AU students innovate with Leading Edge Symposium

A student from Air University proposes innovative ideas to peers and professors during the Leading Edge Symposium held at the Maxwell Club, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, May 7-8, 2015. During the two-day event, 15 students from Air War College, Air Command and Staff College and Squadron Officer School presented opinions and ideas on Air Force-related topics to fellow students and professors to encourage innovative thinking and acceptance of new ideas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alexa Culbert/Cleared)

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AU students innovate with Leading Edge Symposium

Published May 14, 2015
By Airman 1st Class Alexa Culbert
42nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Air University students shared opinions and ideas about Air Force-related topics to drive innovative thinking and to encourage the acceptance of new ideas during the Leading Edge Symposium held at the Maxwell Club, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, May 7-8, 2015.

The symposium was a student-organized event that allowed 15 students to present innovative ideas to their peers and professors.

"This is a chance to think about ideas and push them forward, and to just share everything from the possible to the improbable," said Dr. Michael Grumelli, an Air Command and Staff College professor.

Students from Air War College, Air Command and Staff College and Squadron Officer School presented their ideas through topics such as "Integrate to Innovate-Developing the Cross-Domain Operator," "People Matter: Improving United States Air Force Personnel Process," "Developing a Mission-Resilient Force for Contested Cyberspace Environments" and "Reclaiming the Forgotten Aerospace Legacy."

"Everyone in the Air Force complains about stuff, so this is the chance to take those complaints and put some thought into them and come up with an idea," said Maj. Steve Bichler, an Air Command and Staff College student. "The purpose is to talk about ideas and ... to work those ideas."

(U.S. Air Force video by Staff Sgt. Joseph Park and Airman 1st Class Zoe Russell)

In presenting their topics, students wore civilian attire to eliminate the possibility of their ideas and opinions being dismissed on account of rank or job title.

"Part of the whole idea of 'let me present in civilian clothes' is the perception of no rank, no pedigree," said Grumelli. "What we're seeing as a result of civilian clothes is the notion of 'take my ideas for what they are without the trappings or the pedigree of who I am pushing that idea across.' I think you end up with a level or mutual playing field."

Allowing for the circulation of ideas and thoughts to be freely expressed leads to innovative thinking and change that betters the learning environment for not only AU, but for the Air Force.

"I think anytime we can get together in AU, or any educational or military environment, where we bring together talented young people who bring experience, education and ideas to the floor, for us, makes it all worthwhile," said Grumelli.

"The biggest thing we hope other people are taking with them is the fact that there are other ideas out there, and there is not a one-size-fits-all solution to every single problem. Ideally, they can go out and look at their Airmen and say, 'What are you thinking about?'" said Maj. Frank Lyons, ACSC student. "We want 'Leading Edge' to not just be an AU thing; we want this to be an Air Force thing."