Secretary of the Air Force Addresses March 2007 AFIT Graduates Published March 24, 2007 By Kim Curry AFIT Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO (AFIT) -- More than 240 scientists, engineers, and management specialists are the recipients of graduate and doctoral degrees from the Air Force Institute of Technology. AFIT's Graduate School of Engineering and Management held its March 2007 graduation ceremony Thursday evening at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The graduating class was awarded 240 master's degrees and five doctorates. Michael W. Wynne delivered the commencement address to the graduates. Mr. Wynne, himself a 1970 graduate of AFIT, is the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C. He is the 21st Secretary and was confirmed on Nov. 3, 2005. He is responsible for the affairs of the Department of the Air Force, including the organizing, training, equipping and providing for the welfare of its nearly 370,000 men and women on active duty, 180,000 members of the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve, 160,000 civilians, and their families. With an annual budget of approximately $110 billion, he ensures the Air Force can meet its current and future operational requirements. "I am pleased that you've studied hard," Secretary Wynne told the graduates. "I am pleased that you worked with great determination, because in all cases your nation needs you back--needs you back smarter, needs you back more determined, needs you back to apply the technologies that you've learned to the challenges that all of us face going forward. "AFIT is a world class graduate school," Wynne continued. "Its graduates stand the test against many, from many institutions around the world. The difference is, the Air Force Institute of Technology is committed to warrior problems. Our Air Force was born of the types of technologies that you learn here. Whether it was the magic of aviation, the magic of space, or, now, the magic of cyberspace,...it is marvelous to see that fire and determination still resonates well here at AFIT. "The technologies that you have studied, the technologies that you are bringing back--ranging from systems engineering through logistics through the highest of physics and mathematics--are all guiding us to a different way forward and a different future. You are going to make it better," Wynne concluded. "The day after tomorrow, you give up the job of student and take on the mantle of warrior. I thank you for your service, I thank you for your dedication, and I welcome you back. Congratulations. God bless you, and God bless this great nation we call the United States of America." The ceremony highlighted the dissertations of the four doctoral students in attendance, including Capt. James Stewart, who was officially awarded his degree in December 2006 but wasn't able to participate in that graduation ceremony: Dynamic Response of a Collidant Impacting a Low Pressure Airbag, By Peter A. Dreher, Advisor: Dr. Robert A. Canfield. Inflatable, low-pressure airbags can be used to accelerate munitions being discharged by aircraft in addition to their use in saving lives. With support from the state of Ohio, Mr. Dreher developed an efficient numerical procedure to model airbag behavior in truck collisions, and executed the largest set of public airbag experiments to collect data on their responses. The results not only validated the numerical model, but new trends were discovered that improve airbag design; thus, possibly reducing the number of fatalities by 50% for collisions up to 30 mph. The research also demonstrates the feasibility of using low-pressure airbags to eject weapons from aircraft, and they could replace existing high-pressure pistons that require heavy structural reinforcement in the weapons bays. Phase Diversity and Polarization Augmented Techniques for Active Imaging, By Capt. Peter M. Johnson, Advisor: Dr. Richard K. Martin. Ground-based lasers can be used to generate images of space-based objects by bouncing the radiation off the object and collecting the return signal. However, atmospheric turbulence and laser speckle can severely limit one's ability to reconstruct the image. With support from the Directed Energy Directorate of Air Force Research Laboratory, Capt. Johnson developed techniques for generating images of space-based objects by laser illumination. His methods for dealing with atmospheric turbulence and laser speckle caused by laser illumination resulted in images that were about 60% better than any previously obtained under similar conditions. His results will lead to a vastly expanded engagement envelope for DoD space surveillance and imaging systems. Sampled-Data Kalman Filtering and Multiple Model Adaptive Estimation for Infinite-Dimensional Continuous-Time Systems, By Maj. Scott A. Sallberg, Advisor: Dr. Peter S. Maybeck. Mathematical models of a complex system like an aircraft are used to describe its basic dynamics, but the variables of the model, such as position, velocity and acceleration, may change over time. To properly control such a time varying system, one must accurately estimate the math model's variables. Maj. Sallberg, in his research sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory, has developed a new technique for estimating the true model variables for a class of complex dynamic systems vital to the Air Force. Additionally, he has created a technique for transforming mathematical models of a complex system so that conventional estimation techniques can be applied to them in a manner not previously understood. The techniques that Maj. Sallberg developed yield the new estimation performance benchmark for this important class of systems. Extraction of Electromagnetic Properties Using Waveguide Probes, By Capt. James W. Stewart, Advisor: Dr. Michael J. Havrilla. The survivability of stealth aircraft depends very highly on the quality of the materials that comprise its outer skin and its ability to absorb radar waves. With support from the Air Force Research Laboratory's Materials Directorate, Capt. Stewart developed a new measurement technique for determining the electromagnetic properties of radar absorbing materials. His method gives the Air Force the capability to more accurately identify defective materials on stealth aircraft and it provides a low cost tool for predicting the probability of aircraft detection from enemy radar. His results are already being adopted by the Air Force and will certainly lead to improved maintenance procedures and, more importantly, increase the longevity and survivability of such aircraft. Air Force officers composed the majority of the Class of March 2007; however, the Institute also graduated six Air Force enlisted, seven Army officers, two Marine Corps officers, two Navy officers, and eight civilians, along with six international students from the countries of Argentina, Australia, and the Republic of Korea. Upon graduation, most AFIT students will fill technical positions requiring advanced academic degrees in their respective fields of study from across the Department of Defense. Four students were recognized for their exemplary performance during their graduate studies. The Secretary James G. Roche Award was presented to Senior Master Sgt. William Jackson, who demonstrated exceptional academic achievement through a combination of grade point average and outstanding thesis, as well as high qualities of character, initiative, leadership and service while in a master's graduate program. The Edwin E. Aldrin, Sr. Award, named in honor of Lt. Edwin E. Aldrin, Sr., member of the institute's first graduating class and father of astronaut Buzz Aldrin, was presented to Maj. Timothy Franz for demonstrating strong personal leadership and accomplishing AFIT's education objectives in an outstanding manner. In recognition of his exceptional scholarship and high qualities of character, initiative, and leadership, Maj. Franz was also the recipient of the Mervin E. Gross Award, named in honor of Brig. Gen. Mervin E. Gross, first commandant of the institute. Finally, Capt. Robert Koo received the Commandant's Award for demonstrating the most exceptional individual master's thesis research. Congratulations to AFIT's graduating class of March 2007! DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING (ENG) Master of Science (Computer Science) Capt. Edmund Descartes Aban Capt. Roger L. Garner Capt. Charles Richard Haag Capt. Walter J. Hayden Capt. Matthew T. Hyland * Master Sgt. Alfred K. Shaw Capt. Heung Soon Park (Republic of Korea) Master of Science (Computer Systems) Capt. Adam R. Bryant First Lt. James Gorsuch Master of Science (Cyber Operations) Capt. Joshua Adam Benson Maj. Timothy Patrick Franz * Capt. Michael Richard Stevens Master of Science (Information Assurance) Mr. Adam D. Todd Master of Science in Computer Engineering Second Lt. Bobby Don Birrer * Capt. Brian M. Brakus First Lt. Kendra L.B. Cook Capt. Christopher E. Coryell Capt. Samuel A. Hart Capt. Choyong G. Koperski Capt. Jason Edward MacDonald Capt. Douglas P. Medley Capt. David P. Montminy * First Lt. Daniel Dirk Nerenberg First Lt. Brian Gregory Woolley Master of Science in Electrical Engineering First Lt. Ouail Albairat Capt. Richard Joel Barton Capt. Mark Michael Bellott Capt. Gregory J. Brault Second Lt. Eric A. Buschelman First Lt. Joshua Daniel Fowler Capt. Maxim Gimelshteyn Capt. Nathan E. Glauvitz Capt. Marshall Eric Haker Flight Lt. Samuel Ian Harkiss (Australia) Maj. Duane F. Harmon First Lt. Alan L. Harner Capt. Matthew E. Holston Capt. Michael D. Leaver Capt. Larry Carlyle Llewellyn II Capt. Myrna B. Montminy Second Lt. Stephen Donald Mott Capt. Jason V. Paul Capt. Sergio P. Perez First Lt. Joseph C. Pomager Capt. Karl Robert Schwenn Second Lt. Ryan Jay Silva Maj. James Henry Spencer * Capt. Nathan C. Stuckey * Capt. Bryan W. Winningham DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING PHYSICS (ENP) Master of Science (Applied Physics) Capt. C. James Baird Capt. Shaun Michael Easley Capt. Wayne E. Eikenberry Second Lt. Omar Gamboa Capt. David A. Jones First Lt. Michael A. Lundin Capt. James Francis Roche IV Senior Master Sgt. Robert Alan Steenburgh First Lt. Joshua Tye Werner Master of Science (Material Science) Capt. Scott A. Shell Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering Maj. Lonnie Carlson (US Army) * Capt. Logan J. Harr Maj. Joseph A. Kling (US Army) Maj. Michael Ray Maas (US Army) Master of Science (Nuclear Science) Maj. Thomas Edward Gray (US Army) Maj. Christopher P. Jones (US Army) Master of Science in Electrical Engineering First Lt. Mark E. Allard Capt. Troy R. Ellis First Lt. Matthew T. Johnson * Capt. Michael D. Seal Capt. Brett W. Wisdom DEPARTMENT OF OPERATIONAL SCIENCES (ENS) Master of Science in Logistics Management Capt. Christopher M. Beckley Capt. Jessica Lynn Buck Master Sgt. Arnold R. Bynum Capt. Joseph M. Colacicco (US Army) * Capt. George P. Cole III Capt. Shirley D. Crow Capt. Joseph Scott Elkins Capt. Jay C. Hennette Senior Master Sgt. William L. Jackson, Jr. Capt. Jill L. Maynard Capt. Gavain K. McDonald Capt. Sydney C. Michalski Capt. Hyoung Ill Moon (Republic of Korea) Capt. Gerald W. Morris, Jr. Lt. Col. Juan Angel Salaverry (Argentina) * Capt. Paul K. Tower Capt. S. David Walker Maj. Charles W. Ward (US Army) Capt. Jason Bradley Wolff Master of Science in Operations Research Capt. Joseph P. Bellucci Capt. Ryan F. Caulk Capt. Kristen Lee Cavallaro Capt. Nam Suk Cho (Republic of Korea) First Lt. Brian P. Crawford Capt. Gerald David Fensterer Capt. Jennifer Lynne Geffre Maj. Katherine J. Gentil First Lt. Ryan Marc Harrell Capt. R. Benjamin Hartlage Capt. Travis John Herbranson * Capt. Jeremy D. Jordan Capt. Benjamin S. Kallemyn * Capt. David A. Kerns * Capt. Robert Koo Capt. Raymond Magallanez, Jr. First Lt. Thomas Michael Newlon Capt. Nathan E. Nysether Capt. Seung Bae Park (Republic of Korea) Capt. Kevin Blancia Reyes Capt. Paul D. Robinson II Capt. Joshua Seder Capt. Yuri P. Taitano Capt. Brian A. Wilken Capt. Jason P. Williams DEPARTMENT OF SYSTEMS AND ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT (ENV) Master of Science (Cost Analysis) Capt. Tina M. Broas Capt. Michael Bryant Maj. Derren P. Burrell Capt. Justin William Collup Capt. Jeffrey C. Feuring Capt. Michael P. Giacomazzi III * Capt. Jacqueline M. Leskowich Capt. John Kimball Osborne Maj. Philip E. Ruter II Capt. John Michael Stelly Master of Science (Environmental Engineering and Science) Capt. John M. Dietz (US Marine Corps) Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and Science Maj. Stephen Grace Capt. David M. Hudock (US Marine Corps) Capt. Anthony R. Ty Master of Science (Engineering Management) Maj. Scott Alan Bryant Master of Science in Engineering Management Capt. Jason M. Aftanas First Lt. Peter Min Choi Capt. Timothy Damon Dalby Capt. Daniel Diaz, Jr. Capt. David Duncan Second Lt. Jeffrey T. Falcone * Second Lt. Loren N. Jones-Harris Second Lt. Kelly Eric Kwan First Lt. Brian Randall Low * Second Lt. Erika Maiorano Capt. Michael J. McCourt First Lt. Frederick W. Peterson Capt. William C. Powell Maj. Roland E. Secody Capt. Benjamin Gamble Speer Capt. Clifford Michael Theony Capt. Robert Paul Toney Capt. Vhance Villapando Valencia Mr. James M. Waldron * Master of Science in Information Resource Management Maj. Alan Scott Alsop Capt. Landon Chase Bailey Capt. Aaron M. Blair Maj. Debora Lesman Blood Master Sgt. Edward K. Boyd Capt. Adam R. Bryant Capt. Luis N. Cairo Maj. Michael S. Cates First Lt. Michael Czumak III * Lt. Col. James D. Foreman Capt. Larry Wayne Fortson, Jr. Capt. Mathew J. Heath Van Horn Capt. Tommy V. S. Marshall II Master Sergeant Reiko L. Meeks Capt. John Michael Roehl Lt. Antonio Jay Rodriguez Scurlock (US Navy) Capt. Douglas M. Simmers Capt. Tiffiny Shai Smith Capt. Gary Lee Wright Master of Science in Research and Development Maj. William D. Heuck, Jr. Maj. Robert H. Mitchell, Jr. * Maj. Michael Robert Parrish Capt. Michael Albert Romero DEPARTMENT OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS (ENY) Master of Science (Materials Science) First Lt. Joseph L. Broeckert * Capt. Erik Craig Saladin Master of Science (Space Systems) Capt. Nicole M. Bittle Capt. Benjamin Giles Dainty Capt. John M. Koehler II First Lt. Edward Francis Richards Master of Science (Systems Engineering) Capt. Jason Scott Pritchett Mr. A. Christian Stillings Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering Second Lt. Wesly Seth Anderson First Lt. Jennifer Puri Andrews Capt. Ionio Quist Andrus Capt. Jason Christopher Braun Maj. Brian S. Burns Capt. Gregory Julien Cameron Second Lt. Ryan Worth Carr * Capt. Matthew Stephen Caspers Capt. Kendra Lea Crider Capt. Matthew J. Dillsaver Capt. Craig J. Franke Capt. Adam Davin Harder Capt. David Ashby Hoffman Capt. Michael James Marlin Capt. Christopher C. McGaha First Lt. Charles M. McNiel Capt. Roland A. Rosario Capt. Justin Robert Rufa Capt. Jeremy J. Smith Capt. David Andrew Sutter Capt. Adam Paul Tobias Capt. Michael J. Vanderhyde First Lt. Michael M. Walker First Lt. Robert Lawrence Walker, Jr. First Lt. Michael D. Zollars Master of Science in Astronautical Engineering Capt. Jason L. Baldwin First Lt. Abraham Franz Brunner Capt. Ryan Charles Claycamp Capt. Jeffrey Stevan Crider II First Lt. Bryan J. Fram Capt. Thomas P. Gabriele, Jr. Capt. Michael Luke Gargasz Second Lt. Heather Haydon Greatting Capt. David B. Guettler Second Lt. Blake Bernard Hajovsky * Second Lt. Michael S. Hines * Second Lt. Bradley A. Jantz * Capt. David Wayne Katwyk Capt. Jeffrey E. Naff Capt. Jermaine Sylvester Sailsman Capt. Kimberly Ann Sugrue Capt. James W. Tomaszewski Master of Science in Systems Engineering Maj. Laird Sloan Abbott * Capt. Bryan K. Berg Mr. Matthew S. Bond Capt. Joshua S. Campbell Lt. Cmdr. Stanley Lanier Cooley (US Navy) Maj. Matthew Durkin Capt. Garrett W. Knowlan Maj. Brian K. Maddocks Capt. Jesse T. McLaughlin First Lt. Hieu Trong Nguyen Maj. Craig J. Phillips Capt. James Andrew Rodriguez Capt. Roland A. Rosario Capt. John Howard Stone Capt. Gregory Kenneth Van Dyk Doctor of Philosophy Mr. Peter A. Dreher Capt. Peter M. Johnson Maj. Scott Anthony Sallberg (In Absentia) Master of Science (Computer Science) Mr. Daniel F. Graham Master of Science (Electrical Engineering) Mr. Uttam Kumar Majumder Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering Capt. Jason D. Dotter Master of Science in Electrical Engineering Mr. Erik A. Chapla Doctor of Philosophy Maj. Eric Vincent Beck Maj. Byron Paul Formwalt * Denotes Distinguished Graduate