Rising Stars on the cutting edge
- By Nick Wakeman
- Aug 07, 2008
Two feature in this issue illustrate two of the fun aspects of covering the government
information technology market: One is the technology, and the second is
the people.
In our Emerging Technology feature on defense IT,
staff writer Doug Beizer explores the workings of the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the
cutting-edge technologies that DARPA funds.
The role of DARPA in the birth of the Internet is wellknown,
but the agency also has been a driver of research
into robotics, spectrum management and
materials science.
Be sure to cut out "Heilmeier's catechism,"
which lists a set of questions that
you should be able to answer when pitching
a project to DARPA.
Our cover story highlights not emerging
technology but emerging people ? or, as
we're calling them, the rising stars of the government market.
These are people in the first third of their contracting careers who are already
living up to their potential. They are hard at work helping their companies and
customers succeed.
They also give back to the broader community by volunteering their time and
energy to industry groups and charitable organizations.
What drives people like our Rising Stars and DARPA's cutting-edge technology
is the idea of service to a greater good and the opportunity to solve urgent
problems.
To borrow from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "Ulysses," the idea is "to strive,
to seek, to find, and not to yield."
About the Author
Nick Wakeman is the editor-in-chief of Washington Technology. Follow him on Twitter: @nick_wakeman.