Education:
M.S., The University of Texas at Austin

Research Interests:

• Manned and unmanned aircraft design
• Aerospace systems engineering design and integration
• Propulsion, aerodynamics, mass properties, aircraft performance, and system testing

Mr. Zwernemann began teaching the aircraft system engineering design capstone course in Fall, 2018. He has over 40 years of manned and unmanned aircraft systems development experience in the aerospace industry. His leadership roles have included Program Manager, Chief Engineer, Air Vehicle IPT Leader, Propulsion System IPT Leader, Propulsion Functional Manager, Strategic Planning Director, and Business Development Manager. His customer experience base includes US Air Force, US Navy, US Marine Corps, US Army, DARPA, and NASA. He retired from Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in August 2016.

He has successfully applied systems engineering processes, system trade studies, model based design, multi-disciplinary optimization, system effectiveness analysis, real-time mission simulation, and technology maturation processes to aircraft development programs. He has broad experience with aircraft system testing, including wind tunnel, propulsion system, observables, and integrated systems testing. He also has extensive experience integrating Manufacturing processes and Reliability, Maintainability, and Support considerations in all design activities.

As a Chief Engineer and Program Manager, he has extensive experience leading system development within Integrated Product Team organizations. This includes leading proposal development, growing engineering teams, leading internal Design Reviews, Technical Review Boards, and Change Control Boards. He has broad experience conducting Government customer milestone reviews, including ASCR, SRR, PDR, CDR, FRR, and SDR. He has managed large programs using the Earned Value Management System, including program scheduling, Integrated Baseline Reviews, and cost and schedule performance metrics monitoring.

While at Northrop Grumman, in Southern California and Melbourne, Florida, he participated in programs such as the B-2 bomber, F-35 precursors (JSF, JAST, CALF), Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV), Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR), military space and civil space exploration programs, and numerous classified programs. He also served as a Propulsion System functional manager and Director of Strategic Planning.

At Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, he led the UAV IPT and was responsible for unmanned aircraft strategy development and business capture.

His career started at Vought Corporation in Dallas, Texas, as an engineering co-op student from UT Austin, which provided exposure to many programs and work experiences. After graduation, he specialized in propulsion system integration for V/STOL aircraft and tactical rockets.

He is a graduate of the Defense Acquisition University Program Manager’s Course, Northrop Grumman Program Management Course, and UCLA Mergers and Acquisition Course. He is an Associate Fellow of AIAA, member of Tau Beta Pi and Pi Tau Sigma, and holds two patents.