Dr. Nathan Tichenor has over 15 years of experience leading multi-disciplinary teams conducting innovative research and developing critical technologies - in close partnership with government, national labs, and industry - for myriads of applications. He serves as the Chief Research Officer and Director of Hypersonic Facilities for the George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex (BCDC) and maintains a faculty appointment in the Aerospace Engineering Department at Texas A&M University (TAMU). Dr. Tichenor leads the BCDC Research Enterprise, leads the development and operation of the national-asset class Ballistic, Aero-Optics, and Materials (BAM) Range, and advises/mentors multiple graduate and undergraduate students. Prior to joining the TAMU faculty, Dr. Tichenor served over six years as the Director of Aerospace Sciences for a small R&D company, focusing on innovative solutions for the defense industry and the U.S. Government. He is an AIAA Associate Fellow and chair of the AIAA Fluid Dynamics Technical Committee where he leads one of the most active communities in the aerospace field and helps to shape opportunities for future technologies and the development of the next generation of engineers. Dr. Tichenor is a two-term elected member of the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) Council of Principal Investigators where he represents the interests of researchers across the TAMU System. His research focuses are experimental aerothermodynamics, hypersonics, computational fluid dynamics, ground testing, and diagnostics. Dr. Tichenor is passionate about developing engineers to become leaders who make a decisive impact for the world, our nation, and families. Dr. Tichenor earned his BS, MS, and Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M University.