George T. Ligler, Moderator, is the proprietor of GTL Associates, a consultancy that has provided systems integration/engineering and product management services to clients on three continents. He is also a professor and the Dean’s Excellence Chair in Multidisciplinary Engineering at the Texas A&M University. Previously, he served as the Dean’s Eminent Professor of the Practice in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill/North Carolina State University Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering. He has served as a subject-matter expert since the 1990s to support the Federal Aviation Administration’s implementation of both satellite-based navigation and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) as components of the Next Generation Air Transportation System. He is currently the co-chair of RTCA Special Committee-159 (Navigation Equipment Using the Global Navigation Satellite System) and is a former founding co-chair of RTCA Special Committee-228 (Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Unmanned Aircraft Systems). Ligler received the RTCA Achievement Award, RTCA’s highest award, in both 2006 and 2017 (co-recipient) for his contributions to satellite-based navigation system initiatives, ADS-B, and the development of standards for unmanned aircraft systems. Ligler is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and is the past chair of NAE Section 12, Special Fields and Interdisciplinary Engineering. Ligler holds a D.Phil. in mathematics and computation from the University of Oxford, with his studies supported by a Rhodes Scholarship.
People Category: Moderator
Anthony Mitchell
Tony Mitchell joined CAES in June 2021 as Vice President, Advanced Technology and Strategy.
In this role, Tony will lead CAES’ cutting-edge innovation and technology development by supporting advanced future technologies that will leverage and extend CAES’ capabilities in Advanced RF Microelectronics and Space Power and Computing, along with winning positions on programs and platforms of significant future value. He will define and coordinate CAES’ overall IRAD projects; develop partnerships with U.S. government labs, defense primes and military end users and work cross-functionally with the business units to drive a new high level of technology expertise and discipline; strengthen relationships with the Tier 1 Prime community and expand CAES’ footprint, and execute strategic growth plans to identify new customers and expand business opportunities with current customers.
Tony comes to CAES with many years of experience in the aerospace and defense industry. Most recently, Anthony served as Vice President, Business Development and Strategy for Leidos Inc, Dynetics Group, a Fortune 500 company where he led a 30+ person team responsible for growing the company’s advanced research and development, advanced manufacturing and rapid prototyping group business. Prior to this, Tony spent two years at BAE Systems as the Director, Business Development and six years at Areté Associates in Business Development. Tony also served 20 years as a United States Air Force Officer, followed by two years as an Executive Director for the USAF Scientific Advisory Board.
Tony has obtained a number of advanced degrees including a PhD in Mechanical Engineering (Highest Honors) from the University of Paris; Master’s Degree in Military Operational Art and Science from Air University; Master’s of Engineering Degree in Engineering Mechanics from the University of Florida; Master’s of Science Degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s of science degree in Aeronautical Engineering with Japanese Minor (Distinguished Graduate) from the USAF Academy. In addition, he holds numerous certification, has published over 60 articles/conference papers, speaks fluent French and basic Japanese, is a member of multiple industry organizations and is an associate professor of aeronautical engineering and adjunct professor of French at the USAF Academy.
Nancy Young
Nancy N. Young joined Alder Fuels as its Chief Sustainability Officer in 2022. An environmental lawyer, she directs Alder’s environmental and sustainability programs. Ms. Young is a globally recognized aviation and sustainability leader, with over 25 years of experience in climate change, environmental social governance (ESG), and sustainable fuels. Immediately prior to joining Alder in 2022, she was on the executive team at Airlines for America (A4A), serving as Vice President of Environmental Affairs. In addition to directing A4A’s environmental sustainability programs, she served on the steering group and as sustainability co-lead of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative® (CAAFI) and the Advisory Committee of the Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment (also known as the “Aviation Sustainability Center” or “ASCENT”). In addition, she participated in the working groups under the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection and served on the Board of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG). From 2015 through 2016, Ms. Young served on the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Group for Sustainable Transport. She also has participated in multiple meetings of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Prior to her engagement with A4A, Young was a principal/partner at the law firm of Beveridge & Diamond, P.C., where she was co-chair of the firm’s climate change and waste management and recycling practices. A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Ms. Young holds a BA from The College of William & Mary and a JD cum laude from Harvard Law School.
Yadunath Zambre
Technology executive with thirty years of experience driving new technologies and market success in start-up, venture capital, and large company organizations. Outstanding ability to communicate and present complex technical concepts simply and to place them in business and market context. Nationally recognized expert with strong customer focus and results orientation.
Donald Lafrance
Donald Lafrance is a Senior Program Manager within the Lockheed Corporate Technology Organization responsible for leading the Corporate Edge Computing portfolio strategy, as well as teams developing solutions to meet emerging customer needs. Prior leading the LM Corporate Edge Computing portfolio, he was responsible for the LM RFIC Design Center, where he supported microelectronics developments across all LM Business Area (BA). He wore several hats in his previous role that includes Functional Leader, Advanced Electronics BA Lead, as well as performed the duties of Principal Investigator and Technical Lead on several advanced technology contracts and IR&D efforts. Donald has been supporting cutting edge semiconductor technology contracts and R&D programs for over 20 years and has been instrumental in all facets of the product development lifecycle from program capture and execution to component level design and fabrication, as well as system level integration, test, and production support.
Jean-Charles Ledé
Bio coming soon.
Terrisa Duenas
Terrisa Duenas is a member of the AIAA Materials Technical Committee and Moderator for this year’s SciTech 2023 Annual Startup Panel at the Hub. Terrisa is an advisor, consultant, and serial CEO for deep tech startups who need to scale up high-risk high-return technologies into product-market fits within one year. She leverages her background as a Fortune 200 Division Chief Scientist and Startup Executive to guide innovation strategy. She was responsible for the merger of two technology production lines leading to increasing the P&L of the combined organization by $10mm. In her startup work she attracts millions in investment and precision resources that launch teams from pre-revenue to accelerated growth. Her latest startup is a CareerTech platform called ESTE Leverage to help address the growing technical labor gap. She also serves as a Discretionary Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) for those wishing to receive government investment to commercialize their defense technologies.
Cheryl Quinn
Cheryl Quinn is the deputy director for the Airspace Operations and Safety Program (AOSP) within ARMD at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. In collaboration with the program director, Quinn supports the overall planning, management and evaluation of NASA’s aviation operations and safety research portfolio across four research centers.
AOSP works with the Federal Aviation Administration, and industry and academic partners, to conceive and develop Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) technologies that will further improve the safety of current and future aircraft moving through the National Airspace System. NextGen activity includes research to enable service oriented architecture and integrated demand management operational efficiencies in the surface, terminal, en route, and oceanic operational domains for traditional aircraft, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), and future autonomous systems.
AOSP is also responsible for aviation safety research in the areas of aircraft state awareness, prevention of aircraft loss of control, verification and validation of complex systems, prognostic safety through data mining, and real-time system-wide safety assurance. A key focus is on developing and demonstrating enhanced systems that will enable routine access to the airspace by emergent users of UAS, especially in support of evolving urban air mobility concepts.
Quinn was previously the NASA Ames Research Center, and then ARMD, representative to NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) office. She has also served as the associate director for aeronautics at Ames.
Quinn began her NASA career at Ames conducting air traffic management research. She has served in project management positions within ARMD’s former Airspace Systems Program including project planning lead and deputy project manager for the Efficient Flight Path Management project, and as manager for terminal and surface systems and operations under the Advanced Air Transportation Technologies project.
Quinn holds a degree from Stanford University.
Samantha (Sam) Magill
Bio coming soon.
Victoria Coleman
Dr. Victoria Coleman is the Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force, Arlington, Virginia. She serves as the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Secretary of the Air Force, Air Force Chief of Staff, and Chief of Space Operations. She provides assessments on a wide range of scientific and technical issues affecting the department’s mission. In this role, she identifies and analyzes technical issues, bringing them to the attention of department leaders. She interacts with other principals, operational commanders, combatant commands, acquisition, and science and technology communities to address cross-organizational issues and provide solutions. Dr. Coleman also interacts with other services and the Office of the Secretary of Defense on issues affecting the Department of the Air Force’s technical enterprise. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board and is the Principal Science and Technology Representative of the Air Force to the civilian scientific and engineering community and to the public at large.
Dr. Coleman is on leave from University of California, Berkeley. Since 2016, Dr. Coleman has held an academic research appointment at the Berkeley Center for Information Technology in the Interest of Society where she leads science and technology policy on microelectronics and efforts to develop tools for countering digital authoritarianism. Dr. Coleman has more than 35 years of experience in computer science and technology, including as both an academic leader and industry executive. Before DARPA, she served as the Chief Executive Officer of Atlas AI P.B.C, a Silicon Valley start-up that brings world-class artificial intelligence solutions to sustainable development. By combining satellite data with other data sets, Atlas AI’s proprietary deep-learning models create actionable insights for governments, non-governmental organizations and commercial companies.
Dr. Coleman began her academic career in 1988 as a lecturer in computer science at Royal Holloway College, University of London, United Kingdom. She subsequently joined Queen Mary College, University of London, as a reader in computer science. There, she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in computer science, created a Master of Science program in Dependable Computer Systems and supervised Doctor of Philosophy students.
In 1998, Dr. Coleman became the founding director of the System Design Laboratory at SRI International. The lab conducted research in trustworthy systems and cyber security. The programs she directed won support from DARPA. She also participated in the creation of the technologies leading to the spinout of Siri prior to its acquisition by Apple. She worked alongside the newly-formed Department of Homeland Security, creating the department’s cyber security agenda and becoming the founding Director of the DHS Cyber Security Research and Development Center. In 2004, Dr. Coleman became the Director of the Trust and Manageability Lab in the Corporate Technology Group of Intel and began serving as a member of Santa Clara University’s Computer Science and Engineering Department’s Advisory Board. In 2006, she became the Vice President of the Computer Science Laboratory at Samsung. In 2010, she took the position of Vice President of Software Engineering at Hewlett-Packard. In 2011, she became Nokia’s Vice President of Emerging Platforms.
Dr. Coleman served as the Vice President of Engineering for Multi-Device UX Platforms for Yahoo in 2013, and then took the position of Senior Vice President of Research and Design at Harman International Industries Infotainment Business Unit. She then served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Connected Home Business for Technicolor.
Beginning in 2016, Dr. Coleman served as the Chief Technology Officer of Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit that supports Wikipedia, the world’s fifth most visited website. During this time, Dr. Coleman also served as a member of the Defense Science Board, where she provided independent advice to the Secretary of Defense, USD(R&E), and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She was a member of Lockheed Martin’s Technology Advisory Group, the Airbus Star Program and continued her work on the Santa Clara University Computer Science and Engineering Advisory Board. She served on the Board of Directors of the Public Library of Science.
Prior to accepting the role of Chief Scientist, Dr. Coleman served as the 22nd Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency where she oversaw a large suite of disruptive and innovative programs.