Strategic Research Advisory Board

Diran Apelian

Diran Apelian is Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Irvine (UCI),  and Director of the Advanced Casting Research Center at UCI.  At UCI he serves as a senior advisor to the Dean of Engineering. He is also Provost Emeritus and Founding Director of the Metal Processing Institute at WPI, Worcester, Mass.

He received his B.S. degree in metallurgical engineering from Drexel University in 1968 and his doctorate in materials science and engineering from MIT in 1972.

He is credited with pioneering work in various areas of solidification processing, metal processing, powder metallurgy and digital manufacturing. In addition, he has contributed to the establishment of research in resource recovery, reuse, and recycling. He is the Founding Editor of the Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy. Apelian is the recipient of many distinguished honors and awards – national and international; he has over 700 publications to his credit, and 21 patents; and serves on several technical, corporate, and editorial boards. With his colleagues and students, he has founded 4 companies: Materials Strategies; Ascend Elements; Melt Cognition; Solvus Ventures/Solvus Global.

During 2008/2009, he served as President of TMS. He served as Chair of the ASM Educational Foundation Board of Trustees (2016-2018). Apelian is a Fellow of TMS, ASM, and APMI; he is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the European Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Armenian Academy of Sciences. He was recognized as WPI Innovator of the Year in 2018, and as UCI’s Innovator of the year in 2020.

Sean Bauman

Sean Bauman, PhD is the Visionary, President, and CEO of IMMY, a biotech company that has pioneered the field of infectious disease diagnostics over for more than 40 years. IMMY develops, manufactures, and distributes affordable, reliable diagnostics that save lives by connecting sick patients with proper diagnosis and early treatment. From its headquarters in Norman, OK, IMMY’s products have reached over 90 countries, thousands of clinics, hospitals, and laboratories, and impacted millions of patients worldwide. 

Dr. Bauman’s background is broad, with over 20 years’ experience in management, infectious disease epidemiology, research and development, and product design. By curating a positive culture founded on core values, innovation, and collaboration, Bauman has built a legacy of excellence among IMMY customers and employees. Bauman has a unique ability to inspire and empower teams to achieve a shared vision. This leadership has earned IMMY recognition from state, national, and global agencies for achievement in workplace culture as well as global patient impact. 

In response to the COVID‐19 pandemic, Bauman founded IMMYLabs to provide Oklahomans with efficient, accessible testing and vaccine services. Bauman’s efforts to develop a high complexity CLIA laboratory, one of just a handful in the state, in record speed showcased his dynamic vision and transformational leadership.   

A native Oklahoman, Bauman graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BS in Chemistry and went on to the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center to earn a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology. He is a dedicated father to his three children, Brynn, Brooke, and Luke, and a devoted husband to his wife of over 25 years, Renee.  .

Scott Campbell

Scott L. Campbell is the Senior Strategic Advisor of Baker Donelson, Washington, DC and President of the Howard Baker Forum, its public policy and international affairs affiliate. He is the immediate former Managing Shareholder of the Washington office.

Mr. Campbell has an extensive practice in law and consulting and serves clients largely with energy, trade, national security, cyber security and privacy issues. He provides advice to en-ergy, homeland security and technology companies and to leading research laboratories and universities.

In addition to his leadership of Baker Donelson, Washington, DC, Mr. Campbell founded and directs the Howard Baker Forum which sponsors programs and initiatives focusing on major policy questions of high, immediate importance to the nation.

Mr. Campbell also founded and directs the U.S.-Japan Roundtable on Nuclear Energy Cooperation that encourages and facilitates U.S.–Japan cooperation in nuclear energy with regular roundtables and conferences on regulatory and industry issues of interest to American and Japanese nuclear energy companies.

Scott Campbell is a lawyer and former independent oil and gas company executive from Dallas, Texas who came to Washington in 1987 to serve in the Reagan Administration as Director of the Office of Policy, Planning and Analysis of the Department of Energy. Mr. Campbell has served on the National Petroleum Council, the Offshore Advisory Council to the Secretary of Interior, and the Civil Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee (CINTAC), which advises the Secretary of Commerce on trade issues facing the U.S. civil nuclear industry. Mr. Campbell currently serves as a member of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB).

Leanne G. Caret

Leanne Caret is a veteran CEO, Fortune 100 director, and expert on building high-performing organizations and transforming industries via technology. Highly strategic, decisive, and collaborative, she is an extraordinary team builder and steady C-suite counselor.

Ms. Caret is a Senior Advisor to Blackstone. She serves as a Director on the boards of Deere & Company, where she serves as Chair of the Audit Committee, and RTX (formerly known as Raytheon Technologies). Additionally, she serves as a Senior Advisor to MyNextSeason coaching and mentoring C-suite leaders.

Most recently, Ms. Caret was Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor of The Boeing Company. Prior to that, she served as CEO and President of Boeing Defense, Space and Security (BDS) for six years until her retirement in 2022. Leading a $30B global business unit, she oversaw 30,000 employees across four continents. Over her 34-year career at Boeing, she rose through finance, operations and general management, working with all parts of the company around the world.

Ms. Caret serves on the boards of FIRST Robotics, Kansas State University Foundation, and USO Inc. She is a member of the advisory boards for Virginia Tech National Security Institute and the Oklahoma Aerospace and Defense Innovation Institute. She is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Ms. Caret is a graduate of Kansas State University where she received a B.S. in Business Administration and Wichita State University where she received her MBA.

Dona L. Crawford

Dona L. Crawford is the former Associate Director of Computation at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) where she led the laboratory’s high performance computing efforts, one of the premier computing centers in the world. She is currently the President of the Livermore Lab Foundation, a 501(c)(3), whose mission is to advance scientific research, technology development and educational endeavors at LLNL through philanthropic contributions.  Ms. Crawford has served on advisory committees for the National Research Council and the National Science Foundation. She Co-Chaired the Council on Competitiveness High Performance Computing Advisory Committee, and Co-Chaired the CRDF Global Board.

She is a Senior Fellow at the Council on Competitiveness, and sits on the Boards of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center, and the Krell Institute. She is a member of the Strategic Research Advisory Board at the University of Oklahoma, the DOE/NNSA’s Defense Programs Advisory Subcommittee on High Performance Computing, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Association for Computing Machinery. She has a master’s degree in operations research from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Redlands, California.

Heidi Grant

Heidi Grant is vice president of Defense Global Growth & Engagement for Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS). In this role, Heidi serves as a strategic advisor for BDS global interests and ensures strong relationships and strategic communications with key stakeholders to advance objectives.

Prior to this, Heidi was president of Business Development, where she led a team of nearly 500 people in 25 states and 16 countries representing the company’s defense, space and government services portfolios. Her team developed and maintained customer relationships that aligned Boeing’s products and services with customer mission requirements, capturing new business and achieving business growth.

Grant joined Boeing in November 2021 from the U.S. Department of Defense, having served as director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, responsible for all DOD security cooperation programs involving defense articles, military training and other defense-related services. She oversaw more than 15,000 military sales cases with more than 150 countries valued at more than $600 billion. She also managed a certification program for 20,000 civilian and military personnel.

Before joining the agency, Grant was director of Defense Technology Security Administration, responsible for developing and implementing global technology security policies for international transfer of defense-related goods, services and technologies.

From 2010 through 2018, Grant served as deputy undersecretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, providing oversight and guidance for international policy and for programs supporting global national security objectives, technology and information disclosure, security assistance, education and training, and cooperative research and development. She also managed the Air Force Foreign Liaison Office and attaché affairs.

In 2002, Grant was appointed to the Senior Executive Service and assigned as the first civilian director of resources and analysis for U.S. operations in the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and North East Africa. Working with senior representatives from 65 countries, she led resource strategy and analysis for operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. She later helped establish U.S. Africa Command as its first director of resources, leading personnel and financial programming that served as the foundation for successful interagency and international partnerships for global security.

Grant is a member of the Business Executives for National Security (BENS) and the Council on Foreign Relations. She is also on the USO National Capital District Advisory Board, Pfeiffer University Board of Trustees, University of Oklahoma (OU) Strategic Research Advisory Board, Global Special Operations Forces (GSOF) Advisory Council, and Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) International Executive Committee Member.

James Grimsley

James Grimsley serves as the Executive Director for Advanced Technology Initiatives with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and also serves as an Oklahoma Transportation Commissioner with oversight and governance responsibilities for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.  Mr. Grimsley currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA) as well as a variety of other boards and advisory groups.  As part of Mr. Grimsley’s Choctaw Nation duties, he currently manages the FAA BEYOND Program (the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is the only tribal lead participant in the BEYOND program), and previously managed the FAA Integration Pilot Program (IPP) for the Choctaw Nation.    In October 2022 U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg appointed Mr. Grimsley to the FAA’s Advanced Aviation Advisory Council (AAAC).  Mr. Grimsley has also served on multiple FAA Aviation Rulemaking Committees (ARCs) including the Beyond Visual Line of Sight ARC.

Mr. Grimsley’s undergraduate and graduate degrees are in aerospace and mechanical engineering, and Mr. Grimsley has more than 34 years of professional experience in the aviation and defense industries including corporate executive experience as well as being an Associate Vice President for Research at the University of Oklahoma.  Most of Mr. Grimsley’s career has involved uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and emerging aviation technologies.  Mr. Grimsley has published papers in both peer-reviewed engineering journals and law journals on issues related to drones and emerging aviation.   Mr. Grimsley has also testified before Congress on aerospace innovation topics and has appeared multiple times before the Oklahoma legislature to discuss aerospace and aviation policy issues.  Mr Grimsley was a speaker at the White House Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Summit in August 2022.  Mr. Grimsley has been a regular speaker at industry and academic conferences and a commentator in the press since 2007 for drone and emerging aviation topics.

Mr. Grimsley earned a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, both from the University of Oklahoma.

Michael J.K. Kratsios

Mr. Michael J.K. Kratsios is the managing director and head of strategy at Scale AI Inc., a data management startup where he is focused on helping companies turn AI pilot projects into offerings that can be brought to market. Prior to joining Scale AI, Michael worked at the White House and was the 4th Chief Technology Officer of the United States. In that capacity, Michael advised the President on a broad range of technology policy issues and drove United States technology priorities and strategic initiatives. He led the development and execution of the Administration’s National technology policy agenda and under his leadership, the White House launched important National initiatives and strategic plans for artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 5G and broadband communications, autonomous vehicles, commercial drones, STEM education, and advanced manufacturing. Michael was responsible for architecting the American AI Initiative, standing up the National Quantum Coordination Office, and launching of the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium. In addition, Michael served in the Pentagon as the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. As the third highest ranking official at the Department of Defense, Michael managed the largest research and development budget for a single organization in the world, supervising all research, engineering, development, and prototyping at the Pentagon.

Michael has represented the United States as the Head of Delegation at multiple international fora, including G7 Technology Ministerials in Italy, Canada, France, and the United States; G20 Digital Economy Ministerials in Argentina, Japan, and Saudi Arabia; and the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris.

Prior to joining the White House, Michael was a Principal at Thiel Capital. Michael graduated from Princeton University and served as a Visiting Scholar at Beijing’s Tsinghua University.

Neal Lane

Dr. Neal Lane is the Senior Fellow in Science and Technology Policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and holds the titles of Malcolm Gillis University Professor Emeritus and Professor of Physics and Astronomy Emeritus at Rice University. Prior to returning to Rice University in January 2001, Dr. Lane served in the Bill Clinton Administration as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (1998-2001), and before that as Director of the National Science Foundation (1993-98). He was Rice’s Provost and Professor of Physics prior to his time in Washington. He has also served as Chancellor of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (1984-86). He received his B.S. (1960), M.S. (1962) and PhD (1964) in physics from the University of Oklahoma. His thesis advisor was Dr. Chun C. Lin (currently at the University of Wisconsin - Madison). Lane is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has been awarded over a dozen honorary degrees and received several other honors, including in 2009, the National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal, the American Institute of Physics K.T. Compton Medal for Leadership in Physics and the Association of Rice Alumni Gold Medal for service to Rice University. In 2011 he received the Distinguished Friend of Science Award from the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA). In 2013 he received the Vannevar Bush Award from NSF’s National Science Board. In 2015 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. And in 2019, he received a Broader Impacts Champion award from the Center for Advancing Research Impact in Science (ARIS) as well as the Oklahoma City Public Schools Wall of Honor Award, presented by the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation. He belongs to a number of professional associations and has served on several boards and advisory committees. Neal and his wife, Joni, have two children, John Lane and Christy Saydjari – both graduates of Rice University – and four grandchildren, Matthew and Jessica Lane, and Alex and Allia Saydjari.

John McCue

John McCue is the retired Vice Chairman and former U.S. Energy & Resources industry leader of Deloitte LLP. During John’s 31 year career with Deloitte and Deloitte Consulting, he specialized in strategic planning and operations improvement consulting for many of the largest energy companies in the U.S. and globally, with a particular focus on mergers, acquisitions and profitable growth. Prior to taking on his Vice Chairman role, John also led the U.S. Power & Utilities industry practices for both Deloitte and Deloitte Consulting, and was the Managing Director of the Cleveland, Ohio Deloitte Consulting practice.

Prior to joining Deloitte, John spent four years as a petroleum and reservoir engineer with Amoco Production Company. During his career, John has been a frequent speaker and author on emerging strategic topics affecting the global energy industry. John received both a B.S. degree in chemical engineering and an M.B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA.

John M. Poate

John M. Poate, Colorado School of Mines (PhD) – Australian National University, 1967) is Emeritus Senior Vice-President of Research at the Colorado School of Mines and Editor-in-Chief of Applied Physics Reviews. He previously served as a Harwell Fellow of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, Head of the Silicon Processing and Interface Physics Research Departments at Bell Laboratories, Dean of the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Chief Technology Officer of Axcelis Technologies.

Research Interests Dr. Poate’s research and management interests reflect his 50-year career in the physical and materials sciences. He has published extensively in several areas of nuclear and solidstate physics, materials science and engineering with over 300 published papers, editor of four books and seven conference proceedings. He has twelve patents. In the policy arena his interests involve renewable energy, sustainability and the implications of climate change.

Professional Activities and Awards: Dr. Poate is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), the Materials Research Society (MRS) and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). He served as President of the MRS and Chair of the APS Division of Materials Physics. He has served on advisory councils for NATO, US and overseas universities, the National Science Foundation, National Research Council and Department of Energy (DOE) and the Board of the DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He currently serves as Chair of the Director’s Review Committee for Physical and Life Sciences at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Board of the Energy Change Institute of the Australian National University, the South Dakota School of Mines Advisory Board and the CSU Energy Institute External Advisory Board.

His awards include the John Bardeen Award of The Metallurgical Society (TMS) and an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.

General Charles F. Wald (USAF, Ret.)

General Charles F. Wald (USAF, Ret.) is the President of Jones Group Middle East. He is responsible for overseeing all of JGME’s business development and operations in the region. Prior to joining Jones Group Middle East, General Wald served as Vice Chairman, Federal Practice Senior Advisor, Deloitte Services, LP. He provided senior leadership in strategy and relationships with the U.S. Department of Defense as well as Deloitte’s Commercial Aerospace and Defense Clients globally. General Wald is a subject matter specialist in best commercial business practices, doctrine and strategy, military procurement and sustainment, counterterrorism, technology innovation and international energy security policy.

An acknowledged leader on global military strategy and development, General Wald is sought after to deliver speeches at private industry events, national policy institutions as well as colleges and universities. He routinely conducts radio and television interviews on topics including supply chain, defense budget planning, cost reduction, foreign military sales, and weapons systems such as the Joint Strike Fighter Program. General Wald was named by the Defense News “as one of the 100 Most Influential People” listing for U.S. Defense and a Top 100 Airpower Advocate. He has had Op-Eds published in many leading periodicals to include the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and New York Times. He has testified before the United States Congress on numerous occasions.

General Wald retired from the U.S. Air Force as a four-star general after serving over 35 years in the U.S. military as a command pilot with more than 3,600 flying hours and 430 combat hours. In his last position, he served as deputy commander of U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) from 2002 until his retirement from the U.S. Air Force in July 2006. In that role he was responsible for U.S. forces operating across 92 countries in Europe, Africa, Russia, parts of Asia, the Middle East, and most of the Atlantic Ocean. During his command, he developed the European Command’s first ever Strategic Plan that included energy assurance and sustainment for the EUCOM Area of Responsibility (AOR).

General Wald earned his commission through the Air Force ROTC program in 1970. He was an All-American wide receiver and played on two National Championship football teams. After graduation he was drafted into the National Football League by the Atlanta Falcons. He has combat time as a Forward Air Controller in Vietnam and as an F-16 pilot flying over Bosnia and Iraq. He was the Chief of the U.S. Air Force Combat Terrorism Center, was selected as the USAF’s first Support Group Commander, commanded a Combat Operations Group, and was the special assistant to the Air Force Chief of Staff for the Quadrennial Defense Review. He was the Director of Strategic Planning and Policy at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, served on the Joint Staff as the Vice Director for Strategic Plans and Policy and was the U.S. Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for the Air and Space Operations in the Pentagon.

General Wald commanded the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, where on August 30, 1995, he led one of the initial strike packages for NATO in the Bosnia-Herzegovina conflict. From 1999 – 2001, he commanded the 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces where he was responsible for all USAF Combat Forces East of the Mississippi and in the Middle East. In September 2001, as the Supported Commander, General Wald led the development of the coalition response and air campaign against the Taliban in Operation Enduring Freedom, including the idea of embedding tactical air control parties in coalition ground special operations forces. The operation led to the initial defeat of Taliban forces in Afghanistan.

Prior to being recruited to join Deloitte as a Director in 2009 and a “Brand Transformation Leader”, General Wald served as the Vice President of International Programs for L-3 Communications Corporation, based in Washington D.C. from 2007-2009.

General Wald has received numerous major military awards and decorations. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Troy University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in pre-law from North Dakota State University. He has completed coursework at Harvard University and the National War College. He has also been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from North Dakota State University.

As a Managing Director for Deloitte’s Defense Sector practice, General Wald managed the single largest account in the U.S. Firm with Annual Revenue of over $300 million.

General Wald currently serves on numerous non-profit and Think Tank Boards of Directors. Of note, he is on the Board of Trustees for the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Atlantic Council and the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. He also serves as a Senior Military Advisor to the United States Institute for Peace.

Laurel Weldon

Weldon (University of Pittsburgh, 1999) is Distinguished SFU Full Professor of Political Science at Simon Fraser University in Canada. She was previously Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Director of the Purdue Policy Research Institute (PPRI) at Purdue University in Indiana, USA. In 2015, Weldon held the O’Brien Residential Fellowship in the Center for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism at McGill University, Canada. She is founding co-editor of the journal Politics, Groups and Identities, and together with a team of eleven others, will take up the editorship of the American Political Science Review in Summer 2020. At Purdue University, she was founding Director of the Center for Research on Diversity and Inclusion (2012-2015), interim Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (2013-2014) and (very briefly) Acting Provost (2014). Professor Weldon’s work focuses on the role of social movements in influencing public policy; on violence against women; representation and public policy; women, work and poverty; and on comparative and international research that is global in scope. Weldon has won numerous awards, including, most recently, the Best Book Award from the Human Rights Section of the International Studies Association for her 2018 book The Logics of Gender Justice co-authored with Mala Htun. She has consulted for international organizations such the UN and the World Bank as well as national, state, local and Indigenous governments.

Deborah L. Wince-Smith

The Honorable Deborah L. Wince-Smith is the President & CEO of the Council on Competitiveness, a non-partisan leadership coalition of CEO’s, University Presidents, Labor Union Leaders, and National Laboratory Directors, all committed to developing policy solutions and national initiatives to drive future productivity growth, prosperity for all Americans, and the global success of American business. She has more than 20 years of experience as a senior U.S. government official, as the first Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy in the U.S. Department of Commerce in the Administration of President George H.W. Bush, and as the Assistant Director for International Affairs in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Reagan Administration. She served as a Senate confirmed member of the Oversight Board of the Internal Revenue Service in the Administrations of President George W. Bush and President Barack H. Obama.

Ms. Wince-Smith is also the President and Founder of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils (GFCC). She previously served on the Smithsonian National Board, the Secretary of State’s Committee on International Economic Policy, the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation and, the Board of Governors of Argonne National Laboratory. She served as Chairman of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Competitiveness and as a Public Director of NASDAQ-OMX.

Ms. Wince-Smith currently serves on the Advisory Committee of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) and UNICEF. She is also a Commissioner on the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property, and as a member of the Council of Japan’s Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum. As an expert in technology commercialization, Ms. Wince-Smith serves on the Board of Directors of Aerolase, Inc. and Q-Net Security, Inc.

Ms. Wince-Smith graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar College and earned a Master’s Degree in Classical Archaeology from King’s College, Cambridge University. She has received Honorary Doctorates from Michigan State University, the University of Toledo, the Queens University Belfast, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the University of South Carolina.