Author: Tracee Friess

The division of Industry and Defense Programs (IDP) has recently made several changes to its finance administration and contracts departments.

• David Miller, previously WSU executive director of budgets, has moved to IDP as associate vice president of finance and operations. In this newly created position, Miller reports to John Tomblin, senior vice president for Industry and Defense Programs.
  Miller works directly with university research and industry-facing organizations such as the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), FirePoint Innovations Center, the National Institute for Research and Digital Transformation, and GoCreate, a Koch Collaborative.
• Lois Tatro and Paul Werner will continue in their respective positions as IDP director of financial services and special projects and NIAR senior director of financial reporting.
• Robyn Bongartz joins Miller as director of revenue operations for IDP. Bongartz was previously director of accounts receivable for WSU. In her new role she will initially focus on improving processes, management and recognition of all aspects of revenue from billing to payment. To accomplish this, she will work directly with IDP business managers, directors and the research accounting team. Bongartz has worked at the university in various capacities since 1993.
• Lisa Haggard returns to the university as director of contracts and grants for IDP after spending a year with Textron Aviation Defense. In this position, Haggard reports to Tomblin, and will oversee pre-award activities, including the development and timely submission of technical and cost proposals that are compliant with customer requirements; negotiation and award of contracts and grants; administration of contract and grants from account set up through closeout; and negotiation, award and administration of subcontracts. Haggard previously worked for NIAR/IDP for eight years as a grant manager.
• Amy Smith continues as the associate director of post-award for IDP, reporting to Miller.
• Karen Davis is returning to the Office of Research as director, reporting dually to Tomblin and Shirley Lefever, provost and executive vice president.

Contact information:

• David Miller, associate vice president of finance and operations, Industry & Defense Program
  NIAR, room 223, 978-5821 david.miller2@idp.wichita.edu
• Robyn Bongartz, director of revenue operations, Industry & Defense Programs
  NIAR, room 207C, phone TBD, robyn.bongartz@idp.wichita.edu
• Lisa Haggard, director of contracts and grants, Industry & Defense Programs
  Partnership Building P2, 316-655-6936, lisa.haggard@idp.wichita.edu
• Karen Davis, director, Office of Research, WSU
  Jardine Hall, 978-6808, karen.davis@wichita.edu

NASA’s International Space Apps hackathon is coming to Wichita State’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) Oct. 6-8.

NASA invites coders, entrepreneurs, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers, builders, artists and technologists to come together in a global hackathon. Over the course of three days, participants from around the world will create in-person and virtual teams to solve challenges using NASA’s open-source data.

Space Apps, which started in 2012, is the largest annual global hackathon in the world. This year’s event theme is Make SPACE, celebrating the motto “there’s always space for one more.”

Space Apps is for everyone. The competition is open to all passionate problem solvers of all ages: students, faculty, staff, experts, engineers, makers, artists and storytellers. While some of the challenges are technical, others require the use of artistic ability, business acumen and historical imaginations. In other words, you do not need to be a coder or data expert to be a part of Space Apps. In fact, the most diverse teams are often the most successful.

The deadline to register for the Wichita event is Sunday Sept. 24. The hackathon is hosted by, and on location at, the NIAR’s Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS), 4174 S. Oliver, building 140H.

The campus community is invited to attend an open house for the Smart Factory @ Wichita from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, April 24.

Registration is required, and attendance is limited to 25 people. This is a tour of the Smart Factory, one of Deloitte’s global immersive experiences designed in collaboration with ecosystem participants to accelerate digital transformation. It demonstrates first-hand how manufacturers can evolve for the future and elevate their capabilities and processes through technological innovation.

The Wichita State community is invited to attend a 75th anniversary celebration for the Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel in WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research from 2 to 4 p.m. Monday, April 3 at 156 Wallace Hall Annex.

On April 3, 1948, the unnamed wind tunnel at the University of Wichita conducted its first low speed test to study its characteristics.

Join MathWorks and the Advanced Virtual Engineering Laboratory at NIAR-WSU for a technical MATLAB and Simulink seminar for faculty, students, researchers and staff, co-presented by Dr. Gerardo Olivares and MathWorks engineers, at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 28 in the NetApp building.

• Application of MATLAB and Simulink for digital engineering and digital twin aerospace applications: This technical talk highlights the use of MATLAB and Simulink in digital engineering and digital twin activities to simulate aerospace systems.
• Introduction to data analysis and machine learning with MATLAB: In this session, MathWorks engineers will show participants how MATLAB can be used to visualize and analyze complex data, perform numeric computations, and develop algorithms in the areas of data analytics and machine learning.

Admission is free, but seats are limited.

The National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State has hired Matt Tomblin as director of its Robotics and Automation Lab effective Monday, Jan. 23.

Tomblin is uniquely experienced in advanced manufacturing and automation, previously serving as operations manager for the Smart Factory @ Wichita, a division of Deloitte, where he was directly involved in implementing the Smart Factory’s state-of-the-art production line.

NIAR’s Robotics and Automation Lab is located on the Innovation Campus in the John Bardo Center. It is part of the 3DEXPERIENCE Center, a partnership with Dassault Systèmes. The lab employs 14 full-time employees and more than 50 student lab technicians in applied learning positions.

Tomblin is uniquely experienced in advanced manufacturing and automation, previously serving as operations manager for the Smart Factory @ Wichita, a division of Deloitte, where he was directly involved in implementing the Smart Factory’s state-of-the-art production line.

NIAR’s Robotics and Automation Lab is located on the Innovation Campus in the John Bardo Center. It is part of the 3DEXPERIENCE Center, a partnership with Dassault Systèmes. The lab employs 14 full-time employees and more than 50 student lab technicians in applied learning positions.

Ty Ramsey, research technician for the National Institute for Aviation Research, died Saturday, Nov. 12, at his residence in Sedgwick.

Ty was a lifelong resident of Sedgwick resident and graduate of Sedgwick High School. He was a U.S. Navy veteran and served two tours in Afghanistan. He was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Halstead, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.

Brian Brown, NIAR director of Robotics and Automation, passed away Monday, Oct. 31. In his 20 years at Wichita State, Brian left a lasting imprint on multiple facets of Industry and Defense Programs, from network structure, to the success of multiple laboratories, to long-term friendships with countless students, faculty and staff. Among other things, he will be remembered for his charisma, personality, technical expertise and remarkable intellect.

A memorial scholarship has been established in Brian’s honor. Donations can be made here or mailed to the Brian Brown Memorial, c/o WSU Foundation, 1845 Fairmount, Campus Box 2, Wichita, KS 67260-0002. Funds will be used for tuition, fees, books and emergency needs for students working in NIAR’s Robotics and Automation Lab.

A graveside service will be held soon in Augusta. Brian’s obituary can be viewed here.

Memories, thoughts, stories and photos of Brian can be shared here.

Brian filled many roles – officially and unofficially – and his position will never fully be replaced. However, in the interim, Shawn Ehrstein, NIAR director of Emerging Technologies and CAD/CAM, will assume his responsibilities until we determine next steps.

WSU faculty, staff and innovation partners are invited to attend a Virtual Smart Factory @ Wichita experience from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 14.

The experience is limited to the first 50 registrants. Click on the button below to register.

Registration confirmation with a Zoom link will be sent out one week prior to the experience.

Students are invited to get an inside look at careers at Lockheed Martin via a virtual event on at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26.

You’ll have the opportunity to learn about Lockheed Martin and participate in conversations with representatives from the aeronautics business area.