Head of Information Directorate earns technology transfer award Published Jan. 29, 2015 By John Scaggs 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The Federal Laboratory Consortium, a federally funded technology transfer organization composed of over 300 federal laboratories, announced its 2015 award winners Jan. 21. Among the recipients is a civilian from the Air Force Research Laboratory. George Duchak, a member of the Senior Executive Service and the director of AFRL's Information Directorate, was one of three civilians selected in FLC's Laboratory Director of the Year category. The FLC awards program annually recognizes federal laboratories and their industry partners for outstanding technology transfer efforts. The Laboratory Director of the Year award honors directors of FLC laboratories who have made maximum contributions to support technology transfer activities in their organizations. Located in Rome, New York, the Information Directorate is one of eight component technology directorates within AFRL. The Information Directorate is the Air Force's premier research organization for command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) and cyber technologies. As its director, Duchak leads basic research and advanced development activities in autonomy, command and control, and decision support; processing and exploitation; cyber science and technology; and connectivity and dissemination. He oversees a workforce of 1,166 military, civilians, and on-site contractors and executes an annual budget of over $1 billion which is divided between core funding and externally funded research and development. Among the highlights included in Duchak's nomination that contributed to his selection: > Instrumental in developing a technical culture around the Information Directorate to take advantage of its nanotechnology program, which includes leveraging the newly established New York State nanotechnology hub located near the directorate, which will create 1,000 high-tech jobs in the area and open a $125 million facility to support chip manufacturing. > Through his initiatives, the Information Directorate garnered a record 72 faculty, post-doctoral candidates and graduate students from 44 different universities across the country to perform research with the Information Directorate staff. > Partnering with DOD, Duchak piloted a new, innovative startup accelerator - entitled NY Furnace -- designed to form, fund, incubate and launch new companies. This new process helps entrepreneurs to create new startup companies, while also offering some technologies to existing New York companies to aid the growth and development of those companies. > Established the Commercialization Academy, a three-stage experiential education and technology acceleration program run by the Information Directorate and its collaborators. It pairs students with Information Directorate's intellectual property portfolio and mentors to develop investor-grade commercialization plans. Although the award recognizes individuals, Duchak states that the honor reflects how the entire Information Directorate work force continuously accepts and meets the challenge of creating a free nation. "This is accomplished not only through developing capabilities for our Air Force and the nation but by also creating economic strengths through collaborations in industry and academia," Duchak said. "A strong economy trumps a strong military. "Technology transfer is a process and hands on method to create and improve new technologies using the best minds as a financially and developmentally efficient and effective effort," Duchak continued. "One has to recognize that we have the brains to do our business but there are a lot of other, smarter people out there who can help us." Awards will be presented April 29 in Denver, Colorado.