The following article contains an answer for the question: What is the man who hired the genius students helping to develop? , can you please find it? 

The CIA is secretly developing "Crossbow", a space shuttle-mounted laser weapon precise enough to incinerate a single target from outer space, planning to use it for illegal political assassinations. However, they struggle with its power source, and have covertly hired Professor Jerry Hathaway at Pacific Technical University to develop this. Hathaway has assembled a group of genius students in physics to do the work for him, though outside of his graduate student Kent, purposely does not tell them the reason for their research. Hathaway is also embezzling the CIA provided funds intended for research so that he can upgrade his house.
Hathaway recruits high-school student Mitch Taylor to join the team. Mitch is roomed with Chris Knight, a "legend" in the physics area. Mitch becomes dismayed that Chris is more of a goof-off than a hard-working student. Chris introduces Mitch to some of the other genius students, including Jordan, "Ick" Ikagami, and his nemesis, the less intelligent Kent. Despite his age and inexperience, Hathaway assigns Mitch to lead the team due to his fresh and inventive ideas, hoping that he will remind Chris of how he used to be.

Crossbow