WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) – The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, will host its recurring AFRL Inspire event at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall, Oct. 26, 2023. Virtual attendees can view the three-and-a-half-hour special event via livestream on AFRL’s YouTube channel beginning at noon EDT here, while AFRL personnel have the option to RSVP to attend in person. This year’s event will be the first to take place in front of a full in-person audience since the covid-19 pandemic.
Inspire showcases the talent, passion and innovative spirit of AFRL’s science and technology, or S&T, workforce, and offers a glimpse into some of the latest groundbreaking research and development efforts currently underway in the lab.
This year’s program features 10 distinguished speakers from across the AFRL enterprise who will offer a series of nine brief, engaging TEDx-style talks. Presentation content will appeal to a broad audience as speakers aim to distill complex science into relatable language and hook listeners with a unique blend of humor, expertise, emotion and colorful storytelling.
AFRL Public Affairs Specialist Kenneth McNulty will serve as host and emcee at this year’s event, highlighting the importance of AFRL’s internal and external partnerships and amplifying AFRL Commander Brig. Gen Cain’s intention to unify AFRL as “One Team, One Fight.” This year’s Inspire event will be the first to occur under Cain’s leadership.
Presentation topics will span the S&T gamut while also highlighting decidedly human themes, including the importance of adaptability and resilience under pressure and learning from failure. This year’s lineup of speakers, featuring a diverse range of scientists, engineers, technologists and professionals from across the AFRL enterprise, will share how they develop solutions for warfighters with passion, ingenuity and dedication to the mission.
This year’s AFRL Inspire event speakers include:
- Dr. Alex Alaniz, technical adviser, AFRL Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
- Alaniz will focus on furthering the theory of intelligence by explaining his thought process while developing an Albert Einstein avatar.
- Dr. Richard Beblo, mechanical engineer, AFRL’s Aerospace Systems Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
- Beblo will reframe failure as a learning opportunity through the story of the “failed” MUTANT program sled test.
- Dr. Dan Berrigan, worldwide digital collaboration lead, AFRL Digital Capabilities Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
- Berrigan will tell the story of how AFRL’s Google Pilot program began, why it caught on and what it means for collaboration in the future.
- James “Sass” Bieryla, director, AFRL Strategic Partnering Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
- In a joint talk with Kevin Price, the two former active-duty pilots will reflect on their careers and discuss the importance of including the warfighter’s perspective early on in research and development at the lab.
- Dr. Nathaniel “Nate” Bridges, research biomedical engineer, AFRL Human Effectiveness Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
- Bridges will explain how, as part of the iNeuraLS program, his team researched how brain activity data can be used to optimize technology for improved cognitive performance when learning and training.
- Matt Duquette, aerospace engineer, AFRL Integrated Capabilities Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
- Duquette will dispel fears surrounding artificial intelligence and illustrates how the partnership between humans and machines can be a source of strength.
- Dr. Andrew Gillman, research materials engineer, AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
- Gillman will explain how his team approached partnership differently to bring the idea of a robotic blacksmith to life to help keep Air Force fleets in the air.
- Anissa Lumpkin, acting mission area lead, AFRL Customer Engagement Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
- Lumpkin founded the DAF’s HBCU outreach initiative and will discuss how to use the power of influence to impact change and close the diversity gap.
- Kevin Price, computer scientist, AFRL Aerospace Systems Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
- In a joint talk with James Bieryla, the two former active-duty pilots will reflect on their careers and discuss the importance of including the warfighter’s perspective early on in research and development at the lab.
- Dr. Craig Przybyla, principal materials engineer and team lead, AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
- Przybyla will discuss how he learned the importance of being adaptable and resilient in the face of constant change and uncertainty during his time in France through the Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.