A. Matt Francis, Ph.D. is founder and President/CEO of Ozark Integrated Circuits, Inc (Fayetteville, AR). He holds BSEE, BS Physics, MS and PhD degrees from the University of Arkansas. At Ozark IC, he leads development of high-temperature semiconductor computing solutions for energy, defense, aerospace and space applications, and has served as a remote payload specialist for Ozark IC’s payloads on the International Space Station. He coordinates complex semiconductor (thin-film, thick-film and packaging) supply chains, and serves in a number of advisory and elected roles within government and industry. Within IEEE, he serves as a Region Director, Elect (Region 5 USA Southwest), as the IEEE-USA representative to the IEEE Industry Engagement Committee, and in numerous committees within IEEE MGA. He is also an advisor to science-based startups through the Winrock International Science Venture Studio.”