In early February, the COSMOS Research Center welcomed UA Little Rock Chancellor Drale and UA System President Jay Silveria for a tour of its new offices, student lab area, and conference rooms. Their visit was part of a broader exploration of UA Little Rock campus and its research centers, including COSMOS and the Center for Simulation Innovation. During the tour, Prof. Nitin Agarwal introduced President Silveria to COSMOS’s pioneering research on social computing, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation. He further described how the work conducted at COSMOS plays a critical role in strengthening the defense apparatus for the U.S. and allies such as NATO to mitigate cognitive threats. Prof. Agarwal highlighted some of the key recognitions that COSMOS researchers, or cosmographers, have achieved. Cosmographers got a chance to interact with President Silveria and Chancellor Drale to talk about their role in the projects at COSMOS and the various commercial applications of the work. President Silveria also toured the COSMOS computing infrastructure, including high-performance computing and AI infrastructure with robust security protocols to protect research and data.

This semester marks the first one for new UA System President Jay Silveria, who officially began the new role in January 2025. President Silveria is a retired US Air Force Lieutenant, and during his 35-year military career, he held key leadership roles, including deputy commander of the Combined Air Force Component at US Central Command, commander of the US Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, and vice commander of the 14th Air Force Space Command. He has also served as associate vice president and executive director of Texas A&M University’s Bush School in Washington, DC. 

President Silveria has emphasized, “The UA System has long been a beacon of opportunity and progress for our state, providing access to quality education, maintaining a crucial role in the economy of Arkansas.” COSMOS continues to advance research that elevates the university onto the international stage while positively impacting Arkansas’s innovation and economy.