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Battelle, Defense Department Secure New Partnership

News Type College News

The John Glenn College of Public Affairs and Ohio State Battelle Center for Science, Engineering and Public Policy have solidified a partnership with the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) to create new opportunities for faculty and students to help address U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) challenges.    

Ian Haynes will serve as the university program director on behalf of NSIN, whose mission is to build networks of innovators that generate national security solutions. Haynes will foster new partnerships and programming opportunities to connect faculty and students at Ohio State, local Columbus ventures and DoD end users throughout the area.     

"The addition of Ian to our team further strengthens a key relationship with The Ohio State University and bolsters the defense innovation ecosystem across Ohio and throughout the region," said Tony Arendt, regional director at NSIN. "This partnership is a critical evolution as NSIN continues to invest in the Great Lakes region and is important to our overall vision of changing the way the DoD solves national security challenges."    

A Glenn College alumnus with an MA in Public Policy and Management, Haynes brings 10 years of active-duty status with the Air Force along with six years of reserve status in the New York Air National Guard to this position. His skills in relationship and program management, as well as research and evaluation, will make him an invaluable member of the Ohio State community.   

“I am excited for the opportunity to work with students, faculty and staff throughout the university to identify ways to address national security challenges and to support the amazing work already being done,” said Haynes.    

"This partnership aligns with the Glenn College’s strategic initiative to work with other university partners to expand the university’s academic footprint in Washington, D.C., and impact important federal policy areas, most notably defense,” said Dean Trevor Brown.  

“Ian’s presence in Ohio State’s Battelle Center deepens our ability to train students in the methods and mindset needed to connect policymakers and scientists and engineers in order to make sense of complex technical information, anticipate challenges and solve wicked problems,” said Battelle Center Executive Director Elizabeth Newton.