Speakers’ Bios

(Alphabetical by last name)

John Clark
John Clark is a Chief Engineer in the Mission Systems Sector of Northrop Grumman. He is located at the Warfare Systems Engineering Department in Virginia Beach, VA. John currently supports the Mission Systems Sector Directors of Process Management (SE Process) and Human Resources (SE Training) and the US Navy Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dam Neck VA Technical Director. He led the development, is the lead instructor for the INCOSE Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) course, and is a CSEP. John has over 41 years experience applying systems and software engineering to the acquisition, development, verification/testing, operations, and support/maintenance of military command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, radar, sonar, electronic warfare, identification, weapon, network, scientific, and information systems. He is an active member of several Northrop Grumman Corporate Systems Engineering Advisory Group (SEAG) Working Groups and Communities of Practice; the Director of Education and Training of the INCOSE Hampton Roads Area Chapter; a member of the IEEE 1220 working group; a member of the EIA-632A GEIA G-47 SE committee; and a member of the review teams for ISO/IEC 15288, ISO/IEC 12207, ISO/IEC TR 19760, ISO/IEC TR 24748, and the INCOSE SE Handbook. He is an internationally recognized speaker and Subject Matter Expert in SE and teaches SE tutorials at major SE symposia. John received a BS in Electrical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, an MS in Electrical Engineering from the State University of New York, and will become an adjunct professor in the Master of Science in systems engineering curriculum at the Old Dominion University in the fall of 2008.

Stella Bondi
Stella Bondi earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia in 1999. She received a Masters in Engineering Management degree from Old Dominion University in 2003. She earned her PhD. in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University in 2007. Her career includes twenty-two years with engineering consulting firms. Her latest assignment was Project Engineer working for a land development company. Her academic experience includes working for four years as an adjunct faculty member for Tidewater Community College and one year as part-time adjunct faculty for Old Dominion University. She is currently an Assistant Professor for the Civil Engineering Technology Department where she teaches synchronous and asynchronous courses.

Cheryl Connors
Ms. Connors is a Lead Information Engineer working Information Interoperability solutions for the US Air Force AF Global Cyberspace Integration Center/Integration and Standards Branch (RINI) across the US and NATO Command and Control domains. Ms. Connors is a lead developer for military XML specifications and was the editor and contributor to the formal NATO XML Naming and Design Guidelines document. Ms. Connors has had prior experience in working with cross-service information exchange solutions. Core expertise includes the XML family of technologies. Ms. Connors has a BS in Computer Science, and MS in Information Systems, both from Hawaii Pacific University.

David Ekker
David Ekker earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Illinois, MBA from Chaminade University of Honolulu, and Aeronautical and Astronautical Degree from the Naval Post Graduate School. Retiring after 22 years of active duty service in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear trained submarine officer, he joined the Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Department at Old Dominion University as a PhD Graduate Research Assistant where he completed his PhD course work. He is currently Assistant Professor in the Engineering and Industrial Technology Department at Tidewater Community College and a PhD candidate at ODU. His research interests include Risk, Risk Management, analysis of Complex Situations, parametric cost analysis, and non-traditional research methods.

Dr. Forsberg
Dr. Forsberg is co-founder of The Center for Systems Management. Dr. Forsberg has 51 years of experience in Systems Engineering, Program, and Proposal Management, and consulting to business and government. Dr. Forsberg co-authored two books on Project Management and has developed and delivered many project management and systems engineering courses. His experience spans research, development, and production implementation. Dr. Forsberg is the recipient of distinguished achievement awards, including the CIA Agency Seal Medallion, the INCOSE Pioneer award, and the NASA Public Service Medal. He is co-founder of a nationally recognized university Certificate in Project Management Program. In addition, he has published over 40 journal articles and presented papers at PMI Symposiums, INCOSE, ProjectWorld, and AIAA. He is an INCOSE fellow and a life-time ASME fell

Adrian Gheorghe
Adrian V. Gheorghe holds a M.Sc. Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Power Engineering, Bucharest Polytechnic Institute, Romania. He has a Ph.D. in Systems Science/Systems Engineering, from City University, London, UK; MBA from Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest; M.Sc. Engineering-Economics, Bucharest Polytechnic Institute.

Previously he was involved in educational activities as Professor of Industrial/Energy Policy and Organizational Management, Bucharest Polytechnic University, Romania, Department of Physics, University of Bucharest, and Professor for Industrial Risks and Decision Analysis, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, University Politehnica Bucharest, Romania. He was a civil servant (1990-1993) with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria working in the field of comparative risk assessment of various energy systems, and regional risk assessment of nuclear and industrial systems. During 1993 - 2006 he was Director with the Centre of Excellence on Risk and Safety Sciences, and Senior Scientist, with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland and Professor (Visitor) Operations Research and Decision Analysis.

In March 2006 he was appointed as Professor of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, and offered the Batten Endowed Chair on System Engineering. His research interests are in the fields of risk and vulnerability assessment for complex systems, risk assessment transportation of dangerous good, systems engineering modeling for critical infrastructures (e.g. energy systems, multimodal transportation infrastructures, IT security, and petrochemical and refineries complexes), system of systems engineering, sustainable development, homeland security related research and policy science implementation.

Deborah Hawley
Ms. Hawley is a Senior Information Systems Engineer with The MITRE Corporation. She provides expertise in enterprise systems engineering, tactical data links, interoperability and integration, service oriented architecture, web services, and IPv6. Her background includes system engineering for the US military's weapon systems, mission planning, and tactical data links communities. Ms. Hawley co-authored the Air Force's (AF) Tactical Data Network to Global Information Grid Roadmap, authored multiple software analytical models for military weapon systems, and received mission planning program awards.

Ivy F. Hooks
Ivy F. Hooks’ distinguished NASA career took her from the Apollo program through the Space Shuttle Program. Ivy was a member of the initial Shuttle design team and managed the development of the separation systems and the verification of the flight software. Since leaving NASA, Ivy has owned her own company, Compliance Automation Inc, providing services for large and small programs in government and the private sector. Her vast and unique experience enables her to communicate effectively with all levels from CEOs to technical specialists.

Ivy is a widely published requirement expert; see her August 2004 article in Crosstalk and her book Customer-Centered Products: Creating Successful Products Through Smart Requirements Management.

Ivy is a charter member of INCOSE and founder of the Gulf Coast Chapter of INCOSE. Ivy has provided requirement tutorials at numerous INCOSE symposiums and to INCOSE chapters across the nation.

Stephen Randolph
Steve Randolph is a Program Manager in the Systems Engineering Operations of Alion Science and Technology with over 25 years of SE experience. He currently is the PMS 385 Joint High Speed Vessel Integrated T&E Database Manager and leads the NAVSEA 05 LPD 17 Class Ship Design Manager support team. He previously was the Alion Lead Systems Engineer for the Canadian Navy Joint Support Ship (JSS) Program and the Alion ONR Transformable Craft Phase II Design Team.

He retired from the U.S. Navy after 24 years in the Naval Nuclear Power Program, which included shore tours at various NAVSEA commands. He then was a senior Systems Engineer at Northrop Grumman Newport News for seven years, where he specialized in Requirements and Configuration Management on the DD(X), CVN 77, CVNX, and CVN 21 Aircraft Carrier Programs. He was the Software Acquisition Manager for the DD(X) Integrated Power System (IPS) Electric Drive prototype, along with leading the sector SEPG, developing CMM and CMMI processes.

Along with doctoral studies in Systems Engineering, he has a BS in Nuclear Engineering Technology, an MS in Systems Management, and a Professional MBA (Information Systems). He is certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Systems Engineering Professional – Acquisition (CSEP/CSEP-Acq). He is a member of INCOSE, PMI, NDIA, SEI, and IEEE. He has been adjunct professor with the Florida Institute of Technology, Saint Leo University, and Strayer University.

Fred Rojek
Fred Rojek has over 25 years experience in the operational employment and development of large-scale, complex systems, including 15 years in systems acquisition and systems engineering & integration (SE&I). His SE&I experience spans a variety of defense systems including tactical strike aircraft, air-launched weapons, missile defense and ICBM. His acquisition experience spans all lifecycle phases from concept development to operations & support. Most recently Mr. Rojek has departed from the defense world and is consulting to the Department of Energy on the application of SE practices and principles to the development of the transportation element of the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management system. Mr. Rojek has been a consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton for over 14 years since retiring from the US Navy. He has a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from SUNY Buffalo, and M.S. degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Post Graduate School.

Robert Smole
Robert (Bob) Smole is a Systems Engineer for Northrop Grumman's Shipbuilding (NGSB) Sector at Newport News and former Navy Nuclear Power Plant Reactor Operator. After four years as a commercial nuclear plant operator Bob earned a Bachelors of Science in Engineering Technology at Old Dominion University (ODU). As an undergraduate student, he minored in Engineering Management gaining initial exposure to systems engineering. Bob has held various engineering positions with the Virginia Department of Transportation, Modern Machine and Tool Company, and Northrop Grumman. Before coming to NGSB, he earned a Masters of Engineering Management from ODU, further developing his Systems Engineering education. He has been in NGSB's Requirements Analysis and Management group at the Newport News Shipyard for 1.5 years. Bob's current assignments include managing requirements for the CVN-78 Voice Networks and the Potable Water portion of the machinery controls system. He also supports the Automation Department as the system automation engineer for the Potable Water, Heptafluoropropane, and List Control systems.

Resit Unal
Resit Unal is a Professor in the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering. He has B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri, Rolla. His research interests include multidisciplinary design optimization, design for reliability, parametric cost analysis, robust design, quality engineering, design-of-experiments methods, response surface methods for approximation model building, and risk analysis.