Georgia Tech Aerospace Engineering alumnus Dr. Thomas Christian was on campus April 20-21 to speak with faculty about identifying opportunities for future scientific collaborations. Now the director of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Christian earned his undergraduate, masters and doctorate from GTAE.

In his current position, Christian is responsible for managing the basic research investment for the entire United States Air Force, overseeing a $510 million annual investment portfolio.

Christian's visit kicked off at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) with a briefing on various research initiatives in a meeting led by Dr. Stephen Cross, Georgia Tech Executive Vice President for Research and GTRI Director.

“We are proud of our alumnus, Dr. Thomas Christian, for the many important civilian leadership positions he has held in the United States Air Force, including since November 2014 as the director of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research," said Cross. 

“Tom's infectious enthusiasm for high quality scientific and technological pursuit coupled with innovative exploration to translate research results into use is inspirational. We appreciated the time he took to visit us, especially the time he spent with our young investigators.”

Christian then made several stops around campus, including a briefing with the School of Aerospace Engineering, where he met with RECONSO PI Dr. Marcus Holzinger and school chair Dr. Vigor Yang. He also spoke with experts from the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnologies, the Manufacturing Institute, and the Institute for Materials.

Christian capped off his visit by meeting with several faculty and staff for a discussion on how to attract graduate students for post-doctorate work at AFOSR, led by Dr. Laurence Jacobs, associate dean of the College of Engineering.

Georgia Tech has a long history of supporting AFOSR and the Air Force’s overall mission. In 2014, AFOSR’s 60th anniversary monograph highlighted two Georgia Tech projects: a technology development program on active flow control concepts for future improvements to the C-17’s propulsion system, and the development of an environmentally friendly aluminum and ice propelled rocket.