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Session Description

Engineering education often focuses on preparing students to be product or service providers (in government speak, working for a contractor). However, the government, as the customer for products and services, also needs engineers to focus on setting requirements (rather than design), maintaining (rather than building), operational testing, reverse engineering, and researching technology without a clear business case.
This session will survey the key differences between serving as an engineer and as a customer in the government, with application for educators preparing customers and solution providers alike.

Speaker

1. Dr. Michael S. Warner

   Colonel Michael S. Warner is the Associate Director of Engineering and Technical Management, Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC) Operating Location Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah. He develops, implements and oversees technical policies, processes, databases, and goals/standards for the scientist and engineering workforce at Hill AFB and other resident AFSC and Air Force Life Cycle Management Center offices. He provides executive leadership and technical direction for an engineering and scientific workforce of more than 1,600 science and engineering professionals supporting the Ogden Air Logistics Complex's mission.

   Col Warner was born in Minneapolis, MN, and received his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering in 1996 from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He was commissioned into the Air Force in 1997 through Officer Training School. In his 24 years on active duty, he has served in a variety of space science, technology, teaching, and staff assignments. His prior assignment was a division chief, deputy director, and then acting director of the Materials and Manufacturing directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory.