Inaugural Event Highlights Best Air Force Student Research

MGMWERX, in conjunction with the U.S. Air Force's Air University, announces the selection of finalists Top Flight Pitch Night at 6:30 p.m., May 21 at The Warehouse at Alley Station in downtown Montgomery, AL.

This inaugural pitch competition highlights the best student research conducted at Air University in academic year 2019. Candidates were selected by MGMWERX and Air University staff and will now pitch live in front of a judges' panel of military and industry experts.

The finalists are:

• Lt. Col. Yaakov Bindell for "Transforming Disaster Relief with Small Unmanned Aircraft." Bindell will display that small unmanned aircraft or drones offer affordable and effective solutions for quickly restoring communications and transportation.
• Capt. Jonathan Beabout for "Chatbot Application to Air Education and Training Command." Beabout argues that for the Air Force to continue to educate its members effectively, AETC should leverage emerging technologies and employ chatbots in as many applicable courses as possible.
• Maj. Alexander Criss for "A Tale of Extreme Risk for Routine Operations." Criss focuses on how the Mobility Air Forces are unwittingly accepting and executing routine and low-priority missions with high levels of unidentified fatigue risks because of an inadequate and outdated risk management system.
• Capt. Casey Hawkins for "Environmentally-Friendly Green Solutions for Metal Surface Preparation." Hawkins highlights that a radical change is needed within the aluminum industry to protect both the operators and the environment from toxic chemical exposure.
• Maj. Curtis Shorr for "Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) and Geomagnetic Disturbance (GMD) Events: Mitigations to Protect USAF Capacity." Shorr will speak to EMP and GMD national preparedness as well as solutions within the Air Force's control to maintain its warfighting capacity.

Top Flight Pitch Night is free and open to the public. People interested in being part of the audience should register to attend.

(Image provided with MGMWERX news release)

FMI: www.mgmwerx.org