OFRN virtual Opportunity Day, September 12, 2024, on Hypersonics (PowerPoints and recordings attached)

On September 12, 2024, the Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN) Opportunity Day focused on Hypersonics took place from 9 to 10:30 am Eastern Time and was hosted by Parallax Advanced Research in collaboration with The Ohio State University, the Ohio Department of Higher Education, and the Defense Innovation Unit OnRamp Hub: Ohio. This event was tailored for government, academic, and industry innovators and researchers in Ohio, as well as individuals keen on participating in research and development of innovative solutions for government challenges.   

The goal of the event was to enable industry and academia to:       

Watch the event recording below.   

Download the consolidated event PowerPoints for all speakers here.  

The September 2024 Opportunity Day focused on the possibilities and challenges in the hypersonics domain. The agenda featured subject-matter expert presentations, Q&A sessions, and a briefing on current and upcoming federal R&D funding opportunities. 

Photo caption: Maj Gen (Ret.) Mark Bartman, USAF, VP for Advanced Development at Parallax Advanced Research 

The event started with Maj Gen (Ret.) Mark Bartman, USAF, VP for Advanced Development at Parallax Advanced Research, providing an overview of Ohio's role and contribution to the OFRN and Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub: Ohio programs.   

Photo caption: Dr. José Camberos 

Following the overview, José A. Camberos, Ph.D., P.E., Director, Applied Research Center for Hypersonics Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Air Force Institute of Technology, presented on Hypersonic Systems Analysis & Design.  

About Dr. José Camberos 

He is recognized for exceptional and sustained contributions to the development and dissemination of multidisciplinary methods for aerospace vehicle systems integration, analysis, and design. His research has contributed significantly to core mission of the Multidisciplinary Science & Technology Center at AFRL. He is an active member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) as an Associate Fellow. Dr. Camberos has served as a thesis advisor and mentor for numerous graduate students at the University of Dayton, Air Force Institute of Technology, and Wright State University and as a National Research Council Advisor in the Summer Faculty Program and Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program. He holds adjunct faculty positions at UD, and Wright State, teaching a variety of courses including Computational Fluid Dynamics, Hypersonics, Advanced Thermodynamics, Aerodynamics, and Vehicle Flight Dynamics. Recently, Dr. Camberos served as AFRL’s University Relations Manager, leading the organization towards a more comprehensive, coordinated, and consistent effort to recruit the best & brightest scientists and engineers across academia in the U.S. and beyond. At AFRL High Speed Systems Division (AFRL/RQH) he led a team of engineers in developing multidisciplinary analysis & design capability for high-speed systems. Currently, he serves as Director for the Applied Research Center for Hypersonics (ARCH) and Associate Professor in the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT/ENY), WPAFB.  

Photo caption: Dr. Lois J. Weir 

Next, Dr. Lois J. Weir, Senior Technologist for Hypersonic Propulsion with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Glenn Research Center, presented on The NASA Hypersonic Technology Project 

About Dr. Lois Weir  

She is an aerospace research engineer with over 40 years of experience in the development of inlet systems technology for supersonic and hypersonic air breathing propulsion systems. She began her career as a co-op at NASA Lewis (Glenn) Research Center and subsequently worked in the Propulsion Systems Division, designing and testing high-speed inlet systems in support of the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP) and High-Speed Research (HSR) Programs. In 1997, she left NASA to join TechLand Research, Inc. as CEO. TechLand was a small research and consulting firm that supported national high-speed airbreathing propulsion system development efforts at NASA, the Department of Defense, and the U. 5. aerospace industry. More recently, she provided her expertise to NASA Glenn Research Center and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) as an independent consultant. Ms. Weir returned to NASA Glenn in 2024 in the role of Senior Technologist for Hypersonic Propulsion. At NASA, Ms. Weir received the Gene Zara award for her contributions to the NASP program. She played key roles in support of NASA's HSR Critical Propulsion Components program, including representing the center on the Inlet Integrated Technology Development Team and providing technical leadership for both the NASA and contractor efforts on the program. At TechLand, Ms. Weir was principal investigator for several Small Business Innovative Research and National Research Announcement contracts with NASA GRC, NASA Dryden (Armstrong) Flight Research Center, AFRL, and the Naval Air Warfare Center. These projects provided innovative technology toward the development of supersonic and hypersonic inlet systems and subsystems, flow control technology, pulsed detonation engines (PDE), and wind tunnel test techniques. As an independent contractor, Ms. Weir provided ongoing support to turbine-based combined cycle propulsion technology programs, as well as education and mentoring to help strengthen expertise in the future hypersonic airbreathing propulsion engineering workforce. She is the co-inventor of several patented high-speed inlet and PDE-related devices and technologies. In her current role as Senior Technologist for Hypersonic Propulsion, she continues to provide technical leadership to several research projects, as well as serving in an advisory capacity to Research and Engineering leadership. She also continues to enjoy working with and mentoring younger engineers and students. Lois Weir is a Canton, Ohio native, and earned her Bachelor's of Science from The University of Akron. 

 R&D research funding opportunities

Lastly, OFRN presented research on federal R&D research funding opportunities.