Academy of Distinguished Alumni-Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland

Academy of Distinguished Alumni

Academy of Distinguished Alumni
In the Fall of 1999, the Department of Aerospace Engineering inducted four graduates as well as aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin into its Academy of Distinguished Alumni. The academy recognizes alumni who have made notable contributations to the field of aerospace engineering and/or achieved other significant accomplishments.

Meet our Distinguished Alumni

B.S., 1973
Inducted 2007
Michael Deitchman was appointed to the Senior Executive Service on 9 September 2001 and is currently the Deputy Chief of Naval Research, Naval Air Warfare and Weapons Science and Technology Department at the Office of Naval Research, responsible for the Navy’s aircraft, air and surface weapons technology programs as well as Chairman of the Department of Defense Reliance Directed Energy TechnologyFocus Team and the Navy representative to the National Science and Technology Council, Aeronautics Subcommittee. Biography

B.S., 1960
Inducted 2007
Bernard S. Loeb retired in 2001 after having worked for 24 years in various positions at the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Government agency responsible for the investigation of transportation accidents. Prior to his retirement Loeb was the director of the Office of Aviation Safety – the office responsible for the investigation of all civil aviation accidents that occur in the United States. His office also participated in the investigation of all air carrier accidents and major incidents involving US airlines that occurred outside the US. Loeb directed the investigation of some of the highest profile accidents in the history of the NTSB. Biography

B.S, 1981; M.S.1983
Inducted 2007
David G. Matuska is Manager of Engineering System Safety at Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a world leader in helicopter design, manufacturing and service. In this role, Matuska provides Engineering leadership for all company efforts to develop and implement safety technologies and to improve operational flight and maintenance procedures to mitigate the risk of accidents for Sikorsky’s current and future helicopter fleet. Biography

B.S., 1983; Ph.D., 1993
Inducted 2007
Mark W. Nixon is Director of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory Vehicle Technology Directorate (VTD). In this position he directs
Army basic and applied research efforts across the disciplines of propulsion, structures, aeroelasticity, and autonomous control for the benefit of Army air and ground vehicle systems. Dr. Nixon obtained a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland (1983), an M.S. in Structures and Dynamics from the George Washington University(1989), and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering specializing in Rotorcraft Dynamics from the University of Maryland (1993). Biography

B.S. 1978; M.S. 1979
Inducted 2007
Mark B. Tischler is an Army Senior Technologist (ST) at the Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate located at the Ames Research Center. He is closely involved in the strategic planning of future Army rotorcraft research programs. Dr. Tischler also leads the Flight Control Technology group which conducts research in handling qualities and flight control with application to manned and unmanned aircraft and rotorcraft. Biography

B.S., 1952
Inducted 2003
William Bissell was an instrumental member of the Lockheed Martin Aircraft Corporation for almost 39 years. He was an engineer and designer on such projects as Skunkworks, the U-2R, the A-12, the SR-71 and the XST. Bissell also designed and built the JetStar, a 10-passenger personnel transport for the Air Force which was later used as a Presidential plane. Biography

B.S., 1955; Ph.D. 1974
Inducted 2003
Dr. Norris J. Krone, Jr. received a B.S. and Ph.D. in aeronautical engineering from the University of Maryland, and a Masters Degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He is a member of the Tau Beta Pi Honorary Engineering Fraternity. He served as a fighter pilot in the Air Defense Command of the Air Force and is a veteran of over 200 combat missions as a forward air controller during the war in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star by the USAF. He has flown over twenty different aircraft including nearly all types. He served as a member of the NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Committee and Chairman of its Aeronautics Working Group; and as the Chairman of the Flight Research Subcommittee under the NASA Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology Advisory Committee. He is a past Chairman of the Aeronautics National Policy Group of the AIAA’s Public Policy Committee, and for several years had the responsibility for developing and presenting AIAA’s testimony to both the United States Senate and House of Representatives.

As a previous Director of the Air Vehicle Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), he was directly responsible for major innovations of aeronautical and tactical technology. Dr. Krone personally developed and verified technical principles that made possible the forward swept wing aircraft concept, and then while at DARPA initiated and managed the X-29A flight demonstrator program. For these efforts, Aviation Week recognized him as a major contributor to the Aeronautical Sciences and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) honored him with its Aircraft Design Award for an original concept that led to a significant advanced in aircraft design and technology. Dr. Krone was also responsible for or contributed significantly to many other developments in aeronautics technology, including the X-Wing Aircraft, the Advanced Tactical Cruise Missile, the no-tail rotor helicopters, several unmanned air vehicles (UAV’s), and Reconnaissance Systems involving tactical aircraft and sensors.

Dr. Krone is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the University Research Foundation, which was founded in 1981 by the University of Maryland. A principal activity of the organization is the operation of three flight research aircraft including a Piper Aztec, a Cessna 402 and a Piper Turbo Arrow. More recently, Dr. Krone founded and leads the Maryland Small Aircraft Laboratory – an alliance of 22 organizations including the States of Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey- sponsored by NASA.

Michael Torok M.S., 1986; Ph.D., 1989
Inducted 2003
Michael S. Torok, Ph.D., is Chief Engineer, Maritime Programs for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. Dr. Torok has been in this position since October 2005. In this role, Dr. Torok is responsible for all technical aspects of the Maritime product line, including customer interface, requirements development and technology insertion, proposals, technical execution of development and sustaining programs, production and fleet support activities. Maritime products include the U.S. Navy MH-60R and MH-60S platforms, international S-70B platforms (Singapore, Turkey) and the Maritime H-92 platform, specifically the Canadian Maritime Helicopter Program (CH-148 Cyclone). Prior to this position, Dr. Torok held positions as Director, System Engineering & Technology, Director, Engineering Sciences, Chief of Dynamics, Manager of Advanced Rotor Active Control Programs and Supervisor of Aerodynamic and Aeroacoustic Methods.

Dr. Torok holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland. Biography

B.S., 1964
Inducted 2003
George Orton has spent over 39 years working for the Boeing Company/McDonnell Douglas Corporation. He has served as a senior engineer, chief engineer, director of technology and director of the space programs subdivision. His projects included the Shuttle Aft Propulsion System, Space Station propellant tanks and truss structure and propellant tanks for the Peacekeeper Stage IV. Orton is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Inducted 1999
Aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin was instrumental in providing funding to support education in the aeronautical sciences at the University of Maryland. In recognition of his philanthropic gifts and pioneering spirit in the field of aeronautics, the University of Maryland in 1949 designated the College of Engineering as the Glenn L. Martin College of Engineering and Aeronautical Sciences. This name again changed in 1955 when the engineering building and those of chemistry, mathematics and physics were designated the Glenn L. Martin Institute of Technology.

B.S. '82, M.S. '84, Ph.D. '86
Inducted 1999
Kevin G. Bowcutt is chief scientist of hypersonics with the Boeing Co., in Long Beach, Calif. Bowcutt has been with Boeing (formerly Rockwell International, North American Aircraft) since 1986 and was named a senior technical fellow by Boeing in 1998. Much of his professional career has involved research in and development of airbreathing hypersonic vehicles, including missiles, aircraft and space launch vehicles.

Maj. Gen. U.S. Air Force (Ret.), B.S. '65
Inducted 1999
Gary L. Curtin is senior vice president with the Defense Group Inc. In 1998, Curtin retired with the rank of major general after 33 years of service with the U.S. Air Force. His military career included duties with intercontinental ballistic missile operations, command and control, military intelligence and political/military affairs. Curtin was assigned in 1989 as the senior U.S. military representative to the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) in Geneva, Switzerland, and was instrumental in negotiating the START I Treaty signed in 1991.

Ph.D. '77
Inducted 1999
Michael D. Griffin is the head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He was previously the executive vice president and chief technical officer with Orbital Sciences Corp., in Dulles, Va. Prior to joining Orbital in 1995, he served as senior vice president for program development at Space Industries International as well as general manager of Space Industries in Houston, Texas. He supported numerous space missions while working at Computer Sciences Corp., the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

B. S. '48
Inducted 1999
Although semi-retired, Bastian "Buz" Hello is still an active management consultant to Rockwell International Corp. His distinguished career at Rockwell includes management of strategic military aircraft programs as well as making important contributions to America's space efforts. He was responsible for pre launch preparation and launch sup port for six Apollo missions that included three successful moon landings.