Two OU Engineering Faculty Named OVPRP Faculty Fellows

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OU Engineering faculty members Jay W. McDaniel and Justin Metcalf have been selected as the 2023 Office of the Vice President for Research faculty fellows in aerospace and defense. OU’s aerospace and defense strategic research vertical, and its affiliated Oklahoma Aerospace and Defense Innovation Institute (OADII), serve to develop and strengthen convergent research to address current and future national and global security challenges.

McDaniel and Metcalf are assistant professors in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and affiliate faculty with the Advanced Radar Research Center. McDaniel will primarily support research commercialization priorities and innovative defense-focused research efforts coordinated by the OVPRP director of strategic initiatives Drew Allen. Metcalf will primarily work with OADII’s leadership team to advance the university’s defense and security research enterprise and strengthen industry collaborations.

Additional duties include working with the OVPRP to help implement the goals, strategies and tactics outlined in the Strategic Research Framework in coordination with the Lead On, University Strategic Plan, as well as liaising with academic colleges and research organizations. The faculty fellows also can engage with Congressional and State legislature staff, relevant local and national defense industrial base companies, and Department of Defense installations such as Tinker Air Force Base, Fort Sill and others. The fellowships are one-year appointments, eligible for up to two-year renewal.

By Chelsea Julian, Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships


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