering Division.

The office works to expand the horizon of scientific knowledge by investing in relevant scientific areas that allow the Air Force “control and maximum utilization of air, space and cyberspace.”

It’s an area of growing importance for CU Boulder and the College of Engineering and Applied Science, as the campus looks to expand its research impact in the national security sector.

Currently, about 20 percent of the college’s research funding, or roughly $22 million, involves national defense, and about a third of that is funded by the Air Force, said Bill Doe, research development manager for Engineering and Applied Science.

The college also is home to numerous Air Force ROTC cadets and student-veterans, as well as two active-duty Air Force officers currently working toward their PhDs in aerospace engineering, Doe said.

The representatives also met with Assistant Professors Taylor Barton and Xudong Chen of the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, who are part of the AFOSR Young Investigator Program. The program fosters creative, basic research in science and engineering with the goal of enhancing the early career development of outstanding young investigators.