National Security Crisis Simulation Puts CAI Students in the Driver's Seat

LOGAN — Students at Utah State University’s Center for Anticipatory Intelligence (CAI) recently stepped into a high-stakes scenario that tested their ability to analyze, adapt and communicate under pressure.

Nearly 50 students from the CAI 5000- level course, America’s National Security Framework, participated in a capstone simulation exercise alongside 11 seasoned professionals from intelligence, defense, diplomatic, criminal investigation, data science, and biosecurity fields on Dec. 6.

The immersive simulation, conducted in USU’s Old Main building, replicated the challenges of real-world national and global scenarios. This year’s imagined crises included drone attacks on U.S. soil, public panic over a potential Ebola outbreak, and escalating geopolitical tensions between China and Taiwan amid peace negotiations in Ukraine.

Students worked in cross-disciplinary teams assigned to various “situation rooms,” such as the Oval Office and the Department of Homeland Security, under the guidance of their professional “principals.”

“This simulation is world-class,” said CAI Founding Director and Political Science Professor Jeannie Johnson, who introduced the evening event designed to challenge students to process complex, often contradictory information and distill actionable insights for decision-makers — a skill vital in today’s public and private sectors.

“This is going to be a night to remember for sure,” she said. “And just to alarm you further, every year, at least something in the script has come true.”

The exercise pushed students to apply classroom knowledge in a dynamic environment where quick thinking and clear communication were paramount. Participants evaluated new information, identified gaps in knowledge and crafted recommendations under tight deadlines. Professionals acting as principals provided real-time mentorship, offering insights drawn from careers in intelligence and national security.

“So, if you get through this night, it'll be challenging. That's by design,” said course instructor Matthew Berrett, director of analytics for Space Dynamics Laboratory.

“And you'll exhale, and you'll look back at it, and whatever your confidence level is in yourselves in such circumstances, I guarantee it's going to be higher,” he said. “And that higher feel of ‘I can do this’ — we think will stay with you for a while.”

For students like Tiffani Hutchens, a law and constitutional studies major pursuing the CAI minor, the experience was transformative.

“It was an incredible way to give students hands-on experience with what it can look like to be involved in the intelligence community,” she said.

“In the simulation for my group, we had law and constitutional studies, Chinese, mechanical engineering, history, philosophy, and finance [students],” Hutchens said. “Each person had a lot to contribute and provided insights that I never would have thought about or considered otherwise. It [was] hard work but so rewarding.”

Through collaborations with national security, intelligence and industry partners, CAI prepares students to anticipate and respond to emerging challenges with precision and creativity. The capstone simulation is a cornerstone of this approach, providing an unparalleled opportunity for students to practice critical thinking, teamwork and communication in realistic scenarios.

“It's also a dynamic that will serve you well as you go on to your careers,” said Berrett, comparing the annual capstone simulation to on-the-job circumstances when “time is short, the stakes are high, [there’s] a lot of information — some of it contradictory — and the decision-maker needs you to help clarify.”

Academic programs in CAI are open to undergraduate and graduate students from any discipline. For more information about the center and its program requirements, visit usu.edu/cai.