Lesley Wilhem
“Sparking Resilience: H4D's Energy Expedition for the Philippines”
Sponsor Perspective
Lesley Wilhem
Overview
Through Hacking for Defense® (H4D), a nationwide university program that leverages the brightest students to address national security problems, students are taught how to apply entrepreneurial methodologies to understand and offer pathways for addressing a specific government problem.
Each team is given a different problem and every problem has a government problem sponsor. Problem sponsors are members of the Department of Defense or Intelligence Community who possess the relevant technical or professional expertise to mentor their students. They act as both the client and liaison, owning the problem the students are trying to solve and facilitating their investigation into its root causes.
Sponsor Biography:
Dr. Lesley Wilhelm currently runs energy focused table-top exercises and war games in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment. She holds a Masters of Science in National Resource Strategy focusing on the Energy Industry from the Eisenhower School at National Defense University and a PhD in Chemistry with a dissertation focused on fuel cell materials from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Sponsor Perspective:
Could you talk us through the problem you submitted?
I'm developing a tabletop exercise to bring together various US government agencies and allies to discuss energy resilience in the Philippines, as it relates to Philippine defense and deterrence. I asked the student team to conduct preliminary research to see if we're asking the right questions and identifying the right problem, as I've gotten inconsistent opinions from experts on what the core issue is I asked the team to review perspectives on the real problem, assess how close our proposed solution is to addressing it, and identify where to focus efforts for maximum impact.
What did the students present at the end of the semester?
The students presented at the end of the semester and had concluded that the focus area of small modular reactors (SMRs) was correct to explore. A tiered, high resilience approach makes sense, although there is some resistance to nuclear. I know the Marcos administration in the Philippines has warmed to the idea, and we in DoD think that if we provide power resilience at locations in the Philippines where we have basing access, it could build trust and spread from there. The students took the project further and dug into how we could go about implementation. Their final deliverable was describing a framework for how we could implement small modular nuclear reactors to provide power resilience, which aligned with my team and I’s thinking.
How did their finding impact the organization?
The student teams provided important validation for me that small modular nuclear reactors are a viable direction for the Department of Defense (DoD) to invest in for power resilience in the Philippines. They independently concluded SMRs were a good option after looking at alternatives, which I think helps make the case for this approach within DoD, despite differing views from other agencies. I had been told the Department of State favors off-shore wind/solar but the students considered supply chain vulnerabilities since those markets are Chinese-controlled. They also found high barriers for geothermal in the Philippines. With SMRs having a clearer path, the students aligning with that solution gives me confidence in recommending that investment direction for DoD. Their independent validation will help strengthen my case.
Why should other potential government sponsors get involved in the H4D program?
I would encourage others to get involved because it's exciting to see undergrads tackle real-world problems and take initiative like this. These students will be the next generation of decision makers, so engaging them now is valuable. My student team independently explored alternatives, providing us clear validation. Their critical thinking proves they seriously considered the problem. And solving national security issues with fresh perspectives is powerful. My advice would be to establish a regular cadence for check-ins early on to maximize the 10-14 weeks. And start planning any Pentagon visits right away, as that can slip with busy schedules. Overall it's rewarding to engage bright minds on impactful problems through H4D. Their ideas and validation help us make progress.
🌐 Take action now by submitting your challenge through our dedicated problem submission page. Together, let's pave the way for innovative defense solutions!