Speakers - Alabama

Dr. Ebonee Walker is a Materials Engineer in the Technology Development Directorate, U.S. Army DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center. She currently leads the destructive physical analysis of microelectronics program to assess quality for missile systems.

Dr. Walker began in the Electronics and Computer Technology Function supporting the Advanced Missile Components from Nanomaterials Program.  She worked on efforts to develop sensors for health monitoring of missile rockets.

Prior to joining the Government, she was a research assistant at Vanderbilt University in the Thermal Engineering Lab where she developed a computational technique for studying thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes using molecular dynamics simulations. As a research assistant at Fisk University in the Nanoscale Sensors and Materials Group, she fabricated and characterized zinc oxide nanowires for chemical sensor applications. She was also a Graduate Co-Op student for the AMRDEC where she worked on projects to incorporate nanomaterials into missile casings to improve mechanical strength.

Previous government assignments include Executive Officer of the Weapons Development & Integration Directorate (WDID); Materials Engineer and University Liaison in the Corrosion Program Office, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command; and Co-Op/Intern in the Aerospace Materials Function, WDID.

For a year, she participated in the DoD Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program-Germany where she worked at the Bundeswehr’s Materials, Fuels, and Lubricants Lab. There she conducted research on methods to incorporate zinc oxide nanowires into epoxy resins to improve electrical conductivity to increase light strike protection of carbon-fiber reinforced composites.

Dr. Walker is an active IEEE member in the Huntsville Section, where she is a past Section Chair and immediate past Section Treasurer. She is currently Region 3’s Women in Engineering Coordinator. She was also featured in IEEE/IEEE-USA’s 2014 New Faces of Engineering Professional Edition.

She has also been active in Toastmasters International since 2008 as a charter member of Vanderbilt Toastmasters. She has held several leadership positions at the club and district level to include Area 13 Governor. She is currently a member of Strategic Speakers Toastmasters, Club #6054, and is the Club Secretary.

Dr. Walker earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Materials Science from Vanderbilt University. She also holds a Master of Arts in Physics from Fisk University and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, where she graduated as valedictorian.

Mr. Curtis Hill is a Principal Investigator and Subject Matter Expert at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. He is the Principal Investigator for the On Demand Manufacturing Electronics Project as part of NASA’s development of In Space Manufacturing (ISM) applications. Curtis has developed a number of advanced functional materials and processes for NASA, with numerous awarded and pending patents. His research has included the development of high-performance dielectric materials for ultracapacitors and supercapacitors for energy storage and battery replacement, as well as for printed ultracapacitors. He is responsible for leading the development of printed electronics capability on the International Space Station and future NASA space exploration needs. He is also leading the development of commercial semiconductor manufacturing in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with NASA’s In Space Applications program (InSPA).

Timothy Lee is a Boeing Technical Fellow based in Southern California. He was recently elected to serve as IEEE-USA President in 2025. He leads the development of disruptive microelectronics technologies for advanced communications networks and sensor systems for airborne and space applications. His research interests include 3D Heterogenous Integration (3DHI) technologies for chiplet/wafer stacking of digital/analog/RF silicon/III-V devices for high-performance, and low-power microelectronics for aerospace and defense application. He is principal investigator for the transition of IRAD, CRAD and university Lab to Fab research into technologies for defense systems. During his over 40 years of experience, he has held technical/managerial positions at research facilities, aerospace companies, and semiconductor foundries. He has led development of hardware for satellite communications and has built phased-array antenna electronics for commercial and US government customers. Lee has authored over 30 journal and conference papers. He holds SMEE and SBEE degrees from MIT and a master’s degree in system engineering from University of Southern California.

Dr. Donna Joyce, a member of the Senior Executive Service, was appointed as the Army Senior Research Scientist (ST) for Protective Technologies in December 2019. She serves at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center, Software, Simulation, Systems Engineering and Integration Directorate, Redstone Arsenal, AL. As the Army’s chief scientist for protective technologies, she provides scientific expertise and technical guidance in the research, development, and transition of protective technologies. Dr. Joyce collaborates with a broad science and technology community of subject matter experts across government, industry, and academia to provide cost effective solutions for the Army and DoD weapons systems. She brings expertise in thin film electronics, security and reliability of microelectronics, and advanced circuit analysis tools to include: research and development, test and evaluation, technology transition, strategic planning and resource management.

Before assuming this position, Dr. Joyce was employed at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH, where she served as the AFRL Liaison to the Air Combat Command Chief Scientist, connecting the broader S&T community with operational needs and gaps. Dr. Joyce’s career has included basic and applied research, technology development, and transition of state of the art tools and techniques. Specific research in thin film dielectrics led to the patent and publications of Polymer Capacitors with Charge Blocking Layers, advancing research in thin film electronics. Dr. Joyce has held many technical and leadership positions within the Air Force Anti-Tamper Team. She led the Air Force Anti-Tamper Technology Development Portfolio and has been involved in many aspects of the Tri-service Anti-Tamper Community. Her work in the development and transition of tools, techniques, and protective technologies has advanced this community and has built collaborations across government organizations.

Eric Grigorian, P.E. is the 2024-2025 Region 3 Director for the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). He received his B.S., and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and is a registered Professional Engineer. He is a member of Georgia Tech Research Institute's (GTRI) Applied Systems Laboratory (ASL) and is the Chief of Architecture & Systems Development Division. He also serves as ASL's Chief Engineer. He has over 40 years of experience in commercial and defense sectors and has served in a multitude of technical and executive management roles. His current research centers around digital engineering and developing Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) to enhance the implementation of the Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) for aerospace platforms. Developing architecture that supports modularity and reuse is one of many goals for technical and business strategy in designing affordable and adaptable crewed and uncrewed systems. With his team of researchers and scientists, research activities concentrate on the evaluation of existing systems for potential transformation, the use of modeling languages such as System Modeling Language (SysML) to create models that depict system behavior, interfaces, and architecture, and developing and aligning technical requirements in support of acquisition. Additional activities include the development of a MOSA-based radio communication manager for incorporation in air and ground communication systems and modular communication waveforms for integration in open system platforms. As a result, implementation of MBSE in the systems under study will assist with streamlining processes, reduce costs associated with traditional document-centric approaches, and foster rapid implementation of capabilities through MOSA. Prior to GTRI, he was the Director of Engineering and Manufacturing for Yulista Aviation where he was responsible for full life-cycle support of product development and production of systems for the US Army Prototype Integration Facility. In his prior capacity, he was Vice President of Engineering and Manufacturing at AAR Integrated Technologies (2010-2012), developing products for the US Air Force, US Army, and US Marines in support of Command and Control Systems. He is the recipient of GTRI’s Distinguished Performance Award in Program Development. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and was the recipient of 2020 UAH’s Alumni of Achievement Award, the 2019 James Beall SoutheastCon Recognition Award, and the 2006 IEEE Region 3 Outstanding Engineer of the Year Award. He has also received numerous additional awards from GTRI, previous employers, UAH, IEEE, and local technical societies.

He joined IEEE while at the university as an undergraduate, serving as Treasurer, Vice-Chair, and Chair of the student branch. He was inducted into Eta Kappa Nu and Tau Beta Pi honor societies and served as Vice President and President for Eta Kappa Nu Student Chapter. His past leadership roles included Huntsville Section's Student Activities Chair, Vice Chair, Chair, and Section's AESS chair. He also served as SoutheastCon Conference co-Chair and Chair in 2008 and 2019, respectively. He has served as Region 3's Area Chair and Conference Committee Chair.

Russell Harrison was named IEEE-USA's Managing Director in 2023, where he previously served as as Director of Government Relations. Russell is responsible for managing IEEE's Washington, DC, USA office, supporting IEEE-USA's Board of Directors, serving on the IEEE Management Council, and providing overall direction to IEEE-USA's government relations, member and professional activities, and communications programs. He is also the staff lead for IEEE's Global Public Policy Committee, which oversees IEEE's worldwide policy activities.

Russell has spent 27 years in the association government relations world. Prior to joining IEEE in 2003, he represented the Institute of Scrap Recycling, the American Iron and Steel Institute, and the American Trucking Association on Capitol Hill. Outside of IEEE, Russell is a former member of both the Manassas, VA, USA’s Planning Commission and Electoral Board, where he served as Chair from 2013 to 2016.  He has also served on the Board of Directors of Historic Manassas and the Virginia State PTA.

Russell has a Master’s in Public Management, with a focus on International Trade Relations, from the University of Maryland, and a B.A. in Political Science from Allegheny College. He is a certified Planning Commissioner (Virginia Tech).

Matt Francis, Ph.D., is the founder and President/CEO of Ozark Integrated Circuits, Inc. (Ozark IC). Dr. Francis earned his BSEE ('03), BS Physics ('04), MSEE ('07) and PhD ('09) degrees from the University of Arkansas. At Ozark IC, he leads the development of high-temperature semiconductor computing solutions for energy, defense, aerospace, and space applications. He has been a remote payload specialist for Ozark IC's payloads on the International Space Station. Dr. Francis is an expert in the scalable design, manufacturing, and assembly of extremely reliable single-board computers, from silicon/silicon carbide semiconductors to advanced packaging, ceramics, and tests for reliability - including their complex supply chains. Through R&D funding from NASA, DARPA, DOE, US DAF, and commercial partners, Ozark IC has designed, manufactured, and demonstrated one of the widest ranges of semiconductor-based solutions for remote sensing and actuation from -180 to 800oC. Under his leadership, Ozark IC has been recognized as a leader in the rugged computing space, evidenced by wins in the MassChallenge accelerator Gold award (2020), the Army XTech Hypersonic Manufacturing Prize (2nd prize, 2022), and the American Made Geothermal Prizes (Set! and Geophone Prizes, 2021-2023).

Dr. Francis also serves as a Region Director (Region 5 USA Southwest), as the IEEE-USA representative to the IEEE Industry Engagement Committee, as past chair of the IEEE MGA Chapter Operations Support Committee, and as a Council Member for his city (Elkins, AR). Dr. Francis is passionate about entrepreneurship and growing the next generation of scientists and engineers. He is an IEEE STEM Champion, volunteering weekly with his IEEE Local Group robotics club. He is an advisor to science-based startups through the Science Venture Studio, and in 2022 he was selected as the recipient of the IEEE-USA Entrepreneurship Achievement Award for leadership in Entrepreneurial Spirit for furthering both entrepreneurial growth and spirit in the US, as well as his service in mentoring small-businesses in the deep-technology space. He is one of the co-founders of the IWRC series, which began in Little Rock, AR in 2023, and is co-founder of Scaling Up Regional Economies in Arkansas (SURGE-AR), a 501c3 designed to advance semiconductor and science-based technology in Arkansas in the CHIPS+ era.