By Tyler Barth
PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - For doctorate hopefuls, perseverance and inspiration are as important as finding an advisor, and the Armament Graduate School (AGS) is here to help students with all facets of those.
The school held the AGS Research Faire for its students on Friday, Dec. 5, allowing them to network with professors and researchers, flip through past dissertations, and perhaps find inspiration for their research topic.
“We hope that they figure out what research topics they might be able to use for their dissertation, and some research area that they might be interested in,” said AGS Provost Michael Dascanio, a Ph.D. in Technology Management Human Resource Development & Industrial Training.
Dascanio himself recalled how his dissertation took 10 years, and how it took some motivation from his own mother to keep him from giving up.
Dascanio and AGS Registrar Luke Wilde both spoke in length about the importance of strategizing well ahead to create effective time management. A dissertation may take years, and it may require working on weekends, but the rewards will be great, they both explained.
Student John Cook is still taking Masters level courses, but has already started to look into research areas. He said he hopes to delve into emerging sciences for his dissertation.
“I like the challenge of saying, ‘let’s deal with something new,’ as opposed to trying to refine something old. I like the impact of the program, and the idea of saying, ‘let’s be innovative,’ as opposed to doing something that’s been done before,” he said.
Ty Rotunno is on the opposing side – he has already finished his dissertation, studying how fully automatic fire disperses – and is waiting for commencement to formally graduate.
“A lot of people talk about barrel harmonics, but no one really understands it. It’s what drove me to be one of the few people who actually dove deep into that topic area,” he explained. Dascanio expressed his confidence that Rotunno will be an expert in this field, calling his dissertation defense “awesome.”
According to AGS Chancellor Don Carlucci, students who narrow down their research topics will be better focused for their dissertation. Additionally, students who are able to motivate themselves, he said, have a greater chance to thrive.
The AGS hosts 59 students, 43 of whom are seeking their Ph.D. The Fall 2025 semester was cancelled about five weeks in due to the furlough, so students have been encouraged to prepare for Spring 2026.
The U.S. Army Armament Graduate School is a one-of-a-kind institution offering a PhD and Master’s degrees in Armament Engineering to Department of War employees while supporting the mission of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center.
| Date Taken: |
03.26.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
03.26.2026 11:30 |
| Story ID: |
561354 |
| Location: |
PICATINNY ARSENAL, NEW JERSEY, US |
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