AFRL INSPIRE – 2023

AFRL Inspire, a special event presented by the Air Force Research Laboratory, will be livestreamed from the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Kenney Hall on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023.

Inspire is a recurring celebration that provides the passionate people of AFRL a platform to share personal stories and innovative ideas with their colleagues and the world through entertaining, thought-provoking talks.

Since 2015, Inspire has provided an opportunity to showcase AFRL’s diverse workforce and highlight how these different perspectives make the lab uniquely qualified to tackle heroic challenges for our Airmen and Guardians.

Follow along with #AFRLInspire on AFRL’s Facebook, Twitter(X), Instagram and LinkedIn for additional updates and sneak peeks ahead of AFRL Inspire 2023. Tune in on Oct. 26 at noon EST as we livestream on AFRL’s YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@AFResearchLab/streams.

This year’s event will feature these nine TED-style talks from speakers with remarkable stories to tell, from a researcher who persevered through the pandemic while living abroad to an engineer who learned important lessons from a catastrophic failure.

AFRL INSPIRE 2023 SPEAKERS:

  ALEX ALANIZ — Helen Keller, ChatGPT, and Einstein

• Throughout his career, Alex Alaniz discovered his true passion is understanding intelligence. In his talk, Alaniz takes us on a quest to further his theory of intelligence by explaining his thought process while developing an Albert Einstein avatar.

  RICHARD BEBLO — Groundbreaking Innovation at the Speed of Failure

• As AFRL pushes to accelerate the pace at which we transition science and technology, Richard Beblo illustrates that the quickest way to success is to fail fast and fail often by recounting his experience at a sled test for the MUTANT program that, at the time, was deemed a ‘failure.’

  DAN BERRIGAN — #TackleTheToil

• When faced with an urgent need from his research team, Dan Berrigan sought a solution to eliminate the toil that prevented them from working with experts outside the Air Force. Berrigan tells the story of how AFRL’s Google Pilot program began, why it caught on and what it means for collaboration in the future.

  NATE BRIDGES — Moving Beyond Averages

• Motivated by the desire to help others reach their full potential, Nate Bridges explains how the iNeuraLS program he leads will revolutionize training by using technology to personalize learning to the individual.

  MATT DUQUETTE — Autonomous Aircraft: A Partnership of Human and Machine

• Matt Duquette dispels fears surrounding artificial intelligence by calling attention to applications already pervasive in daily life, from automatic emergency braking in cars to autopilot used in commercial flights. By discussing the theory of HABA-MABA, Duquette illustrates how the partnership between humans and machines is a source of strength.

  ANDREW GILLMAN — Striking Where the Innovation’s Hot

• Before the days of assembly lines, society relied on expert blacksmiths to make parts and tools. Now, on a mission to keep Air Force fleets in the air, Andrew Gillman explains how his team approached partnership differently to bring the idea of a robotic blacksmith to life.

  ANISSA LUMPKIN — The Power of Influence

• While managing AFRL’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer program, Anissa Lumpkin noticed there were no Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs) participating and resolved to find out why. Lumpkin went on to found the Department of the Air Force’s HBCU outreach initiative and, in her talk, discusses how to use the power of influence to impact positive change and close the diversity gap.

  CRAIG PRZYBYLA — Doors are Made to Open

• When Craig Przybyla was accepted to the Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program, he was excited to move to France with his family and learn more about high-temperature composites from French partners. But when the Przybyla family’s expectations didn’t match their reality, they learned the importance of being adaptable and resilient in the face of constant change and uncertainty.

  JAMES BIERYLA/KEVIN PRICE — Amplifying Warfighter Culture

• Two former active duty pilots reflect on their careers and discuss the importance of including the warfighter’s perspective early on in research and development at the lab.

AFRL Inspire 2023 speakers (left-right): Richard Beblo, Craig Przybyla, Alex Alaniz, Andrew Gillman, Anissa Lumpkin, Matt Duquette, James Bieryla, Kevin Price, Nat Bridges and Dan Berrigan.