The Defense Department named Kristen Schario as the 2016 George Linsteadt Technology Transfer Achievement Award winner, officials announced June 29 in Chicago according to a DoD news release.
The award from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering recognizes DoD government and non-government employees who have made outstanding efforts in support and execution of technology transfer partnerships that aid in migrating new technologies into or out of the department, that promote technology commercialization, and that license patented government inventions, the release said.
Schario was recognized during the 20th annual DoD Technology Transfer Training Workshop for her exemplary performance leading the Office of Research and Technology Applications at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Aerospace Systems Directorate based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
In presenting the award, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research Melissa L. Flagg said technology transfer is vital to the DoD mission of developing new technologies, promoting technology commercialization, and licensing patented government inventions.
"Ms. Scharios' performance … embodies the vision and spirit of the Linsteadt Award," she said.
World-Class Research Facilities
The Aerospace Systems Directorate brings together world-class facilities, including a fuels research facility, structural testing labs, compressor research facility, rocket testing facilities, supersonic and subsonic wind tunnels, flight simulation lab and many other cutting-edge research labs, officials said. Among the technologies in development in the Aerospace Systems Directorate are scramjet engines, alternative fuels, unmanned vehicles and hypersonic vehicles.
In her 24 years of dedicated service, Schario has become one of the Air Force’s foremost experts on technology transfer, the release said.
In addition to managing and negotiating hundreds of partnership agreements with industry and academia, defense officials said Schario also has been an advocate for technology accelerators in the region. With her help, three start-ups have been formed in the past year to pursue commercialization of technologies developed at the Air Force Research Laboratory.
In recognition of her expertise, the release said, she is regularly invited as a guest speaker at regional and national symposiums on technology transfer as well as serving as a member-at-large on the Federal Laboratory Consortium Executive Board.
The award honors significant efforts comparable to those of George Linsteadt and other U.S. government professionals who developed the federal technology transfer process, officials said. Linsteadt was a pioneer of technology transfer at the Naval Air Systems Command China Lake Weapons Division in California and a promoter of technology transfer for laboratories in 17 federal departments and agencies.
Linsteadt and other technology transfer professionals initiated the DoD technology transfer consortium which later expanded to become the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer, the release said.
Awardees embody Linsteadt’s vision and spirit, and other proactive DoD technology transfer support professionals who pioneered technology transfer, officials said.