Dr. Rusty Powell has accrued more than 35 years of professional excellence in the realms of military service, project management and mechanical engineering. Since 2023, he has thrived as the vice president of engineering at Axient, an organization that facilitates defense and civilian missions spanning aerospace to cyberspace by employing comprehensive analysis, strategic planning and innovative technologies. Notably, Axient’s client base includes esteemed federal organizations such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as private enterprises and various departments within the United States Department of Defense. In his position as vice president, Dr. Powell provides guidance and support to engineering and technical staff, serves as a subject matter expert to personnel overseeing corporate development, and collaborates with the chief innovation officer, among a myriad of other duties. He joined Axient in 2021 as the vice president and general manager of space development and integration.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Powell served with Millennium Engineering and Integration between 2015 and 2021, first serving the company as a corporate development specialist for two years and, subsequently, as a program director in 2017. Prior to departing from the company, he was the executive director and chief engineer of the space and cyber systems division from 2018 to 2021. Outside of his primary engineering efforts, Dr. Powell has been an adjunct faculty member at National American University and Colorado Christian University.
Dr. Powell holds an extensive history of military service with the United States Air Force. Joining the armed forces in 1988 as an aircraft armament systems specialist, he subsequently served as a high-speed systems engineer and program manager in the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Later, he excelled as the B-1B lead engineer with the 28th Maintenance Operations Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base and the deputy chief for aviation programs in the Office of Military Cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan. Likewise, Dr. Powell was deputy chief of the Tier II Division and chief of launch and range programs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense at Kirtland Air Force Base. He also served with the United States Air Force Academy as an assistant and associate professor, deputy laboratory director, deputy for curriculum and assessment, and thermal fluids systems curriculum chief.
Among the many milestones of his career, Dr. Powell is particularly proud of his accomplishments in engineering technology development and expansion. To wit, he notes that effective leadership should prioritize supporting individuals alongside activities and outcomes to fortify the company and enhance its service to the nation. Likewise, he is proud of contributing to an Air Force project that expedited the delivery of space capabilities. Some of these programs also laid the groundwork for developments in high-speed aircraft. Looking toward the future, Dr. Powell aims to continue advancing with Axient while maintaining his affiliation with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics to support the aerospace industry.
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