Leadership
Thomas Irwin, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Thomas Irwin, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Dr. Thomas Irwin is the Executive Director of the ODU Center for Mission Engineering (CME). Dr. Irwin boasts an exceptional track record of leadership positions including deputy director for Joint Force Integration; executive director of Joint Warfighting Development; executive director of Joint Force Development and Design Integration; executive director of Joint Training; and deputy director of Joint Environment. He also has an extensive career in the Naval Sea Systemc Command (NAVSEA) Warfare Centers, holding various technical and management positions for Theater Warfare Systems, Battle Force Interoperability, Aegis Combat Systems, and Self Defense Missile Systems. Dr. Irwin also served as the Science and Technology lead for the Joint Staff J7 and sat on a myriad of senior leadership organizations such as the Department of Defense (DoD) Chief Engineers Council and the Joint Test and Evaluation Executive Committee.
Darryl (Deri) C. Draper-Amason, Ph.D.
Lead Project Scientist
Darryl (Deri) C. Draper-Amason, Ph.D.
Lead Project Scientist
Dr. Darryl Amason stands at the forefront of Performance Improvement, a field where she has carved out a remarkable niche. With a Ph.D. in Instructional Systems, Dr. Amason has dedicated her career to refining the processes that drive organizational success. Her pioneering work in Performance Improvement models has transformed how organizations organize, diagnose, strategize, and execute their development plans.
Dr. Amason’s expertise extends Performance Improvement frameworks to support organizations through transitional periods. Her contributions to Instructional Design and Online Education have further augmented her reputation, particularly her development of interactive and outcome-based learning that drive performance and readiness metrics.
Beyond her research work, Dr. Amason is an influential voice in creating and cultivating Communities of Practice. She has advocated for informal learning as a powerful tool in the knowledge management spectrum, emphasizing its role in spontaneous problem-solving and innovation.
Her scholarly works include seminal pieces on Communities of Practices, instructional strategies, and the development of maturity models for training effectiveness. These models have been widely adopted for their insightful metrics and benchmarks, which accurately assess the impact of training on individual, group and organizational performance.
Robert-Allen Baker
Strategy and Operations
Robert-Allen Baker
Strategy and Operations
With a long history in defense innovative technology fielding, Robert-Allen’s engineering experience includes significant risk assessment and mitigation, and brokering successful government/industry/academic partnerships.
