An Institutional Capability Architecture
Aptera draws faculty and research leaders from Mission Engineering, artificial intelligence, modeling and simulation, cybersecurity, computational and data science, cloud computing, decision science, spectrum operations, policy, international security and collaborative leadership.
Individually, they are subject-matter experts. Together, they represent an institutional capability architecture for understanding and solving complex mission challenges.
Program Leadership
Executive Director, Center for Mission Engineering, ODU National Security Institute
Irwin leads ODU’s Center for Mission Engineering, bringing Mission Engineering expertise to Aptera’s interdisciplinary approach to understanding and solving complex mission challenges.
MDAA Director, Academic Programs, Studies and Analysis
Christman leads academic programs, studies and analysis for the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance and helps connect Aptera to MDAA’s broader university-based executive-development efforts.
Professor of Political Science and International Studies; Director, Graduate Program in International Studies
Karp specializes in international security, transatlantic relations, European security and nuclear-weapons politics. Her work brings the international and policy environment into Aptera’s examination of complex mission decisions.
Strategic Planning and Operations Lead, Center for Mission Engineering, ODU National Security Institute
Baker brings strategic planning and Mission Engineering operations to the program and helps integrate expertise across Aptera’s academic and applied components.
Executive Director, Center for Mission Engineering, ODU National Security Institute
Irwin leads ODU’s Center for Mission Engineering, bringing Mission Engineering expertise to Aptera’s interdisciplinary approach to understanding and solving complex mission challenges.
MDAA Director, Academic Programs, Studies and Analysis
Christman leads academic programs, studies and analysis for the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance and helps connect Aptera to MDAA’s broader university-based executive-development efforts.
Professor of Political Science and International Studies; Director, Graduate Program in International Studies
Karp specializes in international security, transatlantic relations, European security and nuclear-weapons politics. Her work brings the international and policy environment into Aptera’s examination of complex mission decisions.
Strategic Planning and Operations Lead, Center for Mission Engineering, ODU National Security Institute
Baker brings strategic planning and Mission Engineering operations to the program and helps integrate expertise across Aptera’s academic and applied components.
Program Experts
Technical Director, ODU Spectrum Advanced Training Technology Laboratory
Bobrow brings more than three decades of federal-sector experience spanning systems engineering, operational test and evaluation, C4I, space and expeditionary warfare. His work at ODU focuses on advanced spectrum technologies supporting government and defense missions.
Senior Project Scientist, Center for Mission Engineering, ODU National Security Institute
Draper-Amason specializes in AI-enabled performance improvement, digital transformation and the design of outcome-based learning and workflows that improve organizational performance and readiness.
Teaching Professor of Political Science
Karp brings extensive experience in strategic defense policy, arms control and missile proliferation. His career has included advisory work for the United Nations and the U.S. Commission to Assess Ballistic Missile Threats to the United States.
Director, ODU School of Data Science
An IEEE Fellow, Liu brings expertise in data science and artificial intelligence as well as research experience at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and IBM Research. He has published more than 120 scientific and technical papers.
Professor and Chair, Engineering Management and Systems Engineering
Ozelkan specializes in decision and risk analysis, systems engineering, production planning and supply-chain optimization, bringing a systems-level approach to evaluating complex decisions and their consequences.
Executive Director, Research and Cloud Computing, ODU
Pratt brings expertise in cloud architecture, artificial intelligence and software solutions, with professional certifications and experience across Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.
Assistant Professor, Engineering Technology; Director, Valkyrie Engineering Program
Smith applies modeling and simulation and artificial intelligence to decision-critical problems, including predictive analytics, cyber-physical systems, AI-enabled decision support and large language models for technical applications.
Director, ODU School of Cybersecurity; Batten Endowed Chair in Cybersecurity
Takabi’s research spans cybersecurity and privacy, AI security, privacy-preserving machine learning and adversarial learning. He also directs the Coastal Virginia Center for Cyber Innovation and has led more than 25 sponsored projects totaling more than $25 million.
Professor, ODU School of Public Service
Yusuf studies complex policy and governance challenges that cross government, nonprofit, business and civil-society boundaries. Her work on collaborative leadership and multi-sector governance brings an important organizational dimension to Aptera’s interdisciplinary approach.
Technical Director, ODU Spectrum Advanced Training Technology Laboratory
Bobrow brings more than three decades of federal-sector experience spanning systems engineering, operational test and evaluation, C4I, space and expeditionary warfare. His work at ODU focuses on advanced spectrum technologies supporting government and defense missions.
Senior Project Scientist, Center for Mission Engineering, ODU National Security Institute
Draper-Amason specializes in AI-enabled performance improvement, digital transformation and the design of outcome-based learning and workflows that improve organizational performance and readiness.
Teaching Professor of Political Science
Karp brings extensive experience in strategic defense policy, arms control and missile proliferation. His career has included advisory work for the United Nations and the U.S. Commission to Assess Ballistic Missile Threats to the United States.
Director, ODU School of Data Science
An IEEE Fellow, Liu brings expertise in data science and artificial intelligence as well as research experience at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and IBM Research. He has published more than 120 scientific and technical papers.
Professor and Chair, Engineering Management and Systems Engineering
Ozelkan specializes in decision and risk analysis, systems engineering, production planning and supply-chain optimization, bringing a systems-level approach to evaluating complex decisions and their consequences.
Executive Director, Research and Cloud Computing, ODU
Pratt brings expertise in cloud architecture, artificial intelligence and software solutions, with professional certifications and experience across Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.
Assistant Professor, Engineering Technology; Director, Valkyrie Engineering Program
Smith applies modeling and simulation and artificial intelligence to decision-critical problems, including predictive analytics, cyber-physical systems, AI-enabled decision support and large language models for technical applications.
Director, ODU School of Cybersecurity; Batten Endowed Chair in Cybersecurity
Takabi’s research spans cybersecurity and privacy, AI security, privacy-preserving machine learning and adversarial learning. He also directs the Coastal Virginia Center for Cyber Innovation and has led more than 25 sponsored projects totaling more than $25 million.
Professor, ODU School of Public Service
Yusuf studies complex policy and governance challenges that cross government, nonprofit, business and civil-society boundaries. Her work on collaborative leadership and multi-sector governance brings an important organizational dimension to Aptera’s interdisciplinary approach.