UMD & Aviation Week Network Team Up for 2016 Symposium – Adds Aerospace & Defense Track & Lockheed Martin Keynote

(Jan. 26, 2016) – The University of Maryland Project Management Center for Excellence is proud to partner with Aviation Week Network to offer a daylong Aerospace & Defense Best Practices session track during this year’s Project Management Symposium, taking place May 12-13.

Held at the Stamp Student Union on the University of Maryland campus in College Park, Md., the two-day symposium will feature a total of five keynote speakers and dozens of session speakers covering myriad project management topics ranging from risk and big data and public private partnerships, to federal programs and disaster management.

New this year, Aviation Week Network will lead an Aerospace & Defense Best Practices track moderated by Carole Rickard Hedden, Executive Editorial Director for Aviation Week Network Executive Intelligence. The track will feature three session breakouts and a sought-after keynote presentation by Lockheed Martin Space Systems’ Dr. Michael Hawes.

As Vice President and Orion Program Manager for Lockheed Martin, Hawes contributes a diverse background of program management, aerospace engineering, mission operations, and leadership experience that is critical to driving one of the company’s most notable programs. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Hawes celebrated a 33-year career with NASA, where he served as the Associate Administrator for Independent Program and Cost Evaluation (IPCE) and provided objective studies and analyses in support of policy, program, and budget decisions by the NASA Administrator. Hawes also served as the Deputy Associate Administrator for Program Integration in the Office of Space Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and supported the Space Shuttle Program focusing on Return to Flight actions as well as the transition and disposition of Space Shuttle assets following the program’s conclusion.

During his presentation, “Industry Creates the Next Generation of Space Flight,” Hawes will share firsthand experiences building a global partnership and shifting responsibilities and people into a non-NASA world.

Symposium attendees can choose to kick off their symposium experience by participating in the full slate of Aerospace & Defense Best Practices on May 12, or pick from these and nearly a dozen other topic areas spanning the two-day symposium. Even more, symposium attendees can earn up to 15 professional development units (PDUs) toward maintaining a PMI credential.

With this year’s symposium projected to draw record-breaking attendance, those interested in participating are strongly encouraged to register in advance of the April 1 early-bird deadline.

About Penton’s Aviation Week Network

 Penton’s Aviation Week Network is the largest multimedia information and services provider for the global aviation, aerospace and defense industries that has a database of 1.2 million professionals around the world.  Industry professionals rely on Aviation Week Network for analysis, marketing and intelligence.  Customers include the world’s leading manufacturers, suppliers, airlines, business aviation operators, militaries, governments and other organizations that serve this global market.  The product portfolio includes Air Transport World, Aviation Week & Space Technology, AC-U-KWIK, Aircraft Blue Book, Airportdata.com, Air Charter Guide, AviationWeek.com, Aviation Week Intelligence Network, Business & Commercial Aviation, ShowNews, SpeedNews, Fleet and MRO forecasts, global maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) tradeshows and aerospace & defense conferences.