Endorsement from Valiant CEO Daniel Corbett
Daniel M. Corbett is the Chief Executive Officer at Valiant, a global government services contractor with 5,000 employees working across 120+ project sites worldwide. Valiant delivers high-value solutions supporting complex, critical missions for customers around the globe, providing a diverse range of vital, comprehensive services to defense, aerospace, national security, and intelligence partners. With active operations across five continents worldwide and 54 states and territories (plus Washington, D.C.) in the U.S., we are equipped to mobilize resources and personnel to empower missions anywhere, anytime.
April 8, 2024
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to express Valiant’s strong endorsement of the Team-oriented Hands-on Engineering: Building Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Learning Departments (THE BUILD) program. This innovative initiative, developed by Jerry Branson, has the potential to revolutionize undergraduate engineering education in the United States.
At Valiant, we understand the critical need for a modern engineering workforce equipped with the skills to thrive in today's collaborative, multidisciplinary environment. The missions we support for customers require engineers who are ready to hit the ground running to overcome complex, realworld challenges. The traditional, siloed approach to engineering education simply doesn't prepare graduates for the multifaceted issues they'll face. THE BUILD program addresses this critical gap by fostering a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach that mirrors real-world engineering practices.
The success of the pilot program at the University of Louisville demonstrates the program's effectiveness. THE BUILD program bridges the crucial divide between theoretical knowledge and practical application, preparing graduates to integrate into high-performing, multidisciplinary teams seamlessly.
As a nation striving for continued technological advancement and global competitiveness, we must invest in programs like THE BUILD that nurture a future generation of engineers with the skillsets needed to tackle complex challenges.
Therefore, I strongly urge Congress to consider providing significant support for THE BUILD program. Expanding this program to a national level, with founding universities in each state, would have a profound impact on the quality of engineering education across the country.
Yours sincerely,
Daniel M. Corbett Chief Executive Officer Valiant