Dr. Andrew Shepherd serves as the Executive Director and Chief Scientist for Unmanned Aerial Systems at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio. With experience in the defense industry and academia focused on modeling and simulation, research, course development, accreditation, instruction, and mentorship, Shepherd offers extensive knowledge in many areas of technology, higher education, and workforce training and development. He has served as Managing Editor for the Journal of Unmanned Aerial Systems, President of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Wright Brothers Chapter, Chairperson of the National Science Foundation Center for UAS Industry Advisory Board, principal or co-principal investigator and senior personnel for multiple National Science Foundation, Federal Aviation Administration, and Department of Defense grants and contracts, and as First Vice President of the Aviation Trail Board of Trustees, a non-profit corporation in partnership with the National Park Service to promote Aviation Heritage in the Dayton region. Named to both Dayton’s top 40 under 40 in 2014 and Who’s Who in Aerospace and Defense by the Dayton Business Journal seven times since 2014, Shepherd is an active member of his community and broader aerospace industry. He earned his Associate of Applied Science degree in Aviation Technology – Professional Pilot and Airway Science Option from Sinclair Community College. He went on to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where he earned both a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Aeronautics with dual minors in Management and Aviation Safety and a Master of Aeronautical Science with dual specializations of Space Science and Human Factors in Aviation. He most recently earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration with a specialization in Management of Engineering and Technology from Northcentral University.