Tad Calkins

Tad is an innovation leader, inventor, instructor, and futurist.  A member of the Technical Fellowship at Boeing, he is a Subject Matter Expert and leader in smart materials and smart/adaptive structures and systems technologies. This includes developing Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators and supporting technology that provides new capability to military and commercial aircraft.  He has been awarded over 30 US patents and authored over 80 articles and books.  Tad is Co-Director of the National Guard Innovation Team and was an invited attendee for the reinstigation of the Toeffler Future Shock Forums.

Tad serves on the ASM, Shape Memory Superelastic Technology board of directors.  He received his PhD in Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics from Iowa State University (1997) and his BA in Astrophysics from Princeton University (1988).  He is a certified TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) practitioner focused on problem solving, Root Cause Analysis, and Technology Forecasting. He is a retired Army Colonel, having served as the Washington National Guard commander of the 205^th Regiment (Training) and as the State Director of Logistics responsible for emergency response operations.  He is Co-Director of the National Guard Innovation Team in direct support of Chief, National Guard Bureau, a four star general and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.