ASTI Board of Directors

George Haritos, Ph.D., Director

Dr. George K. Haritos is Dean of the College of Engineering at The University of Akron, serving as the senior administrator and chief academic officer of the College. Dr. Haritos chairs the Ohio Engineering Deans Council and is a member of the Ohio Aerospace Institute Board of Trustees and the Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network (MAGNET) Board of Directors. Prior to joining The University of Akron, Dr. Haritos was an Officer in the United States Air Force, retiring with the rank of Colonel. In his last Air Force assignment, he served as the commandant of the Air Force Institute of Technology and was responsible for administering the Air Force´s graduate programs in science and engineering, acquisition, logistics, civil engineering and environmental management, as well as continuing education programs serving 18,000 students per year. Dr. Haritos also served as deputy director and commander of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research in Washington, D.C. and as director of the Aerospace Sciences Directorate. Dr. Haritos has a B.S degree in engineering and a M.S. degree from the University of Illinois in Chicago. He has a Ph. D. in engineering from Northwestern University where he attended as a Walter P. Murphy fellow    

Kenneth Preston, J.D., Director

Kenneth G. Preston serves as Associate Vice President for Research and Director of Technology Transfer for The University of Akron, as well as the Vice President & Executive Director of the University of Akron Research Foundation. Mr. Preston is responsible for identifying, evaluating and marketing University inventions and works; assisting faculty and staff in research, technology and intellectual property planning; and fostering economic development through promotion of startups and industry collaborations. Prior to joining UA, Mr. Preston served as Director of Technology Transfer at the University of South Florida and as Vice President, Senior Counsel and Chief Patent Counsel for TRW, Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of defense, aerospace, electronics, IT and automotive products and services. He has also worked in the law offices of Eaton Corp. and Hupp Corp., with the Department of the Navy and with the U.S. Patent Office. Mr. Preston has degrees from George Washington University (J.D.) and the Princeton University/The Ohio State University (B.I.E.). He is a member of the Ohio Bar, a registered patent attorney with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, and a registered professional engineer in Ohio.

​Michael A. Piglia, Director
Mike Piglia has more than 30 years of increasing responsibilities with NMG Aerospace.  He has held the position of CEO since January 1, 2011.  He attained that position as the result of a carefully planned succession process from his father:  Pete Piglia, the previous CEO and the enterprise’s founder.  As CEO, Mike has successfully lead NMG to a compounded annual growth rate of 8.47%.  Mike has developed a foundation for leading the company based upon a respect for its most important assets: It’s People.  Mike was Treasurer for 20 years before becoming CEO and oversaw the finance and accounting functions of the enterprise.  Previous to that he served for several years as NMG’s Human Resources Director.  A graduate of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mike completed his formal studies in what is known today as the Ross School of Business, with concentrations in both: finance and organizational behavior / industrial relations. Mike continued his professional development by completing programs at Dale Carnegie and The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL).  At CCL he participated in the Looking Glass and Leadership at The Peak series. Mike serves on an endowment oversight board and its investments committee for a local charity and is active in his church. He is looking forward to expanding his community service activities in the coming years. In addition to community support, Mike welcomes the opportunity to provide consultation and guidance to other family business leaders.

Thomas (Tom) B. Stimson, Director

Tom Stimson formerly led the Technology Advancement & Operations – Bearing and Power Transmission (BPT) business group at The Timken Company. Mr. Stimson had direct responsibility for innovation management for new solutions and technical development, technology finance, operations management of the Canton, OH and Bangalore, India Technical Centers, and program management for flawless launch. Prior to joining Timken, he was Vice President of Global Engineering Technology at GKN, a global supplier of automotive driveline components and systems, where he led global coordination and leadership for product design, physical testing, design analysis and vehicle evaluation. Mr. Stimson has 13 years of engineering experience in automotive and industrial markets, concentrated mainly in the area of brake component product design and technology integration. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Lawrence Technological University and an MBA from Syracuse University.

Wayne Watkins, J.D., Director

Wayne H. Watkins serves as Associate Vice President for Research, Adjunct Professor and Intellectual Property Fellow at The University of Akron where he directs programs in intellectual property management, emerging enterprise creation and support, technology-based economic development, and university/industry collaborations. Mr. Watkins served as Director of the Research and Technology Park and the Office of Technology Commercialization at Utah State University. He served as Vice President and Corporate Counsel of a diversified business holding company and was the administrator of the Utah Innovation Center. He currently serves on several boards of directors of technology and agricultural related companies and served ten years on the North Logan City Council. Mr. Watkins has degrees in mechanical engineering (B.S.M.E.), business (M.B.A.), and law (J.D.).