Arthur McMiler
The University of Maryland’s MATRIX Lab has appointed Garry Schwartz, HII Mission Technologies’ chief operating officer, as an inaugural member of its seven-person industry advisory board unveiled in March. The lab is the university’s central research facility for autonomous technologies and uncrewed systems, HII said Friday.
Vikram Manikonda, BlueHalo’s chief technology officer, is the board chair of the MATRIX Lab industry advisers.
Lab Resource for Corporate Insights
Besides his viewpoints as a COO, Schwartz brings to the Maryland facility further insights from his former role as president of Mission Technologies’ C5ISR, defense and federal solutions. Schwartz also held other executive roles in HII’s mission-driven, innovative solutions business groups, including as a subsidiary vice president and general manager for training and simulation, cyber and engineering.
Immediately before joining HII, Schwartz served for over four years as Alion Science and Technology’s vice president and operations manager, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also had a stint of more than eight years at SAIC, where he served last as vice president and general manager for programs that included business area development and program execution.
Marine Corps Experience
Schwartz retired as a lieutenant colonel of the U.S. Marine Corps in 2004 after over 21 years of service, including combat tours. He described joining the MATRIX Lab industry advisory board as an “exciting opportunity” for a partnership between industry and academia on shaping autonomous technology’s future.
“I am deeply honored to join the board of the MATRIX Lab and contribute to its mission of advancing autonomy and uncrewed systems,” Schwartz said.
One of the company’s recent activities on autonomous systems involves a U.S. Air Force task order to develop and analyze research for the USAF Institute of Technology’s Autonomy and Navigation Technology Center. HII manufactures the unmanned underwater vehicles called REMUS that the company said have over 700 units sold to more than 30 countries, including 14 NATO countries.
