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A group of 51�Թ��� students and faculty travelled to Seerist HQ in Reston, Virginia, to participate in the inaugural Seerist Intellithon. This event is a high-impact, interactive event that immerses students in intelligence-driven decision-making by putting students in a sample scenario.

Brendan Coyne '25, Jayden LaVecchia '27, Ahmed Mohammad '26, and Isabella Ross '25 comprised the first-place team. The group was also joined by two members of the 51�Թ��� faculty: Dr. Presley McGarry, John and Mary Frances Patton Peace and War Center fellow and assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice, and Mark Perry, adjunct professor in the Leahy School of Cybersecurity and Advanced Computing and lead research analyst of the Peace and War Center. McGarry said that she is “beyond proud” of the students’ efforts. “I am honored to work with such an incredible team. Isabella, Brendan, Jayden, and Ahmed did an incredible job.”

The event’s sample scenario revolved around a sophisticated cyber-attack on a Southeast Asian country’s national energy grid. Hackers infiltrated supervisory control and acquisition systems and caused widespread rolling blackouts which threatened critical infrastructure stability.

The group of four 51�Թ��� students analyzed the attack using cyber intelligence tools, assessed the threat actor, developed a mitigation strategy, and presented their recommendations to senior leaders. All of this work was done while considering geopolitical risk elements, and the students evaluated how this might escalate geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific, impact U.S. allies and national security interests, and influence broader geopolitical and economic strategies.

“In just 24 hours, they analyzed threats in the Middle East, crafted a detailed briefing, and delivered it with clarity and confidence to key industry stakeholders,” said McGarry. “The Judges were very impressed by their ability to synthesize complex information and present actionable insights.”