Speakers

https://patriotpaws.org/

Taylor Cole '27

President

Patriot Paws of Aggieland | Texas A&M University

Patriot PAWS Service Dogs 

Patriot PAWS of Aggieland brings together over 100 Texas A&M student volunteers each semester to raise and train service dogs for Veterans. Through this hands-on experience, students gain valuable skills while making a lasting impact on the lives of those who served. The program offers a unique opportunity to be part of something bigger, contributing to the independence and well-being of a Veteran.

Veteran Testimonials: https://patriotpaws.org/blog/

Brig. Gen. Jason E. Bartolomei is the Commander, Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and the Technology Executive Officer supporting both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. He leads an over $5 billion science, technology and innovation enterprise in accelerating the discovery and development of solutions for Airmen and Guardians. He is responsible for formulating a comprehensive technology portfolio that anticipates future warfighter needs while promoting risk-taking and problem-solving across a 6,000-member government workforce. He accelerates the delivery of multi-disciplinary solutions through partnerships with industry, academia and international allies, and executes an additional $1.4 billion in externally funded research and development. Through the laboratory’s technology and functional directorates, AFWERX, and the 711th Human Performance Wing, his team produces a deep technical and medical bench, pushes the boundaries of modern technology and improves the science for tomorrow.

​Brig. Gen. Bartolomei was commissioned in 1997 from Marquette University’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program. During his career, he has held a variety of senior acquisition positions. He served as Director of the Sentinel Systems Directorate, where he was responsible for the development, deployment and sustainment of the next-generation Intercontinental Ballistic Missile system. Additionally, he served in the Global Reach Programs Directorate as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition), where he supported the Air Force's tankers, airlift, special operations and trainer fleets. Furthermore, he served as an engineer in the F-22 System Program Office and as an assistant professor of engineering mechanics at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He was also a Service Chiefs Fellow at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a Military Legislative Fellow for Senator Orrin G. Hatch, and a Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow, while assigned to the Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory. He holds a PhD in Engineering Systems from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

​Prior to his current assignment, Brig. Gen. Bartolomei served as the Program Executive Officer for Weapons and Director of the Armament Directorate, where he was responsible for the planning and execution of all life cycle activities for air-delivered munitions.

EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis.
2001 Master of Science, Air Force Institute of Technology, Systems Engineering, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2003 Squadron Officer School, Distinguished Graduate, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Doctor of Philosophy, Engineering Systems (Technology, Management and Policy), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
2009 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2011 Master’s Certificate in Legislative Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
2012 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Master of Science, Distinguished Graduate, Marine War College, Quantico, Va. (Paul Van Riper Writing Award)