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AFRL Inspire 2023

Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Commander Brig. Gen. Scott Cain, far right, and AFRL Public Affairs Specialist and event host Kenneth McNulty, far left, stand onstage with the 2023 AFRL Inspire speaker lineup at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall Oct. 26, 2023. This year’s program featured 10 distinguished speakers from across the AFRL enterprise who delivered a series of nine live TEDx-style talks designed to inspire listeners and highlight the passion, innovation and pioneering spirit of AFRL’s science and technology workforce. The 2023 roster of AFRL Inspire speakers were unified in driving home the message “One AFRL Team, One Fight.” The program was the first AFRL Inspire event to occur under AFRL Commander Brig. Gen. Scott Cain’s leadership, as well as the first to take place in front of a live and in-person audience since the coronavirus pandemic. (U.S. Air Force photo / Cherie Cullen)

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AFRL Inspire 2023

James “Sass” Bieryla, director of the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL’s, Strategic Partnering Directorate, left, and Kevin Price, a computer analyst in AFRL’s Aerospace Systems Directorate, right, share their perspectives as former active-duty pilots in their speech “Amplifying Warfighter Culture” at the seventh annual AFRL Inspire event at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall, Oct. 26, 2023. Bieryla and Price both lost friends in aircraft accidents, the pair acknowledged as they took the stage together to deliver the last talk of the afternoon. One way to bring military pilots home safely is to amplify warfighter culture, which means actively considering the perspective and experiences of Airmen and Guardians when making the decisions or developing the technologies that will directly affect them, Price said. (U.S. Air Force photo /Cherie Cullen)

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AFRL Inspire 2023

Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Commander Brig. Gen Scott Cain delivers closing remarks to the audience at AFRL’s Inspire event at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall, Oct. 26, 2023. “I want to give a very special thanks to our speakers today,” Cain said. “I give them those thanks because they had the courage to take on tough problems and the courage to get on this stage. Your guts are inspiring.” The day’s program provided a glimpse into the people of AFRL, Cain said, and “the fire in all of them.” (U.S. Air Force photo / Cherie Cullen)

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AFRL Inspire 2023

Anissa Lumpkin, an operations research analyst and acting mission area lead for the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL’s, Customer Engagement Directorate, delivers her speech titled “The Power of Influence” at the seventh annual AFRL Inspire event at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall, Oct. 26, 2023. Lumpkin shared her experience using the power of influence to impact positive change. While managing AFRL’s Small Business Innovation Research, or SBIR, and Small Business Technology Transfer, or STTR, programs, Lumpkin noticed there were no Historically Black Colleges or Universities, or HBCUs, partnered with those programs and resolved to find out why. Lumpkin went on to establish the Department of the Air Force’s HBCU outreach initiative. “It's so important to take a hard look at your tables and figure out who is missing,” Lumpkin said. “Then use the power of influence to fill those chairs.” (U.S. Air Force photo / Cherie Cullen)

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AFRL Inspire 2023

Dr. Andrew Gillman, a research materials engineer based in the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL’s, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, delivers a speech titled “Striking Where the Innovation’s Hot” at the seventh annual AFRL Inspire event at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall, Oct. 26, 2023. Gillman described his experience working as part of an extended team of collaborators from industry, academia and government to find a solution to lack of agility in the manufacturing supply chain. Recently, the DAF has confronted challenges in maintaining fleet readiness, Gillman said, as there is an immediate need to obtain small lots of customizable aircraft replacement parts that many manufacturers do not make anymore. To help solve this problem, Gillman and his team developed a robotic blacksmithing system that uses incremental forming to craft small lots of customized manufactured parts. The robotic system models the consistency, reliability and agility of a human blacksmith, Gillman said, and can make significant forming decisions on its own without the need for a human operator. (U.S. Air Force photo / Cherie Cullen)

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AFRL Inspire 2023

Dr. Richard Beblo, a mechanical engineer in the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL’s, Aerospace Systems Directorate, delivers his talk “Groundbreaking Innovation at the Speed of Failure” at the seventh annual AFRL Inspire event at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall, Oct. 26, 2023. Beblo opened his talk by recounting a time when he and his research team conducted a sled test — a type of nondestructive experiment that reproduces the dynamic conditions of a full-scale crash scenario — that “failed” spectacularly. While others present at the testing site deemed the test a total flop, Beblo said, he and his team were ecstatic about their supposed failure. “We were excited because we knew the test just gained value,” Beblo said. “We knew we were about to learn things that we hadn’t even anticipated as things we needed to learn.” The quickest path to success is to fail fast and fail often, Beblo said, and this perspective applies to the development of new technologies. (U.S. Air Force photo / Cherie Cullen)

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AFRL Inspire 2023

Dr. Nate Bridges, a research biomedical engineer and program lead in the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL’s, Human Effectiveness Directorate, explains in his speech “Moving Beyond Averages” how he and his research team are working to tailor technologies to fit humans’ unique needs at the 2023 AFRL Inspire event at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall, Oct. 26, 2023. Bridges hopes to revolutionize military training by using technology that personalizes learning to the individual. “There’s no such thing as average when it comes to people,” Bridges said. “A lot of things in our society are designed for large groups of people, but here’s the thing: we’re all different. We have different needs, different preferences, and yet we’re forced to choose. Imagine a future where we don’t have to choose.” (U.S. Air Force photo / Cherie Cullen)

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AFRL Inspire 2023

Dr. Alex Alaniz, a principal physicist and technical adviser based in the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL’s, Directed Energy Directorate, delivers a speech titled “Helen Keller, ChatGPT and Einstein” at the 2023 AFRL Inspire event at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall, Oct. 26, 2023. Alaniz discovered throughout his career that his true passion is understanding intelligence. In his talk, Alaniz explained the thought process he underwent while developing an Albert Einstein avatar as part of his recent quest to further his theory of intelligence. (U.S. Air Force photo / Cherie Cullen)

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AFRL Inspire 2023

Dr. Craig Przybyla, a principal materials engineer and team lead based in the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL’s, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, shares his experience living in Paris, France, with his wife and seven children at the height of the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns in his speech “Doors Were Made to Open” at the 2023 AFRL Inspire event at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall, Oct. 26, 2023. Przybyla framed this experience as one that taught him how to push through the metaphorical doors that sometimes blocked his way, not just in work but also in life. “Sometimes, those doors are locked, and we have to push through them,” Przybyla said. Through innovative approaches to problem-solving, a willingness to adapt and partnership with others, Przybyla and his family were able to successfully evolve along with their rapidly changing circumstances to tackle a complex set of challenges. Przybyla urged his audience not to allow closed doors to stop them. “Open them,” Przybyla said. “Step into the dark passages and move forward. As you encounter dead ends, don’t be afraid to iterate and try new doors. Along the way you will be more successful if you partner with others. They will have found keys to some of the locked doors or know which doors are most promising.” (U.S. Air Force photo / Cherie Cullen)

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AFRL Inspire 2023

Matt Duquette, an aerospace engineer based in the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL’s, Integrated Capabilities Directorate, offers remarks on the future of artificial intelligence and autonomous aircraft in his speech “Autonomous Aircraft: A Partnership of Human and Machine” at the 2023 AFRL Inspire event at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall, Oct. 26, 2023. As humans grow increasingly worried about AI rendering them obsolete, it is important to recognize that the partnership between humans and machines is a source of strength, Duquette argued. The theory of “Humans Are Best At”-“Machines Are Best At”, or HABA-MABA, posits that humans are better at certain tasks while machines excel at others, and in learning to work together, true progress can be achieved, Duquette said. (U.S. Air Force photo / Cherie Cullen)

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AFRL Inspire 2023

Dr. Dan Berrigan, worldwide digital collaboration lead with the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL’s, Digital Capabilities Directorate, kicked off the 2023 AFRL Inspire event at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall, Oct. 26, 2023, with his speech “Tackle the Toil.” Berrigan shared the story of how he teamed with mathematician and fellow AFRL colleague Dr. Lauren Ferguson to scale a preexisting Google Workspace environment — then utilized by only a select few — to pilot a program that would make the Google Cloud platform widely available to all AFRL users. The switch to Google from preexisting legacy tools enabled the AFRL workforce to conserve precious time, energy and toil throughout their workdays, increase productivity and remain apace with peer adversaries, Berrigan said. (U.S. Air Force photo / Cherie Cullen)

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AFRL Inspire 2023

Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Public Affairs Specialist Kenneth McNulty shows off a model F-16 fighter aircraft from onstage at the 2023 AFRL Inspire event at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall, Oct. 26, 2023. McNulty served as host and emcee of this year’s event, filling brief gaps of time between each of the program's nine featured speeches with humor, trivia and nuggets of inspiration. “If it counts, while I'm no pilot myself, my dad did buy me [this] pretty slick model F-16 — so I've always been more partial to it,” McNulty joked. “Sorry, Sass.” McNulty’s nod to the F-16 followed Kevin Price and James “Sass” Bieryla’s Inspire speech titled “Amplifying Warfighter Culture” in which the two former fighter pilots ribbed each other good-naturedly about the air superiority of the F-15 versus the F-16. “Your approach to connecting research leads and warfighter needs helps illustrate how our One Team, One Fight mission is being made possible,” McNulty said. (U.S. Air Force photo / Cherie Cullen)

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AFRL Inspire 2023

Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Commander Brig. Gen. Scott Cain delivers his opening remarks to an in-person audience at the 2023 AFRL Inspire event at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall Oct. 26, 2023. Inspire speakers at the day’s event were unified in driving home the commander’s message “One AFRL Team, One Fight.” The program was the first Inspire event to occur under Cain’s leadership, as well as the first to take place in front of a live and in-person audience since the coronavirus pandemic. Cain credited AFRL “thought leaders” like those listed on the day’s speaker lineup as individuals who will affect future positive change for the Air Force. “My hope is that these pioneers — who are often quiet pioneers, who are going to affect and change the future in the next 20 years — are inspiring to you,” Cain said. “Really, what I hope is that all the people of AFRL are as inspiring to you as they are to me.” (U.S. Air Force photo / Cherie Cullen)

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AFRL Inspire 2023

Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Commander Brig. Gen. Scott Cain, far right, and AFRL Public Affairs Specialist and event host Kenneth McNulty, far left, stand onstage with the 2023 AFRL Inspire speaker lineup at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall Oct. 26, 2023. This year’s program featured 10 distinguished speakers from across the AFRL enterprise who delivered a series of nine live TEDx-style talks designed to inspire listeners and highlight the passion, innovation and pioneering spirit of AFRL’s science and technology workforce. (U.S. Air Force photo / Cherie Cullen)

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AFRL scientists, engineers recognized for outstanding career accomplishments

Seven Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Fellows stand with Brig. Gen. Scott A. Cain, fourth from left, AFRL commander, and Dr. Timothy J. Bunning, fifth from left, AFRL chief technology officer, Oct. 25, 2023. The honorees were recognized for their outstanding career accomplishments during the 2023 Fellows and ECA ceremony. Note: Dr. Stephen M. White is not pictured. (U.S. Air Force photo / Keith Lewis)

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AFRL scientists, engineers recognized for outstanding career accomplishments

Seven Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Science and Engineering Early Career Awards, or ECA, awardees stand with Brig. Gen. Scott A. Cain, third from left, AFRL commander, and Dr. Timothy J. Bunning, fourth from left, AFRL chief technology officer, Oct. 25, 2023. The awardees were recognized for their outstanding career accomplishments during the 2023 Fellows and ECA ceremony. (U.S. Air Force photo / Keith Lewis)

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231017-F-RQ117-1012

Matthew Suttinger, left, Air Force Laboratory directed energy acting principal investigator, briefs members and supporters of the Air Force Laboratory about the work in the Semiconductor Laser Indoor Propagation Range at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., Oct. 17, 2023. AFRL conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony for their new laser range that will serve to aid in propagations studies to fill in critical technology gaps. (U.S. Air Force photo / Airman 1st Class Ruben Garibay)

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231017-F-RQ117-1009

Members and supporters of the Air Force Laboratory directed energy directorate pose for a group photo after the ribbon cutting of the new Semiconductor Laser Indoor Propagation Range on Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., Oct. 17, 2023. The range will serve to further aid AFRL in the research and development of propagation studies to fill in critical technology gaps. (U.S. Air Force photo / Airman 1st Class Ruben Garibay)

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231017-F-RQ117-1007

Dr. Shery Welsh, Air Force Laboratory directed energy directorate director, and Dr. Imelda Atencio, AFRL’s directed energy laser division chief, conduct a ribbon cutting ceremony in celebration of the new Semiconductor Laser Indoor Propagation Range on Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., Oct. 17, 2023. The range will serve to further aid AFRL in the research and development of propagation studies to fill in critical technology gaps. (U.S. Air Force photo / Airman 1st Class Ruben Garibay)

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231017-F-RQ117-1006

Dr. Shery Welsh, front right, Air Force Laboratory directed energy directorate director, and Dr. Imelda Atencio, front left, AFRL’s directed energy laser division chief, prepare to conduct a ribbon cutting ceremony in celebration of the new Semiconductor Laser Indoor Propagation Range on Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., Oct. 17, 2023. The range will serve to further aid AFRL in the research and development of propagation studies to fill in critical technology gaps. (U.S. Air Force photo / Airman 1st Class Ruben Garibay)

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