The Advanced Navigation Technology (ANT) Center is proud to celebrate the outstanding service of two AFIT alumni turned faculty members – one coming and one going.
Upon earning his PhD from AFIT in 2006, Lt Col Michael Veth served as Deputy Director of the ANT Center until November 2010. During that time, he tirelessly forged new research partnerships with industry and national laboratories raising over $2.5 million in grants and doubling the Center's size and productivity. He also founded the Center’s Micro Air Vehicle Lab where he led a high-impact vision-aided navigation effort which resulted in two successful test flights at the Air Force Test Pilot School. As an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, Col Veth authored over 40 technical papers, advised 16 MS and PhD graduates, and twice earned the distinction of top engineer in the Air Education and Training Command. Unfortunately for AFIT and the ANT Center, Col Veth received orders to";take his talents” to Ft Walton Beach and join the 46th Test Wing at Eglin AFB. The ANT Center is forever grateful for Col Veth’s outstanding years of diligent service, creativity, and inspiration. He will be greatly missed.
Thankfully, another outstanding alumnus has joined the AFIT faculty and assumed the Deputy Director role for the ANT Center. Maj Kenneth Fisher received his PhD from AFIT in 2005 before spending the next four years at Tyndall AFB. Most recently, Maj Fisher served as the Director of Operations at the 53rd Test Support Squadron where he supported air to air and air to ground operational weapons testing. Since joining the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at AFIT in 2009, Maj Fisher has already become advisor to 6 MS students and has raised more than $100K in research grants, including a collaborative research and development agreement with Raytheon. Despite the change in leadership atop the ANT Center, Maj Fisher’s arrival ensures continuity in the wake of Lt Col Veth’s departure.
“Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.” - Robert C. Gallagher
