The STORM lab was started in 2014 by Assistant Professor Mark L. Adams when he joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Auburn University. Dr. Adams earned his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from Auburn in 1997. After graduating from Auburn, he worked in industry as an electronics/RF engineer before departing for graduate school. Dr. Adams completed his M.S. (2000) and Ph.D. (2004) in electrical engineering with an emphasis on biophysics and nanofabrication at the California Institute of Technology. He served as the Director of Nano-bioengineering for ENSCO, Inc. in Melbourne, Florida where he designed, developed and tested the Global Environmental Micro Sensor system. After ENSCO, Dr. Adams accepted the role of business development manager and MEMS development engineer for BioForce Nanosciences a start-up company located in Ames, Iowa. Dr. Adams then spent time as an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of South Alabama before returning to industry to work for Johnson and Johnson in Somerville, New Jersey and eventually returning as Director of Engineering at ENSCO in Melbourne, Florida. Before accepting the faculty position at Auburn, Dr. Adams owned and directed Systems Visions LLC, a small company he founded to focus on commercializing technology he had previously developed throughout his career. He joined Auburn University as an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering in 2014. His interests include quantum systems, metamaterials, biologically inspired structures, electromagnetics, photonics, optoelectronics, wireless systems, micro/nano fabrication and propagation modeling.
Zach McGovern is a graduate of Western Kentucky University. He planted roots in Huntsville in March 2020.
In December 2024, Zach was appointed to serve as the City of Huntsville’s External Relations Officer. As such, Zach handles intergovernmental affairs on behalf of Mayor Tommy Battle and his administration. This entails coordinating Huntsville’s advocacy and public policy efforts in Montgomery and Washington, D.C.
Zach also oversees Huntsville’s relationships with other cities in Alabama, including Mayor Battle’s involvement in the Big 10 Mayors organization and the Alabama League of Municipalities. Additionally, he's the point of contact in the mayor’s office for businesses, universities, and nonprofits who need information from or seek to do business with the City of Huntsville.
Dr. Jeffrey LaRoche is an Engineering Fellow performing program development, capture, and management for Raytheon's Advanced Technology Programs (ATP) group. He received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from WPI in 1996, and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the UF in 2000. His primary area of technical expertise is compound semiconductor device integration and physics for high frequency applications such as 5G/6G communications. His career evolved through escalating levels of technical and program management responsibility over the course of several IRAD, and contract programs. He is currently the Raytheon PI for several DAPRA programs including COFFEE, ELGAR, THREADS, and HOTS. He recently worked with UT Austin on its successful DARPA NGMM capture. Previously he was technical lead for Raytheon's GaN MMIC on 200mm Si process that was licensed to Global Foundries as an enabler for 5G/6G applications. He has 38 key publications, 24 awarded patent families, and multiple pending patent applications. He has been fortunate enough to be surrounded by fantastic teammates and mentors.
Julia Buckley is the Chief Operations Officer for Reliable MicroSystems (Rel-Micro). Julia joined Rel-Micro in 2018 as the 2nd full time employee. While at Rel-Micro, Julia has helped the company grow from 2 full-time employees to 32 full-time employees, navigate two office expansions, establish the WestGate Design Integrated Services Center in Crane, IN and start the Rel-Micro REACH intern program.
Julia received her B.S. degree in Biology from Lipscomb University. Before joining Rel-Micro, Julia worked as a Laboratory Manager for a Molecular Science and Pathology Laboratory at the University of Florida. Her projects focused on laryngeal and lung cancer research. Julia has also performed cancer research as a Research Assistant in a Cell and Development Biology Laboratory at Middle Tennessee State University. Projects there focused on planar cell polarity during cell migration. Julia gained office management experience as an Office Manager for Florida Department of Children and Families and for Tri-Central Community Schools.
Throughout her career Julia has continuously volunteered as a tutor, first responder, and robotics club leader.
Erik Heilman joined IEEE-USA in June 2023 bringing extensive knowledge of the legislative and political process developed during over twenty years in both the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. federal government, and in representing business interests in various advocacy and lobbying functions.
In his capacity as IEEE-USA’s Director of Government Relations, Erik leads a team of legislative and policy professionals who help shape American technology policy for the benefit of IEEE members, the technology professions, and the broader American public.
Erik previously worked for the Celanese Corporation, Honeywell International and the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) where he promoted federal policy positions on issues ranging from tax and international trade to energy and sustainability.
Before entering the private sector, Erik held senior level positions in the U.S. federal government, first as Director of Government and Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and then as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Congressional Affairs in the Executive Office of the President.
Erik’s career began on Capitol Hill where for a decade he served in legislative staff positions advising and managing policy issues for U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators.
Erik holds an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He resides in Arlington, VA with his wife Katie and their three children.
Dr. Rosalyn (Roz) Hobson Hargraves is Division Director for the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE). The Division of Undergraduate Education, in the NSF Directorate for Education and Human Resources, strengthens STEM education at two- and four-year colleges and universities. Dr. Hargraves is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University and previously served as an Intermittent Expert for NSF's Directorate for Education and Human Resources. She began her term as NSF division director for DUE on August 1, 2021.
In addition to STEM education, Dr. Hargraves’ research interests also include diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, machine learning, biomedical signal and image processing, and the role of science and technology in international development. Dr. Hargraves earned her Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia. During her 25 years at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Dr. Hargraves co-founded the VCU College of Engineering Department of Electrical Engineering and has served in numerous leadership roles, including Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence, the Director of the Virginia Commonwealth University - University of KwaZulu Natal International Partnership, Associate Dean in the College of Engineering, and Interim Co-chair in the School of Education Department of Teaching and Learning.
Dr. Hargraves has published over seventy peer reviewed conference and journal publications, been awarded two patents, is a renowned speaker and served on expert panels across the United States. She has consulted with private industry in the area of machine learning and co-founded a start-up, SPT (Signal Processing Technologies), based on her research in biomedical image processing. She has been awarded sponsored research grants as PI, co-PI, or senior personnel totaling over $25M from federal, state, foundation, and industrial sources primarily in the area of STEM education and training. Throughout her career she has served on over 90 committees including peer review, conference organizing, professional, federal, university, school, and department committees. Her professional service has included membership on two National Academies Committees and she is a Trustee of the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation.
Dr. Hargraves has been recognized nationally for her mentoring, teaching, leadership, and diversity initiatives. From 2019-2020 she was one of 38 academic leaders selected for the nationally renowned American Council on Education (ACE) Fellowship, the premier comprehensive leadership development program in American higher education. In 2003-2004 she served as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Diplomacy Fellow at the U.S. Agency for International Development (2003-2004). Among her numerous awards, she received the 2018 National Association for Ethnic Studies Robert L. Perry Mentoring Award and in 2006 Dr. Hargraves was named Engineer of the Year by the Richmond Joint Engineers Council.
Dale Thomas currently serves as a Professor and Eminent Scholar of Systems Engineering in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Engineering Management at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). He teaches system engineering students in the art and science of systems architecture and design, systems integration, test, and verification, and systems management. His active research projects include Nuclear Thermal Propulsion, Space Launch System Core Stage Engines, Small Satellites, and Space Systems Model Based Engineering. Dale also serves as director of the Alabama Space Grant Consortium and as deputy director of the UAH Propulsion Research Center.
Jennifer Fowler is the statewide program director of Arkansas NSF EPSCoR, and principal investigator for the current Track-1 project, Data Analytics that are Robust and Trusted (DART, OIA-1946391). Jennifer is passionate about science and innovation, and enjoys creating opportunities for learners of all ages. After attending the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, & the Arts (ASMSA), she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Arkansas. Prior to her promotion to PI/PD, she served for 7 years as the Director of Education, Outreach, & Diversity for Arkansas NSF EPSCoR and the Center for Advanced Surface Engineering, where she implemented a variety of programs and activities to broaden participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). She is currently pursuing her PhD in Molecular Biosciences at Arkansas State University with an emphasis in machine learning. Her thesis research involves evaluating machine learning approaches to identify possible genetic markers for types of cancer. She was recently elected to the EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation Board of Directors. Jennifer serves as both a Team Coach and Director of Partner Engagement for National AI Campus, a novel workforce program developed at Arkansas State University to provide foundational skills training in artificial intelligence and machine learning. She also volunteers with Girl Scouts Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas as a member of the Board of Directors and the Founding Chair of the council’s DEIA committee, and the ASMSA Board of Visitors.
Tawnya Plummer Laughinghouse joined Marshall Space Flight Center in 2004 as a Materials Engineer in the Materials & Processes Laboratory.
In 2017, she joined Marshall’s Science & Technology Office and spent the next 7 years managing Technology Demonstration Missions, a Level 2 Program for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. Under her leadership, the program launched 10 advanced technologies to space between 2018 and 2024.
In July 2024, Laughinghouse was appointed to the SES position of Director, Materials and Processes Laboratory, in the Engineering Directorate at MSFC. The Materials and Processes Laboratory provides science, technology, and engineering support in materials, processes and products for use in space vehicle applications, including related ground facilities, test articles and support equipment. As director, Laughinghouse will oversee a workforce of science and engineering experts, as well as several research and development efforts in world-class facilities, including the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing.
Ms. Laughinghouse earned a BS in Chemistry from Spelman College, and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech. In 2006, she earned a master’s degree in management (emphasis in Management of Technology) from the University of AL in Huntsville.
Ms. Kaitlin Bulavinetz serves as the Senior Advisor to the Principal Director for Advanced Computing & Software (PD-ACS) and as the Associate Director for Global Research Watch for the Office of Strategic Intelligence & Analysis (OSI&A) within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) for Critical Technologies. In these capacities, she supports tech transition for software and Department-wide software modernization efforts along with leading R&E technology horizon scanning and tech scouting efforts to inform science and technology (S&T) investments and strategic priorities of the Department of Defense (DoD).
Ms. Bulavinetz previously served as the Chief of Staff, Office of the Chief Software Officer in the Department of the Air Force. She aided the Air Force Chief Software Officer in his duties as the Air Force’s senior software czar, primarily enabling Air Force and Space Force programs in the transition to Agile and DevSecOps to establish force-wide DevSecOps capabilities and best practices, including continuous Authority to Operate (cATO) processes and faster streamlined technology adoption. Prior to this role, she worked within the DoD supporting the Office of Acquisition Enablers and as an analyst with the Defense Innovation Board (DIB).
Prior to working in the DoD, Ms. Bulavinetz worked in the private sector as a software Customer Success Manager for commercial and federal accounts and as the federal Customer Advocacy and Corporate Communications Manager at Hitachi Vantara. During her time as a Senior Associate with The Meyers Group, she formulated and executed federal business development strategies for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to technology start-ups. Additionally, she has previously handled press and legislative issues in several Congressional offices.
In her personal capacity, Ms. Bulavinetz participated as a fellow in the 2022 Transatlantic Digital Debates, a program hosted by the Global Public Policy Institute that brings together 18 German and American young professionals to discuss technology policy from a transatlantic perspective. In 2019 Ms. Bulavinetz was named a “Rising Star” by Federal Computer Week magazine and recognized at the Government Innovation Awards for her work with cyber and national security nonprofits. She is originally from the Baltimore area and is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park with dual degrees in Journalism and Government & Politics; she later received her MBA from this institution.
