2009 Draper Annual Report - Draper Laboratory

partnerships with the University of South Florida andthe Moffitt Cancer Center on malaria and cancer.Draper is finding that our emerging bioengineeringprojects are also of interest to national securitysponsors for applications including soldier health andperformance status monitoring and biometrics fordeception detection.In energy, the Laboratory made important progress onits first project, with Progress Energy, to improve theefficiency of coal-fired power plants by developinga sensor placed in the furnace to detect losses inthe combustion process. With the interest in energyefficiency demonstrated by the Obama Administration’sfederal economic stimulus funding, we are very activelydefining and pursuing new energy/environment projects.In the environmental area, we are forming partnershipswith leading scientists and developing new sensingtechniques, such as the use of GPS occultation datato evaluate changes in the atmosphere. This year, wewere able to use data from the Navy’s F-15 test pod tovalidate that high altitude aircraft can be used as a GPSoccultation collection platform in lieu of satellites – abreakthrough that should allow more cost-effective andrepeatable measurements.Aligning with Administration Priorities – As keypositions are filled at DoD and NASA, the Laboratory isengaging with the new leadership to understand theirpriorities and to suggest approaches to their problems,including soldier protection, intelligence, surveillanceand reconnaissance (ISR) data collection/analysis, andmedical research and development for trauma care,traumatic brain injury and post-combat psychologicalhealth. The DoD is emphasizing the increased use ofrisk reduction prototyping to address one of the primarycauses of weapon system cost growth – requirementsthat are beyond current technical capability. We arediscussing the use of not-for-profit R&D labs likeDraper in this role so that the government can betterreap the benefits of competition by maintaining a levelplaying field among commercial suppliers into the laterprogram phases, where most of the money is spent.Innovative Solutions – The Laboratory’s success hasbeen the result of the innovative solutions that wehave conceived for and then successfully deliveredto our sponsors. We have found that innovation isstimulated when people with multiple backgroundsand experiences collaborate in developing candidatesolutions to problems. Consequently, Draper has madeexpanding the diversity of our staff and enhancinginclusion of various perspectives on project teams ahigh priority.Because innovation is the lifeblood of our organization,this year’s annual report will highlight representativeinnovative solutions to problems across our sponsorcommunities. These discussions will identify thecollaborations, both within our organization and withour partners and sponsors, that brought togetherdiverse capabilities and stimulated creativity.We would like to recognize Eli Gai, the LaboratoryVice President of Engineering, who will be retiring.Since earning his PhD at MIT in the Aeronautics andAstronautics Department, Eli has spent his entirecareer at Draper contributing extensively to both ourEngineering and Programs organizations. We welcomeJohn Dowdle to the senior management team asEli’s successor. Also, Gordon Baty, John Mitchell andMaxine Savitz will be leaving the Board of Directorsafter many years of outstanding service. We are mostappreciative of the outstanding advice and counsel ofour retiring colleagues.In summary, we are very pleased with the state of theLaboratory and are optimistic about the future. Steadynurturing of the strong foundation Draper has builtthrough long-term relationships with existing sponsors,coupled with our focus on identifying new sponsors withproblems of national importance, will pave the way forcontinued success in the years ahead.John A. Gordon James D. ShieldsChairmanPresident and CEO2DRAPER ANNUAL REPORT 09496098.CS4.indd 29/24/09 10:54 PM