Establish Research Partnerships at the MATRIX Open House

University of Maryland (UMD) faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend the UMD A. James Clark School of Engineering MATRIX Lab’s Industry Open House on July 15, 2026. This is a unique opportunity to connect with small businesses, major defense primes (including lead sponsor HII Mission Technologies), and federal organizations eager to partner on university research and student recruiting.

“We invite our colleagues at the neighboring academic and research institutions, particularly those in the greater Washington area and the Mid-Atlantic region, to be part of this exciting event and meet new collaborators and employers to solve real-world technical and applied problems,” said Dr. Reza Ghodssi, UMD Distinguished University Professor and MATRIX Lab Executive Director of Research and Innovation. “This is also a particularly great opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral associates, and junior- and mid-career faculty to really establish themselves in the field of autonomous systems.”

The Open House will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the USMSM SMART Building in California, Maryland. The free event is designed to bridge academic innovation with direct defense and commercial applications. It offers a premier space for UMD faculty to network directly with agile startups, large enterprise defense primes, and government stakeholders. In an article published by the Baynet, MATRIX Lab Assistant Director for Research Development and event organizer Dr. Jamison Watson said this is an opportunity to foster relationships.

“We really want this event to help us showcase the talent we have here,” Dr. Watson said. “We want to help inspire connections, inspire ideas and help the community learn how to make the most of their resources. It’s all about figuring out how we can help.”

Additionally, this is a high-value opportunity for faculty to:

Secure collaborative funding through SBIR/STTR grants, MIPS, and state-level initiatives that require university partnerships;
Learn how to position your work to align with federal research and development priorities;
Connect with senior Navy leadership, including Mr. Stephen Cricchi [Executive Director, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)], for firsthand insight into upcoming federal priorities and acquisition pathways; and
Expand student pipelines and explore corporate and government sponsorships for capstone projects.

For the newest program and speaker updates, check out the Open House web page. The MATRIX Lab will be providing a shuttle from College Park to USMSM and back on July 15 for the event; for more information on timing and locations, visit the “travel information” section of that web page.

Registration is free and required. Secure a spot through the Open House registration form.

Published July 1, 2026