John S. Tomblin, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Sam Bloomfield Distinguished Professor of Aerospace Engineering
Director, Composites & Advanced Materials Laboratory
Director, Structures Laboratory

Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, West Virginia University
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, West Virginia University
B.S., Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University

Specializing in: Material Qualification, Advanced Material Insertion, Composites and Advanced Materials Research.

john.tomblin@wichita.edu
(316) 978-5234

Tom Aldag
Director of Research & Development

B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Wichita State University
Mini-MBA – Wichita State University Center for Management Development

Specializing in: New materials and fabrication methods, Linking research and development to government and industry needs

thomas.aldag@wichita.edu
(316) 978-5326

John E. Moore
Senior Advisor to the Executive Director

J.D., University of Kentucky College of Law
B.S., Commerce, Washington and Lee University

Specializing in: Identifying research and strategic opportunities and economic and workforce development initiatives that can involve NIAR, Interfacing with elected officials, the aviation industry and academia

john.moore@wichita.edu
(316) 978-5238

Jerry W. Antes
Director, Operations and Budget

B.S., Accounting, Troy State University

Specializing in: Program Management, Finance, Business, Operating Budgets, Product and Project Cost Accounting and Product Bid Proposal Preparation and Pricing.

jerry.antes@wichita.edu
(316) 978-5888

Tracee Friess
Marketing & Communication

B.A., Communication, Wichita State University

Specializing in: Newsletters, Annual Report and other Publication Production, Public Relations, Website Development, Trade Show Coordination, Tours

tracee.friess@wichita.edu
(316) 978-5597

Dwight A. Burford, Ph.D.
Director, Advanced Joining & Processing Laboratory
Senior Research Scientist

Ph.D., Metallurgical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines
M.S., Metallurgical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines
B.S., Metallurgical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines

Specializing in: Friction Stir Welding/Processing, Metallurgical Engineering and Failure Analysis.

dwight.burford@wichita.edu
(316) 978-3204

Brian M. Brown
Associate Director, CAD/CAM Laboratory

B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Wichita State University

Specializing in: PLM Curriculum Research and Development and Manufacturing.

brian.brown@wichita.edu
(316) 978-3246

Alex Chaparro, Ph.D.

Director, Human Factors Laboratory
Senior NIAR Fellow, Psychology
Associate Professor, Psychology

Ph.D.,Texas Tech University
B.S.,Florida Tech

Specializing in: Color Vision, Motion Perception, Night Vision and Visual Requirements of Reading

alex.chaparro@wichita.edu
(316) 978-3038

Shawn Ehrstein
Director, CAD/CAM Laboratory

M.B.A., Wichita State University
M.S., Electrical Engineering, Wichita State University
B.S., Electrical Engineering, Wichita State University

Specializing in: PLM Curriculum Design and Research.

shawn@cadcamlab.org
(316) 978-5839

Timothy Hickey
Director, Full-Scale Structural Testing Laboratory
Director, Environmental Test Laboratory

B.S., Technology, Southwestern College

Specializing in: Full-scale and Component DDT and Static Testing, Experimental Structural Modifications.

thickey@niar.wichita.edu
(316) 978-8204

John W. Laffen
Director, Aerodynamics Laboratory

B.S., Aeronautical Engineering, Wichita State University

Specializing in: Experimental Aerodynamics.

john.laffen@wichita.edu
(316) 978-3569

Walter Lee
Director of Quality & Performance
Manager, Calibration & Quality Laboratory

Experience: 14 years Hydril Research Lab, 16 years MTS Field Service

Training: Electronics – USN, Avionics – USAF

walter.lee@wichita.edu
(316) 978-6139

Joseph Mitchell
Director, Crash Dynamics Laboratory

M.A., Management, Webster University
B.S., Computer Science, Wichita State University

joseph.mitchell@wichita.edu
(316) 978-5239

Yeow Ng
Associate Director, National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP)

M.S., Aerospace Engineering, Wichita State University
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Wichita State University
B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Wichita State University

Specializing in: Materials & processes, Qualification and Allowables of Composite and Other Advanced Material Systems.

yeow.ng@wichita.edu
(316) 978-5212

Larry Braden
Manager, Full-Scale Structural Test Laboratory

Education: AAS degree in Electronics - Butler County Community College/ Schweiter Technical School

Experience: 11 years Ground and Flight Test; 20 years Structural Test Instrumentation

Specializing in: Full-Scale and Component D&DT and Static Testing; Instrumentation and Systems

larry.braden@wichita.edu
(316) 978-8222

Allison Crockett
Manager, Composites Lay-Up Room
Research Engineer, Composites & Advanced Materials Laboratory

B.S., Materials Science and Engineering, California Polytechnic State University

Specializing in: Project Coordination, Qualification of Composite Material Systems

allison.crockett@wichita.edu
(316) 978-5461

Wade Davis
Manager, Environmental Test Laboratory

Training/Licenses: FCC/radar endorsement, US Navy Aviation Ordance Nuclear Weapons Loading Team, Security Clearance: Top Secret

Memberships: IEEE Society, RTCA, NARTE Society

Specializing in: Environmental/EMC/EMI/RFI/TEMPEST Technology, Aircraft P-Static and Full Scale Lightning testing, Metrology Calibration & Repair, Electronics Technology

wade.davis@wichita.edu
(316) 978-6718

Chad Gadberry
Manager, Crash Dynamics Laboratory

B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Milwaukee School of Engineering

chad.gadberry@wichita.edu
(316) 978-5239

Bill Johnson
Manager, Visual Technology Laboratory

Specializing in: Curriculum Development and Classroom Education in Maya 3-D Computer Animation and Corporate and Broadcast Video Production.

bill@cadcamlab.org
(316) 978-6812

Shin Mah
Manager, R&D Testing, Structures Laboratory

shin-liang.mah@wichita.edu
(316) 978-5232

Arthur C. Porter
Manager, Research Machine Shop
Research Associate

Specializing in: Design, Fabrication, and Maintenance of the Mechanical Hardware used for Research Projects.

arthur.porter@wichita.edu
(316) 978-3656

Errick Robles
Manager, ITAR & Export-Controlled Testing, Structures Laboratory

Education: B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Wichita State University

Specializing in: Composites Research and Development Testing and Photogrammetry Analysis using the ARAMIS full-field strain system.

errick.robles@wichita.edu
(316) 978-6717

Lamia Salah
Manager, Fatigue and Fracture Laboratory
Senior Research Engineer, Composites & Advanced Materials Laboratory

M.S., Aerospace Engineering, Wichita State University
B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Wichita State University

Specializing in: Composites and Fatigue and Fracture Research.
Past and Current Projects: Hydrothermal Effects on Composite Laminates, Bonded Repair of Aircraft Composite Sandwich Structures, Data and Methodologies for Structural Life Evaluation of Small Airplanes, Seat Cushion Component Test Validation, Aging of Composite Aircraft Structures: Decommissioned Boeing 737 Tail.

lamia.salah@wichita.edu
(316) 978-5775

Nathan Shipley
Manager, CAD/CAM Laboratory

B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Wichita State University, 2004

Specializing in: CATIA Structural Stress Analysis

nathan@cadcamlab.org
(316) 978-7260

Fernando F. Toledo
Manager, Virtual Reality Center

B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Specializing in: Virtual Reality, Real-Time Visualization & Simulation of CAD/CAID/CAE/CAM Databases.

fernando.toledo@wichita.edu
(316) 978-8333

Jason Yeoh
Manager, ASTM Standard Testing, Structures Laboratory

Education: B. Eng, Mechanical Engineering, University of Glasgow, Scotland

M.S., Computer Science, Wichita State University

Specializing In: ASTM Static and Fatigue Testing, Qualification of Composite Material Systems, Project Coordination

jason.yeoh@wichita.edu
(316) 978-6864

Beth Clarkson
Statistician, National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP)

M.S., Mathematics, Wichita State University
pursuing Ph.D., Mathematics, Wichita State University (expected in 2008)

Specializing in: Basis value and Equivalency computations for composite materials, Quality Assurance, Statistical Process Control, and Design of Experiments

(316) 978-3952

elizabeth.clarkson@wichita.edu

Eddie Irani, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Aerodynamics Laboratory

Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, Wichita State University

Specializing in: Experimental Aerodynamics

(316) 978-3569

eddie.irani@wichita.edu

Gerardo Olivares, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Crashworthiness

Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Wichita State University
M.S., Aerospace Engineering, Wichita State University
B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Wichita State University

Specializing in: Experimental and Computational Structural Crashworthiness, Occupant Injury Biomechanics, Automotive and Aerospace Safety Systems Development, Mechanical Systems Design and Analysis.

gerardo.olivares@wichita.edu
(316) 978-7273

Udo Schultheis , Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Human Factors

Ph.D. Psychology, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
M.S. Psychology, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
B.S. Psychology, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany

Specializing in: Aviation Psychology, Human Factors and Cognitive Psychology. Pilot Selection and Training, FAA ATP and JAA ATPL with Hawker 800 XP Type Rating.

udo.schultheis@wichita.edu
(316) 978-5776

Waruna Seneviratne
Senior Research Engineer, Structures Laboratory

M.S., Aerospace Engineering, Wichita State University
B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Wichita State University

Specializing in: Structural and solid mechanics with emphasis on experimental work on durability and damage tolerance testing and analysis protocols for full-scale composite airframe structures.

waruna@niar.wichita.edu
(316) 978-5221

Bryan Tweedy
Senior Research Engineer, Advanced Joining & Processing Laboratory

M.S., Mechanical Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Specializing in: Friction Stir Welding/Processing, Mechanical Design and Solid Mechanics.

bryan.tweedy@wichita.edu
(316) 978-7272

Christian Widener, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Advanced Joining & Processing Laboratory

Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Wichita State University
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Wichita State University
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Wichita State University

Specializing in: Friction Stir Welding/Processing, Heat-Treatable Aluminum Alloys, Corrosion, and Materials Characterization.

christian.widener@wichita.edu
(316) 978-5205

To download a PDF of NIAR research contacts and areas of expertise click here.