Tucson Standard

University of Arizona student Akira Jones is currently engaged in a project-based summer internship at the Army Geospatial Center in Alexandria, Virginia. Utilizing satellite and geospatial data, she assists in predicting snowmelt throughout Alaska.

"Using Google Earth Engine's Sentinel-1 SAR dataset, I comb through each desired location and gather backscatter values at different polarizations with the end goal of visualizing how these values change over time with graphs," said Jones, a senior. "This data can improve hydrological forecasting efforts; people can have a better understanding of when these areas will have access to water, which would further aid in any water-related decision-making processes. We can also use these results to see how these locations are affected by climate change."

Jones earned her internship with the U.S. Army by participating in the University of Arizona's Defense Civilian Training Corps Program (DCTC). The university is one of four institutions chosen last summer to host the DCTC program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense. The ROTC-like program aims to prepare college students for civilian careers within the Department of Defense acquisition workforce.

The University of Arizona was selected alongside Purdue University, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to host this pilot program. Besides project-based summer internships, DCTC offers participating students full tuition reimbursement, a $2,000 monthly stipend, and employment with the Department of Defense upon graduation.

DCTC includes a four-semester curriculum designed to develop critical skills for the Department of Defense, introduce participants to the defense acquisition system through "gamified learning," and provide hands-on learning activities on campus. Faculty members have partnered with Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Fort Huachuca for site visits and guest appearances in classes.

Jones is part of Cohort '25, named after their graduating year. She studies biosystems engineering in the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences. After graduating next May, she plans to pursue a graduate degree in geospatial information science and technology – a decision influenced by her time in the DCTC program.

"I have family in the armed services, but I wondered what role I could have as a civilian in the government," she said. "My eyes were opened through the DCTC classes. I didn't realize how big of an impact civilians can have working in the government. It's amazing."

Larry Head, professor of systems and industrial engineering and principal investigator for the U of A DCTC pilot program, praised Jones and her cohort for their service orientation, innovation capabilities, leadership qualities, and diverse academic backgrounds.

"We had an incredible group of people," he said. "From neuroscience to business management, accounting to software engineering – it was quite a diverse group, and that's what really made them interesting. They listened to each other and shared different opinions and approaches, and they supported each other through everything that was going on."

Jones is among 19 members from U of A who will share their experiences at the DCTC Scholar Showcase on July 30-31 at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. This event will bring together scholars from all four pilot universities along with school leaders, Department of Defense partners, and other guests. Students will present research results from their summer internships while Department partners discuss employment opportunities.

Joining Jones on this trip will be nearly two dozen members from Cohort '26 including her younger sister Alana Jones who studies business management at Eller College of Management.

Alana applied after learning about eligibility across various academic disciplines from her older sister’s experience with DCTC. She hopes her participation leads to a career as a financial adviser within financial management roles tied into budgeting resources for defense missions.

"During my time with DCTC," Alana said."I hope to learn more about what I can do as a business major...and how I can play a role in budgeting resources ensuring warfighters accomplish their mission."