Date:
February 20, 2025
Schedule:
5:30 p.m. Social
6:00 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. Program
Location: UT Space Institute Dining Hall, 411 B.H. Goethert Parkway, Tullahoma, TN 37388
Ticket cost: $10 for students, $30 for guests*
*For ticket purchase and pick up contact:
- AEDC: Michael Glennon, michael.glennon@us.af.mil, James Link, James.Link.ctr@us.af.mil, or Rylan Cox, jon.cox.ctr@ut.af.mil
- Amentum in Tullahoma: Tyler McElroy, Tyler.mcelroy@us.amentum.com
- UTSI: Meghan Morris mmorris@utsi.edu
For other inquiries or ticket purchase, contact Paul Kelly, pgkelly2011@gmail.com.
Special Guest Speaker: Mark Mehalic
In 2021, Mark Mehalic retired as an engineer with the US Air Force after 40 years of service: 29 years on active duty and 11 years as a civilian. He received a BSEE from The Pennsylvania State University, an MSEE from the Air Force Institute of Technology, a PhD EE from the University of Illinois, and an AAS in Cyberdefense from Motlow State Community College (the last after his retirement). Throughout his career, Mehalic served as an engineer, an engineering educator, and an engineering manager. He started as a research engineer developing prototype digital flight control systems for aircraft for the Air Force Research Laboratory, following on as a test engineer for aircraft electronic warfare systems for the Air Force Test Center. Dr. Mehalic was an assistant professor at the Air Force Institute of Technology, teaching and performing research in the development of advanced high-speed integrated circuits for aircraft applications. He also served as the senior engineer for the Air Force Materiel Command Capabilities and Requirements Directorate, the director of engineering for the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, and the chief systems engineer for the Air Force Program Executive Officer for Strategic Systems. Mehalic’s final positions were management positions which included serving as the vice director for the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (2014-18), the deputy director and then acting director for Air Force Materiel Command Directorate for Air, Space, and Cyberspace Operations, and the executive director for the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center.