FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wright Brothers Institute Announces New Executive Director
Dayton, May 7, 2019: Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) will welcome Dr. David E. Walker as the new Executive Director, beginning June 10, 2019.
Dr. Walker has a long history with the Department of Defense. Dr. Walker currently serves as the Research and Development Portfolio Director with the Office of Naval Research (ONR). Prior to his service at ONR, Dr. Walker was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology and Engineering, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. He prepared policy, guidance and advocacy for the Air Force's annual $2 billion science and technology program and served as the functional manager for more than 20,000 military and civilian scientists and engineers.
Dr. Walker’s Air Force expertise is an ideal fit, as WBI expands its customer base to rapidly connect technology developed inside AFRL to men and women in uniform. The Air Force Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Office, Air Force Life Cycle Management (AFLCMC) and Air Force Special Operations Command (SOCOM) are some of the Air Force organizations leveraging WBI’s innovation and commercialization practices. “We are just scratching the surface on some very exciting opportunities to connect AFRL to end users that will ultimately deliver new capability to the warfighter,” said retiring Executive Director, Les McFawn.
Transition between McFawn and Dr. Walker will continue throughout the month of June.
To learn more about Dr. David E. Walker, see his official biography here.
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About Wright Brothers Institute
Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) is a cutting-edge innovation and technology commercialization center for the Air Force Research Laboratory, with facilities located just outside of WPAFB in Dayton, OH. We drive fast, agile innovation that enables successful technology development to solve the Air Force’s most complex challenges by leveraging resident experts, unique facilities, disruptive innovation processes and extensive networks. We leverage subject matter experts and intellectual property from AFRL and SBIR companies to unlock the right problem, connect to new partners and synchronize transition pathways through our commercialization partners. Utilizing the Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA), WBI provides connectivity between the government and small businesses, academia, state and local governmental agencies and non-traditional partners. WBI was one of the first organizations to establish a PIA with the Air Force, in 2002.
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