The Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships is an active supporter and host of the participant in the Hiring Our Heroes Fellows Program. HOH connects the military community – service members, military spouses and veterans – with American businesses to create economic opportunity and a strong, diversified workforce.
Through HOH, U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Hawken Grubbs was matched with the Oklahoma Aerospace and Defense Innovation Institute (OADII), where he is spending his ten-week fellowship gaining exposure to OU’s aerospace and defense-related research, ranging from software engineering for aircraft modernization to radar technology applications for specialized defense applications.
Capt. Grubbs is a proud OU alum earning his Bachelor of Science degree in 2008, followed by his Master of Science in Information Warfare Engineering and Operations at the Naval Postgraduate School in 2018. During his 20 years of military service in the Marine Corps, Capt. Grubbs gained extensive experience in information operations and systems management, airfield traffic operations, and project management of sensitive DoD programs.
“The HOH program provides a tremendous value for both the fellow and host organization and OADII is proud to assist these officers as they transition into the civilian sector,” said Cliff Wojtalewicz, OADII Operations Manager. “Hawken, in particular, brings with him a unique set of leadership and technical skills that will contribute greatly to any organization.”
Through the HOH Fellows Program, Grubbs’ goal is to transition into a private-sector career that utilizes his education in science and engineering and his project and personnel management skills acquired in the military.
