MISA Symposium

Dr. Bradley is a sustainable aviation consultant and educator with 39 years of experience.  He teaches short courses for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) on sustainable aviation technologies and electrified aircraft. He is an Adjunct Professor of Practice at the University of Southern California where he teaches aircraft design and advises sustainable aviation research.  He is a retired Boeing Technical Fellow and was instrumental in biofuel flight demonstrations and was responsible for the creation and research on the trailblazing NASA SUGAR concepts, including the SUGAR Volt hybrid electric airliner and the cryogenic fueled SUGAR Freeze. He is an AIAA Fellow and received his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from USC.  

Steven L. Ceccio is the Interim Dean of Engineering at the University of Michigan. He is a world expert in naval hydrodynamics and, in particular, cavitating flows. He is passionate about creating an inclusive environment where all members of the Michigan Engineering community feel valued and supported.

Interim Dean Ceccio has been a faculty member at the University of Michigan since 1990. He is the Vincent T. and Gloria M. Gorguze Professor of Engineering, a professor of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, and professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics.

Previously, Interim Dean Ceccio served as associate dean for academic affairs (ADAA) in the College of Engineering, where he had oversight of faculty hiring, promotion, and tenure; merit reviews, budget reviews and planning; and space allocation. As ADAA, he worked with the Dean and leadership team to develop the College’s ME 2020 strategic vision; partnered with the associate dean for research to execute a college-level special strategic faculty hiring initiative; and supported a wide range of efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of the College’s mission.

Dr. Gökçin Çınar (pronounced gok – chin chin – r ) is an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering and the Director of the Integrated Design of Environmentally-friendly Aerospace Systems (IDEAS) Lab at the University of Michigan. Her research brings a holistic, systems-level perspective to the environmental impact of aircraft design and operation, with a special emphasis on electrified aircraft and sustainable aviation concepts. She employs model-based engineering and probabilistic and statistical methods, to analyze the complex behavior of aerospace vehicles.

With over a decade of research experience in sustainable aviation technologies and eight years specifically in electrified aircraft technologies, Gökçin has secured a diverse portfolio of research funding from government agencies and industry partners. Her work has contributed to advancing the understanding of system-level benefits and challenges in propulsion system electrification and power and energy management optimization for hybrid electric aircraft.

Gökçin is the Chair of the AIAA Electric Aircraft Technologies Technical Committee and the General Chair of the AIAA/IEEE Electric Aircraft Technologies Symposium 2024. She also holds a leadership role in AIAA’s newly founded Sustainable Aviation Working Group. She is one of the core team members of Michigan Initiative for Sustainable Aviation (MISA).

Web: https://www.gokcincinar.com/

Dr. Suman Dwari is currently Power Electronics Research Team Lead, at Raytheon Technology Research Center. He has over 18 years of R&D experience in the areas of power electronics, electromagnetics, electrical and electronics components, and electrified aircraft and vehicle systems. He has been PI / lead researcher of many Raytheon and government funded projects, including DARPA, ARPA-E, NASA, DOE, to make original contributions in diverse technical areas, which includes, high performance power electronics, aircraft electrification, micro-grids, and energy systems, Wide-band-gap devices and power conversion, high frequency magnetics, electrical machines, wireless power transfer, energy harvesting etc. He has over 30 patents and 45 publications.

Professor Jennifer A. Haverkamp is a professor from practice at Michigan Law and the Graham Family Director of the U-M Graham Sustainability Institute. Her interests include international environmental law, climate change, international trade and sustainability, global environmental policy and negotiations, and international water diplomacy.

As director of the University’s Graham Institute, Haverkamp is charged with facilitating sustainability-focused collaborations between faculty and students from many disciplines across campus with external stakeholders including communities, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, foundations, professional organizations, and the private sector. Before joining U-M in October 2018, Haverkamp served as a visiting professor of practice and distinguished practitioner in residence at Cornell Law School, as well as executive in residence at the David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, also at Cornell University.

Prior to that, she served as special representative for environment and water resources, with personal rank of ambassador, in the U.S. Department of State. In 2016, she led U.S. climate negotiators to a successful international agreement under the Montreal Protocol to decrease global use of hydrofluorocarbons, a potent greenhouse gas. She also facilitated a successful agreement by the International Civil Aviation Organization to adopt the first-ever global market-based measure to address aviation carbon emissions. In this role, Haverkamp also oversaw diplomatic engagement in transboundary water management, water conflicts, and global water governance.

Besides her time in the State Department, Haverkamp’s distinguished career in government included serving as the assistant U.S. trade representative for environment and natural resources, as a special assistant in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s office of enforcement and compliance, and as an attorney in the U.S. Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, where her work on the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act earned the Attorney General’s John Marshall award. She also led the international climate program at the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund, and has taught international trade and sustainable development law at The George Washington University and environmental law and policy at Johns Hopkins University.

Haverkamp has served for many years on the board of trustees for The College of Wooster. She also has served on numerous nonprofit boards and advisory councils, including the boards of the Verified Carbon Standard Association and the American Bird Conservancy as well as on The Office of the United States Trade Representative’s Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee.

LeAnn Ridgeway is Chief Sustainability Officer for Collins Aerospace.  In this role, to which she was appointed in November 2021, Ridgeway is responsible for leading Sustainability strategy and implementation for across the Collins Business Units.  In addition, she also represents Collins on the RTX Corporate Environmental, Social and Governance Committee.

Prior to her current position, Ridgeway served as vice president and general manager Information Management Services (IMS) for Collins Aerospace, where she was responsible for leading the global IMS business, including aviation network services and ground systems, flight support and communications services and information processing.

She joined Rockwell Collins in 1988 and has held various positions of increasing responsibility, including: vice president and general manager of Integration for B/E Aerospace, which the company acquired in April 2017 and vice president and general manager for Simulation and Training Solutions in Government Systems; vice president and managing director, Americas; and senior director, Engineering Services.

A native of Anamosa, Iowa, Ridgeway earned her bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Mt. Mercy University. She earned her Master of Business Administration degree from St. Ambrose University. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Mt. Mercy University as well as a member of the Industrial Advisory Board for the University of Michigan School of Aerospace Engineering.  She previously served on several non-profit boards as well as on the Board of Directors for Rockwell Collins UK Limited and as VP of the Board for; ARINC Incorporated, Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated, ARINC International Incorporated and Radio Holdings, Incorporated.

Ben is the Director of Technology & Business Development at Electra.aero, a startup developing feasible, innovative electric aircraft solutions at the nexus of advanced air mobility and the decarbonization of aviation.

Before Electra, Ben built and led the Operations team at SkySpecs, a Goldman Sachs-backed tech startup creating autonomous drones, robotics, and software solutions for the clean energy industry. He started his career in aircraft design and flight test at the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, where he graduated from its Engineering Leadership Development Program.

Ben has earned a BSE in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MS in Product Development Engineering from the University of Southern California.

Outside of work, he chairs the University of Michigan’s Aerospace Industry Advisory Board, is a member of the State of Michigan’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Task Force, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA).

Tim Niznik serves as Director of Analytics for the Integrated Operations Center (IOC) at American Airlines where he provides directional leadership and vision through the delivery of advanced analytics and data science to operational decisions and performance.

Tim has been recognized both internally at American Airlines and externally within the airline industry for his innovations in the areas of disruption management and air traffic management.  Tim served as Co-Chair of the AGIFORS Operations Group from 2003-2018 and has participated on numerous FAA Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) teams. He also served as the American Airlines Technical lead for NASA’s ATD-2 project: “Integrated Arrival, Departure, and Surface Metroplex Traffic Management” which was the recipient of the 2022 “Maverick Award” for Sustainability by the World ATM Congress.

Tim holds a B.A in Mathematics from St. Olaf College, a M.Sc. in Mathematical Sciences from Clemson University and a Ph.D. in Operations Research and Economics from the Colorado School of Mines.

Dr. Wally Orisamolu is currently the Associate Director for Advanced Concepts & Technologies at the Pratt & Whitney division of RTX Corporation. In this role, he has responsibility for identifying, prioritizing, planning, and maturing technologies for the next generation of advanced propulsion systems to ensure timely readiness for product insertion. He also has responsibility for developing and nurturing strategic technology collaboration and partnerships with government organizations, research institutions, as well as key national and international aerospace companies.

Dr. Orisamolu’s professional experience includes research, technology development and technology/innovation management, especially at RTX, over the past 24 years. During his tenure at RTX, he has held several leadership and management positions at multiple divisions, including responsibilities for the management of large technology programs and departments, as well as the development of robust processes for technology maturation and management.

Dr. Orisamolu is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and a member of the SAE, including its G-11 Committee on Probabilistic Methods. He earned his PhD and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Lagos, in Lagos, Nigeria.

Dr. Steven Shepard has 19 years of experience at Lockheed Martin (LM), where he serves as the Sr. R&D Program Manager for Power & Propulsion (P&P), as well as Counter-Directed Energy Weapons (C-DEW), under LM’s Corporate Technology Office. In this role, Dr. Shepard reports up through LM’s chief technology officer Dr. Steve Walker and is responsible for providing thought leadership and execution over the corporation’s cross-BA research efforts in P&P and C-DEW, including IRAD and CRAD portfolios for the Department of Defense and NASA.

Research includes electrification for UAVs and vertical takeoff and lift aircraft, nuclear fission heat-to-power for Lunar surface power and nuclear thermal propulsion, advanced power and energy storage, including solid-state batteries to increase available platform energy densities, air-breathing and high-powered electric propulsion, advanced hypersonic propulsion, on-orbit refueling, power beaming, aircraft inlet design optimization and advanced C-DEW materials development for various aerospace platforms. Prior to this, Dr. Shepard was the Research Manager for Advanced Materials and Energetics under the Hypersonics and Advanced Materials Directorate at LM’s Advanced Technology Center, where he led a team of scientists and engineers on research and technology insertion for LM platforms. This research included modeling, simulation and testing of high energy laser

Amanda Simpson, Vice President, Research and Technology (R&T) at Airbus Americas, is responsible for establishing the strategic direction and funding opportunities for partnerships with scientific and research communities in North America. 

Ms. Simpson brings more than 40 years of aerospace industry experience in the public and private sectors, including leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Commerce, Douglas Aircraft Company, Hughes Aircraft Company, Hughes Helicopters, Inc. and the Raytheon Company. 

Earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Harvey Mudd College, Ms. Simpson also holds a Master of Science degree in Engineering from California State University, Northridge and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Arizona.  She is a Fellow of both the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS).

Ms. Simpson holds both an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and a Certified Flight Instructor license, and has logged nearly 3,000 hours of flying in more than 60 different types of aircraft including floatplanes, flying boats, unmanned drones, and multi-engine jets.

Research includes electrification for UAVs and vertical takeoff and lift aircraft, nuclear fission heat-to-power for Lunar surface power and nuclear thermal propulsion, advanced power and energy storage, including solid-state batteries to increase available platform energy densities, air-breathing and high-powered electric propulsion, advanced hypersonic propulsion, on-orbit refueling, power beaming, aircraft inlet design optimization and advanced C-DEW materials development for various aerospace platforms. Prior to this, Dr. Shepard was the Research Manager for Advanced Materials and Energetics under the Hypersonics and Advanced Materials Directorate at LM’s Advanced Technology Center, where he led a team of scientists and engineers on research and technology insertion for LM platforms. This research included modeling, simulation and testing of high energy laser

Dr. Vassberg is currently the Chief Design Officer of JetZero, a start-up company focused on dramatically reducing aircraft emissions for the commercial transport industry.  John recently received the 2022 Maurice Roy Medal from International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden for his role in the development of the Common Research Model. After ~40 years with Boeing, Dr. Vassberg recently retired as the Chief Aerodynamicist and Technical Lead of BCA Advanced Concepts Design Center in Southern California. He was a Boeing Technical Fellow, is an AIAA Fellow, and recipient of the AIAA Aerodynamics Award in 2012 and the International Cooperation Award in 2017.  Prior to this, he was the Chief Aerodynamicist of Boeing’s Phantom Works and Research & Technology organizations, and as such, he was the Principal Investigator of the Advanced Joint Air Combat System, Speed-Agile Configuration Development (SACD) and Over-Wing Nacelle programs.  The SACD Program received the 2013 Aviation Week Laureate Award in Aero and Propulsion.

She is the Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships and Operations at Ampaire, based in California, US.  She is also the VP Aerospace serving on the Board of Directors of the SAE International, and is a Board member of the Lindbergh Foundation.

Dr. Ying has devoted over four decades to the aerospace industry, including three years as the Chief Integration Officer of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).  In 2013, she retired from the Boeing Company as the Director of Research and Technology. Before joining Boeing, Ying taught at universities and directed research in the DOE Research Labs and NASA Ames Research Center.  She also was an inaugural member in the NASA Advisory Council Innovation and Technology Committee. Demonstrating success both at individual and team levels, Dr. Ying has been the recipient of many honors, including “Top 50 Women Leaders of Los Angeles for 2022”, the People’s Republic of China Friendship Award, Asian American Engineer of the Year Award, Boeing Professional Excellence Award from the CTO, NASA Group Achievement Award, AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Best Paper Award, and the Professional Achievement Award for Women of Color in Technology. Dr. Ying is a past President of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS), now a member and chair of the Honorary Fellow Advisory Group (2023-2024) which supports the Executive Committee to shape the agenda of this multinational professional aerospace organization. Dr. Ying is recognized as a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS).

With a deep passion for flight, Dr. Ying holds a Commercial Pilot License and is a FAA-Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). She received her PhD and MS degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University and BS in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Cornell University.