Dr. Chris Walach, DM'12

Chris Walach (DM 2012) was recruited by the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development; Chris Walach fills the key position of Director of Operations for the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS). This non-profit works on behalf of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. NIAS helps to grow the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Industry through business teaming, partnerships, research and development, and education awareness in order to bring in business and jobs to the State of Nevada. NIAS plans UAS flight missions, collects Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NASA mission data, develops UAS airspace measures, and recommends lessons learned to the FAA and NASA in order to facilitate full and safe UAS integration into the National Airspace (NAS) by February 2017. The NIAS also grows Nevada UAS focused businesses as well as other UAS industry support businesses; shares UAS knowledge and lessons learned throughout the Nevada UAS community; conducts original R & D or promotes it with stakeholders; and helps to develop business opportunities in Nevada and abroad. The NIAS seeks to anchor the UAS industry growth to innovative research and development across all industries and disciplines. The endstate of NIAS is to keep the business process simple, agile, and highly resilient to help grow the Nevada UAS industry. The NIAS enhances the UAS Industry reality that Nevada is the location of choice for startups and established businesses and their future growth. NIAS also helps reduce barriers to business growth, creates a safe airspace environment, and positions Nevada as the premier UAS industry choice for innovative research and development and full operational integration into the NAS with other manned airspace users. His University of Maryland University College research focused on how to develop resilience in individuals, teams, and organizations.

Chris Walach’s UMUC dissertation research about resilience and his experience as a senior U.S. Army Officer was well suited to bring the field of resilience and leadership into the explosive growth area of the commercial Nevada UAS Industry, across the U.S., and abroad. Dr. Walach can be reached at: chris.walach@nias-uas.com