Leadership

Rusty Roberts is the Director of the Aerospace, Transportation and Advanced Systems (ATAS) Laboratory at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). ATAS develops advanced systems concepts, builds system prototypes, and performs research on technologies related to aerospace, transportation, power and energy, threat systems, and food processing. A nationally recognized expert in test and evaluation, Roberts has held the position of the President of the International Test and Evaluation Association (ITEA). He also started and presently leads a GTRI-wide test and evaluation initiative that brought together the resources to provide Science & Technology support to the Office of the Secretary of Defense Test Resource Management Center. Mr. Roberts has also worked with U.S. government officials to establish key requirements for the testing of U.S. electronic countermeasures against surface-to-air missile threats and has been able to provide solutions developed by GTRI. Solutions included the threat replica of a medium range surface-to-air missile (SAM) acquisition radar for the U.S. Army and the Advanced Airborne Interceptor Simulator (AAIS) for the U.S. Air Force. He also led the efforts that developed the Missle-on-a-Mountain program at the Electronic Combat Range in China Lake, California. This one-of-a-kind simulation facility has been called a key national asset in testing electronic countermeasures against surface-to-air missle systems. The facility is in high demand by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and allied air forces.

Prior to joining GTRI, Mr. Roberts served as an active duty U.S. Army Signal Corps officer for ten years, with assignments at Fort Gordon, GA and Kaiserslautern, Germany. His last assignment was at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering teaching Electronic Circuit Design. During his tour at West Point he became the Course Director for the Senior-level, two-semester electronics course for the Department. Mr. Roberts continued to serve in the Army Reserve after leaving Active Duty while at GTRI.

Roberts holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from West Point, a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from Long Island University.

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