Tag: 2023

Dr. Saunders is a Software and Systems Analysis who has held positions of increasing responsibility with 40+ years of experience. Roles and responsibility include: Principle analyst for Director, Operational Test and Evaluation program to digitally transform operational test strategies through the development of a Model-Based Test and Evaluation Master Plan concept. Project technical lead for the Air Force A9 Bayesian Enterprise Analysis Model (BEAM), a new statistical modeling paradigm to support enterprise scale analysis. Analysis lead on the OSD technical team for the Integrated Defense Analysis Capability (IDAC) development effort. Cyber security analyst for developmental and operation test organizations, focusing analysis on policy and process improvements. Research analyst for information technology efficiencies improvement across the intelligence community.

Dr. Freeman is a Research Professor of Statistics and dual hatted as the Deputy Director of the Virginia Tech National Security Institute and Assistant Dean for Research for the College of Science. Her research leverages experimental methods for conducting research that brings together cyber-physical systems, data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning to address critical challenges in national security.

Dr. Beers is MITRE’s Defense Systems Engineering Department Manager, leading personnel and portfolio management of six OSD-level test and evaluation (T&E), systems engineering and strategic analysis projects. In addition to her Department Manager responsibilities, Dr. Beers is the Technical Lead for OSD/DTE&A’s Integrated Decision Support Key initiative. This work – which she will be briefing during the workshop – includes evolving the IDSK concept from separate developmental and operational evaluation frameworks and applying it to both acquisition programs of record and full-spectrum (S&T to sustainment – especially to prototyping and experimentation) decision-support informed by operational and technical capability evaluation.
Dr. Beers joined MITRE in Colorado Springs after retiring from the USAF in October 2008. Her final assignment was as the Commander, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center’s Detachment 4 at Peterson AFB leading the OT&E of new space, missile, and missile defense systems.
Dr. Beers holds a plethora of degrees (five) from a wide variety of institutions of higher learning…giving her plenty of cheering flexibility during college football season…including a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Beers caught the triathlon bug, spending the last decade swimming, biking, running or talking triathlon with fellow addicts. She has since traded-in the triathlon hobby for astrophotography.

Ms. Caitlin Szymendera is the current Director for RDT&E Data and Technology for NAVAIR’s Engineering & Cyber Warfare Group. She also serves as the Test & Evaluation Tools Lead for the Department of the Navy’s (DON) Test & Evaluation Executive, working to modernize and standardize the digital landscape across the DON Test & Evaluation community. Ms. Szymendera spent the first half of her career as a Mission Systems Flight Test Engineer for the Presidential and CH-53K Helicopter Programs before transitioning to enterprise process improvement and digital tools program management.

Mr. Mair is a national security analyst and systems engineer analyzing complex adaptive system performance in support of consequential national security decisions.

Mr. Bigger is a Test Subject Matter Expert within the Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft Program Management Office (PMO) under PEO Aviation. He has been a test engineer in PEO Aviation for over 20 years and has a BSE from Univ. of Alabama Huntsville (UAH).

Mr. Winter is a model-based systems engineer within the Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft Program Management Office (PMO) under PEO Aviation. He has a MS in Systems Engineering from Kennesaw State University, a MS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The Digital Transformation and Command Tests Authority out of Space Systems Command have partnered to revolutionize the way Test & Evaluation is executed across space. Being in Space System Integration Office, both teams collaborate to bring new techniques and change the way Acquisitions is done in the Space Force. Although a young team, this group has created the Model Based T&E Reference Model (MBTERM) which has become a flagship of Enterprise Digital Transformation and Engineering not only across the Space Force but has garnered support from stakeholders all across the DoD and IC. Being in a new service and new organization, the MBTERM team is able to design with multi-domain warfare in mind and is dedicated to support not only the attack and defend mission in space, but allow the Space Enterprise T&E function to support mission partners.

Ms. Radocaj is a Systems Engineer in Force Projection Section, Model-Based & Digital Mission Engineering. She has been supporting Test & Evaluation Planning with model-base strategies that relate mission planning to system implementation and operational, developmental and contractor test. Her background includes analysis of launch vehicle and satellite propulsion systems supporting Air Force projects, as well as unmanned control systems and communication systems supporting the Navy.

Dr. Ferry is a Senior Research Scientist at Metron, Inc. He has an SB in Mathematics from MIT and a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Brown University. He has been the Principal Investigator for a variety of projects for DARPA, ONR, and the intelligence community. His areas of expertise include Bayesian reasoning, network science, data fusion, and fluid dynamics.

Dr. Esser is the Associate Director for the Intelligent Systems Division of the Virginia Tech National Security Institute. She is a recognized leader and change agent with over eighteen years of experience working with national and homeland security agencies to improve the planning, management, and coordination of research development and innovation investments across public and private partners. Dr. Esser’s research has contributed to major policy and implementation changes across government in the areas of test and evaluation, capabilities-based planning, and operational assessments in support of technology development, transition, and deployment.

Mr. Alexander is a Senior Systems Engineer with MITRE supporting the Space Training and Readiness Command and the Space Systems Command. He has used a range of methods, techniques, and tools to digitally execute multiple systems engineering and mission engineering methods and processes for the Space Force. He has also performed Digital Engineering to positively impact the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Space Force, and a Joint Program Office of a highly visible program. He has earned recognition from government, MITRE, and contractor top leadership. Non-DoD systems engineering included work for the FAA, DHS, IRS, CMS, and VA. Matt earned a Bachelors of Science and then a Masters of Science in Systems Engineering from the John Hopkins University. He took a Worcester Polytechnic Institute MBSE course taught by MBSE industry thought leader Sanford Friedenthal and is taking an MIT Professional Education course on the New Space Economy in October 2023.

Mr. Mulligan is the Project Lead for the Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) within the Space Enterprise Architecting Department of MITRE’s Air and Space Force Center where he’s responsible for directing the work for MITRE’s support to the Test & Evaluation Enterprise, as well as the STARCOM & Space Systems Center National Space Test & Training Complex (NSTTC) Integrated Program Office. Since joining MITRE in 2010, Dave has been involved in a range of activities, spanning a variety of roles leading and supporting requirements development, cyber, test and evaluation and program assessments of space capabilities. His experiences span direct support to a program office to major command to OSD Research & Engineering Developmental Test, Evaluation & Assessments. Dave earned a B.S. in Computer Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a MBA from Webster University, a M.S. in Systems Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. Dave is also a 27-year US Air Force veteran with linguist, software development, network management, tactical communications, radar evaluation, cyber and space protection experiences.

Dr. Arndt has extensive experience as a senior executive and technology leader in research, education, engineering and defense, homeland security and intelligence technologies, with extensive experience as an innovative leader in industry, academia, and government. He is often called upon as an industry expert to chair major program reviews; lead new programs, bid and proposal efforts, in the areas of C4ISR and sensor systems, Intellectual Properties and Data Rights, Human Factors, and Systems Engineering.
Dr. Arndt currently serves as a principal research engineer on the research faculty of the George Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in the System Engineering Research division of the Electronic Systems Lab. Dr. Arndt is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), and has over 40 years of professional engineering experience though the defense and government engineering community.
Dr. Arndt holds engineering degrees in electrical engineering, systems engineering and human factors engineering and a Masters of Arts in strategic studies from the US Naval War college. He served as Professor and Chair of the engineering department at the Defense Acquisition University, and as technical director of the Homeland security FFRDC at the MITRE Corporation.
In industry, Dr. Arndt has served as a manager at all levels of engineering management including director of systems engineering, CTO and Vic President of Engineering, and has led business units, companies, and engineering organizations of all sizes located both in the United States and internationally.
As an active member of the academic and professional community, he has served as a technical expert for the Army and Defense Science Boards, the CNO’s Strategic Studies Group (SSG), the National Science Foundation, the International Standards Organization (ISO), the IEEE, and other public and private technical organizations, and for several major universities.
Dr. Arndt served as an engineering officer in the US Navy and retired from the Navy in 2013. He is married to Dorothy Becker and has two children and three grandchildren.

Mr. Bell currently serves as a Deputy Product Manager for Cyber Resiliency and Training (PdM CRT) for the Program Executive Office for Simulation Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI). Mr. Bell is responsible for all aspects of acquisition for a Major Defense Acquisition Program, the Persistent Cyber Training Environment (PCTE), enabling over 9,000 Cyber Mission Force operators to meet and exceed the Department of Defense Cyber Mission Readiness strategy.

Mr. Bell was previously the Deputy Product Director for Aviation Logistics for the Program Executive Officer of Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS). Mr. Bell established the product management office overseeing a 170-person operation for a Major Acquisition Information System program. He directed the planning and execution of a $750 million program which supported the development, testing, and fielding of the total Army Aviation Logistics portfolio within the Army enterprise capability modernizing logistics oversight of over 6,000 Army aircraft.

Mr. Bell also supported the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Developmental Test & Evaluation (DASD(DT&E)) Director as a Staff Specialist. He was responsible for providing oversight to several Major Acquisition Programs, reviewing their Integration, Test and Evaluation Strategies, Test and Evaluation Master Plans, System Engineering Plans, and evaluation reports providing program assessment recommendations to OSD leadership.

Mr. Bogler serves as the Senior Test & Integration Officer on the PCTE program. After graduating from East Stroudsburg University with a BS in Computer Science, Mr. Bogler started his career developing software for the Paladin self-propelled howitzer before transitioning to PEO STRI, where he led efforts to implement Modular Open Systems Approaches for the MILES live training product line.

In his time as Product Manager – Cyber Resiliency and Training, he has led both the Operations and Test teams and is a member of the CRT Leadership team.

After Mr. Donaldson earned his BS in Computer Science and a commission in the US Army, he served a rewarding 24-year career as a Signal Officer and paratrooper, during which he learned that leadership is service, and gained a lifelong passion for travel and adventure. Since hanging up his jump boots, John has worked in cybersecurity, while enjoying everything that life with Orlando as your homebase has to offer. As part of the innovative Persistent Cyber Training Environment test team, he has broken new ground in cybersecurity testing of Defense Department acquisition programs, helping to earn the team special designation as “Pathfinders” by the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology).

Mr. Duverglas is the Operational Test Lead for the Persistent Cyber Training Environment (PCTE). With nearly four years of dedicated experience with PCTE, Gilbert Duverglas has played a pivotal role in ensuring the program’s success by aiding in the development of the DevSecOps processes.