Bridging the Technology Valley of Death

Event Recording

Description:

The technology valley of death sounds dramatic, because it is.  In the life cycle of defense acquisition programs, it's the difficult divide between emerging technology and the transition into development and production or directly into the field. Why is this so important today?  Because in an era of strategic competition, it’s never been more important for promising concepts to make their way into operational capability, with speed and security. This panel will discuss ways to get things across the valley, faster and more often.

Who should attend:

Those performing science and technology research who want to transition viable technologies, those developing and producing new systems who want to innovate with confidence, and those eager to field new warfighting capabilities.

Competing to Win Series:

Attending these sessions will help you relate the work you do in defense acquisition to the Great Power Competition (to learn more click here) shaping our national security environment.  Learn how to meet the challenge and help the US maintain its competitive advantage!  Session format is curated conversation with thought leaders from across DoD, industry, academia and the acquisition workforce. No slides, followed by live Q&A.

Dr. Glenn Lamartin, Professor of Acquisition Management, DAU, DSMC

Dr. Lamartin is a professor at the Defense Systems Management College (DSMC), adjunct professor at Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy, and a certified executive coach. He is a seasoned acquisition professional with experience as a flight test manager, project engineer, program manager, strategic planner, and senior executive in DoD and industry. Inspiring the leader in each of us is one of his passions. His current work includes developing curricula, teaching defense policy making and leadership, and assisting practitioners in the acquisition community— to span boundaries, make change happen, innovate, accelerate acquisition, and improve outcomes.

Shelby S. Oakley, Director, Government Accountability Office, Contracting and National Security Acquisitions

Ms. Oakley is a Director in the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) Contracting and National Security Acquisitions team. She oversees GAO's work examining the most complex and expensive acquisitions within the federal government. Her portfolio includes Navy Shipbuilding programs, DOD acquisition policy and oversight, and leading practices in product development. She is also responsible for GAO's annual work to assess the cost, schedule, and performance of DOD's portfolio of major defense and middle-tier acquisition programs. Previously, Ms. Oakley led teams reviewing the activities of NASA with a focus on acquisition management. Her reviews covered key aspects of NASA's operations, such as sustainment of the International Space Station and reviews of all major NASA systems including in-depth reviews of NASA's human spaceflight programs and the James Webb Space Telescope. Ms. Oakley earned a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and her bachelor's degree from Washington and Jefferson College.

Dr. Sarah Armstrong, Director, Joint Hypersonic Transition Office, Systems Engineering Field Activity, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division

Dr. Sarah Armstrong assumed her role as the Director of the Joint Hypersonic Transition Office (JHTO) Systems Engineering Field Activity (JHTO SEFA) in January 2021. The Joint Hypersonic Transition Office (JHTO) supports the Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Science & Technology (DCTO(S&T)). JHTO is responsible for facilitating the effective and affordable transition of hypersonic technologies and new capabilities into existing programs. The JHTO SEFA coordinates system architectures, interfaces, schedules, and plans to capture and transition a modular, affordable, and upgradable hyper sonics portfolio of capabilities and technologies.

Sarah received her BSEE from Purdue University in 2001, an MSEE from Vanderbilt University in 2007, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Vanderbilt University in 2011. Her Ph.D. research was focused on exploring single-event effects (ionizing radiation) in high-speed communications devices.

Dave Harden, CEO & Founder, The Outpost & Outpost Ventures—Investor, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) & Creative Acquisition Expert

David B. Harden is an entrepreneur, husband, and father of four, currently CEO & Founder for the OUTPOST GROUP of companies–THE OUTPOST, OUTPOST CAPITAL GROUP, and OUTPOST VENTURES–multi-million-dollar businesses with a new innovative approach to venture capital, business development, technology acceleration, capital raising, and national security investment. The Outpost has helped companies close more than $300 million in non-dilutive funding in the last three years, and recently partnered with the new Amazon Prime series 2 MINUTE DRILL, a pitch competition shows in which contestants have 2 minutes to pitch their business for over $50K in investments each episode. Dave is featured as a judge for and investor in the show, continuing his work in supporting entrepreneurs and veterans grow businesses of impact.

Previously Dave was Chief Operating Officer and Founding Architect for AFWERX, the Air Force's enterprise approach to innovation that builds a community to maximize interactions with innovators, academia, businesses, and airmen. Dave is a retired Colonel and C-17 pilot, holding a MBA from George Washington University, a BS in Electrical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy, and Executive Certifications in Strategy and Innovation from MIT and the University of Virginia.

Event Survey: https://eval.dau.edu/jfe/form/SV_ePOtI66PnOCGn2K?EventID=336