• Dr. Matthew Hutchison
  • Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation
  • Holden Auditorium (Room 112)
  • 4:00 p.m.
  • Faculty Host: Dr. Rakesh Kapania

The seminar will provide a survey of a number of development programs with which Dr. Hutchison has been involved over the course of 22 years in the unmanned-aircraft sector of the aerospace industry. The talk will touch on key technical elements of the programs presented and attempt to highlight connections to areas of study within the AOE Department today.

Biography:

Dr. Matthew (Matt) Hutchison is currently Vice President of Engineering at Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation where he is responsible for engineering organizational leadership and technical direction across the company’s multiple business areas.

Dr. Hutchison holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (1986) and a Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering (1993), both from Virginia Tech.

His professional career began as a field engineer with General Electric in the power-generation industry between his undergraduate and graduate studies. After graduate school, he started with Aurora as the leader of the company’s aero / performance team. Subsequent management roles have included program chief engineer, program manager and Vice President of Tactical Systems. In 2001, he was a key member of the team that spun off Athena Technologies, Incorporated to focus on the development of highly integrated navigation and controls systems for the unmanned aircraft market. At Athena, he held the role of Vice President, Operations. In 2008, Athena was acquired by Rockwell Collins and became Rockwell Collins Control Technologies. At Rockwell Collins, he held several management roles, including leadership of the UAS and Control Technologies business and site leadership of the Warrenton, VA operations. In 2014, he returned to Aurora in his current position.

Dr. Hutchison has over 20 years of experience in the aerospace industry with a particular focus on the design, development, testing and operations of unmanned aircraft. In arguably the most dynamic sector of the industry over the last 20 years, he has led initial system conceptual definition, detailed system design, aero-structure design and manufacture, navigation and control system development and application, flight testing, deployment and support of field operations.