Alt MSS 200¶
Course Purpose and Philosophy¶
“People first, mission always” has been a popular motto used to describe the role of leadership in the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The core idea behind this motto is that leaders should always put their people first, ensuring they are properly trained and equipped and supported in their personal and professional struggles, so that their people are always empowered and capable of getting the mission done.
A wide variety of different individuals from a multitude of backgrounds volunteer to join the U.S. military, including the USAF and U.S. Space Force (USSF). Unfortunately, Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth, the current Secretary of Defense, have firmly rejected tools that leaders can use to best support their people - namely anything under the umbrella of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility - going so far as to ban texts related to supporting diverse service members or the stores of these individuals from military websites and service academy libraries.
In this course, we explore examples of diverse citizens serving their communities and nation while accomplishing the mission. We will also consider how their leadership supported, or failed to support, these citizens and how we can better understand, support, and enable people in our communities and workplaces.
Course Objectives¶
Explore stories of diverse citizens serving their communities and nation
Describe the challenges these diverse citizens faced due to their background and identities
Analyze the role of leadership in supporting all of their subordinates and community members
Man’s flight through life is sustained by the power of his knowledge. - Austin L. Miller
Course Content¶
About the Instructor¶
I grew up in an Air Force family and attended the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). After graduation, I served as an Advanced Weapons System Analyst at Barksdale AFB in the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron, testing the Air Launched Cruise Missile and providing annual planning factors data on aircraft based nuclear weapons to U.S. Strategic Command. After earning my Masters in Applied Mathematics from University of Washington, I joined the Department of Mathematical Sciences at USAFA, where I taught core math courses and advised math majors while also serving as the Officer in Charge for two cadet clubs, the Cadet Honor Guard and Freethinkers Club. I earned my PhD in Applied Mathematics from University of Colorado Boulder, focusing on efficient, matrix-free implementations of finite element-like operators that can target CPU or GPU hardware. Currently, I work as part of the PhyPID research group, mentoring graduate students in research and software development practices while developing cutting edge software that supports National Nuclear Security Administration research priorities under the Predictive Science Academic Alliance Program (PSAAP).
Through all of these experiences, my work has only been possible as part of a diverse team of individuals from different backgrounds working together to accomplish common missions.