Mississippi UAS Symposium 2026 - Unleashing UAS for Crisis Response and Disaster Relief

Katherine (“Kate”) is a municipal & aviation regulatory Attorney who loves to fly. After 34 years of aviation, and 17 years in both her municipal and aviation law practice within a big law firm setting, she saw a global need in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), and became the first lawyer to merge municipal law and aviation law into a single practice. In 2022 she founded CAYRES Inc. CAYRES specializes in AAM community integration, conflict resolution and risk management for the integration for drone and future VTOL delivery via urban & regional air transport.

Kate is also a proud member of Team Pivot, acting as Chief of Staff, Legal & Compliance. Pivot Airlines is a growing Canadian 705/121 air carrier focused on sustainable regional air mobility. Kate speaks and is an author on aviation law & AAM, air corridor protections, RPAS regulations, litigating an aviation case before Canadian juries & corporate governance for modern air carriers. As a glider pilot, and a commercial pilot for fixed-wing aircraft (with some rotary time), Kate loves all things that defy gravity. She’s also a loving mom of two boys with big hearts, and their rescue dog named Tilly.

Scott is a Navy veteran, entrepreneur, and unmanned systems leader with a deep background in UAS operations, training, organizational development, and business management. He currently serves as Deputy Director for Strategic Partnerships with the ASSURE and ASSUREd SAFE programs, where he helps advance Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) safety, integration, and real-world impact across public and private sectors.

Since 2011, Scott has been at the forefront of robotics and aviation technologies, leading efforts in UAS operations, training, and research and development that bridge cutting-edge capability with practical mission needs. His work regularly connects federal agencies, academia, and industry to accelerate innovation while maintaining a relentless focus on safety and operational excellence.

Scott’s career began with 26 years of distinguished service in the United States Navy, where he built front-line leadership skills and technical expertise in complex, high-stakes environments. After retiring from active duty, he founded and led a consulting firm for five years, helping organizations align strategy, technology, and talent to deliver measurable results.

In his current role, Scott leverages this combined military, entrepreneurial, and technical experience to architect strategic partnerships that enhance UAS safety, resilience, and mission effectiveness. His efforts directly support ASSURE’s mission to inform policy through high-quality research and to enable the safe integration of autonomous systems into national and international infrastructures, shaping how unmanned systems are trusted and employed in the years ahead.

Phil Ethridge is Director of Product Management at Camgian Corporation, where he leads development of REACTOR, an AI-enabled kill chain automation platform for air and missile defense, counter-UAS, and emerging space defense applications. Phil oversees product strategy to reduce operator cognitive overload and accelerate threat detection, tracking, identification, and engagement through AI-driven decision aids.

Phil has nearly 20 years of product management and UX experience, including senior roles at Bomgar (now BeyondTrust) and other technology companies. He holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Mississippi State University and an MBA from Belhaven University.

Bryan Farrell serves as the Director of the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory at Mississippi State University (MSU), where he leads a multidisciplinary team committed to advancing cutting-edge aerospace technologies. With over a decade of experience in university research and development, Mr. Farrell has served as Principal Investigator or Project Manager on externally funded projects exceeding $75 million. He oversees MSU’s technical leadership within the FAA’s ASSURE Center of Excellence and directs operations at the Department of Homeland Security’s Common UAS Test Site (Project JUSTICE). Under his leadership, Raspet leverages a robust fleet of manned and unmanned aircraft to support approximately $8 million in annual research across 15–20 active projects. 

Prior to joining Raspet, Mr. Farrell served as Deputy Director of International Research Development at MSU, where he led efforts to expand the university’s global research portfolio. He began his tenure at MSU with the John C. Stennis Institute of Government, supporting state agencies through applied policy research. Mr. Farrell holds bachelor’s degrees in political science and philosophy, a master’s degree in public administration and policy, and is currently completing his doctoral dissertation. 

Maggie Gendron is the Vice President of Government Relations at Applied Research Associates. She has over two decades of legislative affairs experience in federal policy development, legislative strategy, and appropriations.

Gendron has served as a member of ARA’s Government Relations team since 2024, collaborating closely with executive leadership to identify high-impact opportunities to advance ARA’s mission.

Before joining ARA, Gendron served as deputy secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources under Governor Phil Scott (R-VT). She also previously served as the legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), expanding government relations and strategic development at Lime, and shaping fundamental transportation policy initiatives from Baltimore, MD, to Richmond, VA, at the Greater Washington Partnership.

Gendron holds a bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Vermont.

About ARA

Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) was founded in 1979, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to offer science and engineering research to solve problems of national importance. ARA delivers leading-edge products and innovative solutions for national defense, energy, homeland security, aerospace, healthcare, transportation, and manufacturing. With over 2,300 employee-owners at locations in the U.S. and Canada, ARA offers a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, civil engineering, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, biomedical engineering, environmental technologies, and blast testing and measurement

Grant Guillot is the Vice President for Regulatory Affairs at DroneUp, where he oversees federal, state, and local regulatory matters impacting the company’s UAS operations. In that capacity, he regularly meets with officials and staff from various legislative and executive branches of the United States government to discuss matters impacting the integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the National Airspace System. He also regularly engages the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration to discuss legislative and regulatory matters pertinent to drone integration, such as the FAA Reauthorization Act and regulatory impediments to drone integration. Grant has given many seminar presentations and written extensively for several publications regarding the regulatory issues and societal impacts of drone integration on the National Airspace System. 

Prior to his position with DroneUp, Grant spent 12 years in private legal practice, during which he most recently advised drone manufacturers and companies that provide UAS services, as well as companies operating in industries using drones. He has been featured on Fox Business and Fox News to discuss the opportunities and challenges arising from drone use. Grant previously hosted three seasons of  “Drones in America”, a video podcast produced by MarketScale, which explored how drones are improving lives and impacting various end-user industries. After graduating first in his class in mass communications from Louisiana State University, Grant attended the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU, where he graduated in the top six percent of his class, was selected to the Louisiana Law Review, and inducted into the Order of the Coif.

Michelle L.D. Hanlon has been dubbed the Godmother of Space Law. She is Executive Director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi and co-founder of For All Moonkind, the only organization in the world devoted to protecting human heritage in outer space. Under her leadership, For All Moonkind became a Permanent Observer to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Michelle is also the Editor-in-Chief of both the Journal of Space Law and the Journal of Drone Law and Policy.  Her work bridges governance, commerce, heritage and ethics, examining how law can shape humanity’s expansion into space and prevent conflict in an already contested domain. She has testified before the United Nations and the U.S. Congress and advised governments and international organizations on the drafting of space legislation and regulations. Her voice is regularly sought by international media. Michelle received her B.A. in Political Science from Yale College and her J.D. magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center. She earned her LLM in Air and Space Law from McGill University where the focus of her research was commercial space and the intersection of commerce and public law.

Jamey Jacob is the Executive Director of the OSU Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education (OAIRE) and the Williams Chair in Energy Technology and Regents Professor of Aerospace Engineering in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University.

His current efforts are focused on emerging technology and the societal impact of advanced mobility and their enhanced operation in the national airspace for broader innovative applications. He is currently lead on the NASA University Leadership Initiative Program WINDMAP to develop aviation weather solutions for advanced aerial mobility applications, including drones and urban air taxis. He is the director for the Counter-UAS Center of Excellence focused on assessing and mitigating UAS threats both at home and abroad. As part of recent EDA funding through the Build Back Better program, he is leading the development of the LaunchPad Center for Advanced Air Mobility in Tulsa and the affiliated Skyway Range operated by the Osage Nation and the associated THETA Tech Hubs for trusted and equitable autonomy, focused on AAM certification and supply chain issues.

He received his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1990 and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 1992 and 1995, respectively.

John is the Unmanned Systems Senior Training Analyst for Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security and Tactics within the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.  He was selected for this position to create and launch an unmanned systems program for the agency and, specifically, to create a UAS Tactical Team.  Since then, the program has expanded into Patrol, which, now, routinely utilizes this technology. He was instrumental in obtaining a BVLOS Waiver without a VO for the Agency, which, at the time, was the first- ever issued to a public service organization.  He has also been conducting on-going research on locating clandestine graves with thermal drones.  This has led to the opportunity to assist INTERPOL with an investigation.

John is a retired Detective from Fairfax County Police Department after serving for 26 years.  During that time he was assigned to Major Crimes, was a member of the Underwater Search and Recovery Unit, an undercover Narcotics Officer, and culminated his career in the Electronic Surveillance Unit where he was lead Detective for many years.  After retiring, he was a contractor for the military in exercise support utilizing sUAS for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.   He was the Technical Support Manager for Cobham Surveillance and Communications North America, and, prior to joining Pasco Sheriff’s Office, was the Public Safety Sales Manager for Autel Robotics.

John has had the opportunity to fly drones in the U.S. and abroad both for personal, commercial, and private events. He has created 3D maps of facilities to be used in training scenarios for public safety and has been involved in testing rapidly deployed communication links via drones.

Driven by a commitment to innovation and operational excellence, Ms. Laird continues to shape the future of autonomous aerial systems within the federal landscape, strengthening ERDC’s role as a national leader in UAS research and application.

Ms. Jenny Laird is a recognized leader in unmanned aerial systems innovation and has spent the past decade serving as the Program Manager for Unmanned Aircraft Systems at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, MS. She directs the strategic vision, technical development, and operational execution of UAS initiatives supporting engineering, environmental, emergency response, and research missions across ERDC.

With extensive expertise in UAS technologies, applied research, and federal program management, Ms. Laird oversees the development, testing, and evaluation of advanced aircraft platforms, sensors, and mission payloads. She collaborates closely with ERDC laboratories, DoD partners, academia, and industry to integrate emerging technologies and guide multidisciplinary teams in delivering mission‑aligned, compliant, and technically rigorous solutions.

Her recent mission sets include high‑resolution dam inspections, expeditionary airfield assessments in Micronesia, UXO and IED detection using advanced sensor payloads, FEMA Blue Roof damage assessments, FEST route‑reconnaissance support, digital‑twin data acquisition, custom sensor integration, and post‑disaster aerial reconnaissance following Hurricane Helene.

Across her 24‑year ERDC career, Ms. Laird has been recognized for translating cutting‑edge research into operational capability, strengthening ERDC’s role as a national and international leader in autonomous aerial systems.

Ms. Laird holds a Master of Science in Wildlife Biology from Texas A&M University (2013), where her graduate research focused on contaminant toxicology and aquatic health--work that strengthened her foundation in analytical methods, environmental assessment, and applied biological research.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Mississippi College (2004), complemented by a minor in Criminal Justice. This interdisciplinary academic background provided a strong scientific and regulatory framework that continues to inform her work in federal research, environmental analysis, and advanced sensing technologies.

Denise Navicky is a Senior Program Manager at Mississippi State University’s Office of Research and Economic Development.  She supports major MSU research programs, including a DARPA award in agricultural biosecurity and data commons, and advances initiatives focused on energy resilience, grid modernization, and the water–energy nexus. She also supports efforts to strengthen MSU’s partnership with the U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. Most recently, she managed the proposal submission for “PFAS Solutions: GeoHealth Intelligence and Human-Centered Design for Gulf Sustainability,” a top-ten national finalist in the National Academies–MacArthur Foundation Grand Challenge, positioning MSU to compete for a $20M implementation award.

Prior to this role, Denise served as MSU’s Business Development Manager for Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE), the FAA Center of Excellence for UAS Research and Aviation Program Manager at Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (RFRL). Denise is integral to advancing technologies and practices by identifying growth opportunities to propel innovative research initiatives and forging strategic partnerships.  Her contributions support MSU’s mission to advance technologies through cutting-edge research.

With over 30 years of experience in government contracting, Denise Navicky has a diverse skill set encompassing federal acquisition, regulatory compliance, capture and proposal management, and developing strategic partnerships. She specializes in serving the aerospace and defense sectors, while also supporting contracting efforts across a broad range of federal agencies.  Denise has expertise in platforms widely used across the government such as SAM.gov, Grants.gov, Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE), and government contract writing software such as Contracting Information Technology (CON-IT), as well as government industry platforms such as GovWin IQ and Deltek Costpoint, reflecting experience on both the government and industry sides of federal acquisition and a strong understanding of the full contract lifecycle.

Frank Noppel is a co-founder and the CEO of blueflite, a drone manufacturer focused on cargo, medical logistics, and emergency-response operations. He has close to 20 years of experience across aerospace engineering, operations, and strategy, spanning both commercial aviation and government-supported programs.

His background is aerospace engineering with a PhD from Cranfield University in the UK, holds a private pilot and remote pilot certificate, and he is the inventor of multiple aerospace patents. Prior to blueflite, Frank worked as a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Company, advising multinational organizations on aerospace, operations, and transformation initiatives.

Dr. Narcisa G. Pricope is Associate Vice President for Research at Mississippi State University, where she contributes to campus-wide research strategy and has secured more than $4 million in new direct funding for MSU over the past two years. 

Dr. Pricope is the national lead on the expert areas functional team in the National Science Foundation’s SECURE Center (Safeguarding the Entire Community in the U.S. Research Ecosystem), developing tools and guidance that fortify research security nationwide. She spearheaded Mississippi’s entry into the Department of Defense Microelectronics Commons network, is actively working on creating the Mississippi Energy Research Innovation & Technologies (MERIT) Center to advance grid modernization and water-energy-nexus solutions, and negotiated a four-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command to drive public-private innovation. Her coalition-building with state leaders also earned an invitation to develop the East Mississippi Sentinel Landscape, aligning military readiness with conservation and rural-economy goals. Most recently, the project she architected, called “PFAS Solutions: GeoHealth Intelligence and Human-Centered Design for Gulf Sustainability” was named one of ten national finalists in the National Academies–MacArthur Foundation Grand Challenge, positioning MSU to compete for a $20 million implementation award. 

A land-systems scientist with more than seventy peer-reviewed publications and active awards from NSF, NASA, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Dr. Pricope translates interdisciplinary discovery into solutions that strengthen national security, critical infrastructure, and regional economic growth while cultivating a diverse next-generation STEM workforce. 

Trevor Simoneau joined the Aeronautical Science Department faculty at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2025. He teaches and writes about aviation legislation and the regulatory process. He also serves as a research associate at Embry-Riddle’s Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety.

His academic work focuses on aviation legislation, regulation, flight safety, and advanced air mobility topics. He primarily studies the relationship between aviation safety and the law, often in the context of governing novel aviation technologies. Trevor’s research has appeared in the Journal.of.Air.Law.and.Commerce, among others, and he was named to Aviation Week Network’s 20 Twenties Class of 2025. Outside academia, he is the founder of Chart it All, a family business he launched with his parents at age 11 to fund flight training and college tuition. He earned a master’s degree in aviation, with distinction, and a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics, summa. cum. laude, from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Jennifer Steeve handles high-stakes trial and appellate matters nationwide on behalf of major companies in a variety of industries, including aviation, finance, energy, and technology. Clients value her balance of tireless advocacy with a focus on their bottom line and business interests. She is noted for being careful in preparation and fearless in execution.

Jen’s practice includes a particular focus on complex commercial litigation, aviation defense, appellate work, and autonomous vehicles. She began her appellate career by winning her law school’s moot court competition before Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and she has worked on more than 100 appeals in practice.

Jen spends her non-lawyering hours focused on the next generation. She raises her young son, mentors students at her alma maters, and gives riding lessons at her local stable.

M.C. Sungaila, one of LawDragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America and the Daily Journal’s Top 100 Women Lawyers in California, has practiced at the frontiers of the law throughout her storied career. From her practice at the helm of the Complex Appellate Litigation Group’s Orange County, California office, she takes on some of the most high-impact appellate cases in the state and nationwide.

M.C. is a thought leader in space, drone, and advanced air mobility law. She teaches a flagship Space Law & Policy course at LMU Loyola Law School. She also serves as an appointed member of the City of Newport Beach’s Aviation Committee and the County of Orange’s newly created Advanced Air Mobility Task Force, where she advises on the integration and community impact of innovative air technologies, including drones and eVTOLs. The City of Newport Beach has a Drones-as-First-Responders program, as does the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

M.C. is an L.LM. Candidate in the University of Mississippi’s Center for Air and Space Law, where she was a member of the inaugural cohort of Drone Law students. 

Christopher L. Swan is a seasoned aviation executive and engineering leader with more than four decades of experience across OEM, MRO, and flight operations environments. He brings deep expertise in propulsion and aircraft maintenance, FAA regulatory compliance, and complex program and flight operations management, having served as an FAA liaison and accountable manager for multiple repair stations. Throughout his career at organizations including GE Aviation, StandardAero, and Oklahoma State University’s OAIRE, he has consistently led high-performing teams, transformed engineering and MRO operations, and delivered strong customer outcomes while driving profitability and growth. His background spans P&L leadership, global repair network development, sales and service agreement support, and advanced research program execution. Mr. Swan holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Technology from Purdue University and is recognized for his ability to align technical excellence, regulatory rigor, and business performance in demanding aviation environments.

Philip Weissman serves as New York City’s Director of Aviation and Vice President at NYCEDC. In this role, he works with industry leaders and the local community to develop an aviation strategy aligned with NYCEDC and city goals.

He also chairs the New York City Bar Air & Space Law Committee.

Before joining NYCEDC, Philip was an attorney at a global aviation law practice in the New York office of a London-based law firm. His work included representing major airlines in federal and state court cases and handling complex issues such as air carrier ownership rules, preemption, U.S. DOT consumer protections, international aviation, licensing, certification, and airport agreements.

Philip earned his J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 2012 and his B.A. from Boston University in 2008.

Austin Wingo serves as the Associate Director of Flight Operations at the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory at Mississippi State University. With over a decade of experience in both manned and unmanned aviation, Mr. Wingo oversees Raspet’s flight operations, including the development of standard operating procedures, management of Certificates of Authorization (COAs), and operation of advanced Group 3 and 4 unmanned aircraft systems such as the NASC Tigershark XP and Teros. He has logged more than 5,000 hours on large UAS platforms and has extensive expertise in sensor integration, mission systems, and flight testing in support of national airspace research. 

Prior to joining MSU, Mr. Wingo held leadership positions in UAS research and development with Talon Aerolytics and NEANY Inc., where he focused on platform integration, autopilot programming, and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. In addition to his unmanned credentials, he has logged more than 1,900 hours in manned aircraft—including 1,000 turbine pilot-in-command hours—and holds commercial ratings in both single- and multi-engine aircraft, along with a Certified Flight Instructor certificate. 

Mr. Wingo is a veteran of the United States Army National Guard, where he served as an Operations NCO supporting logistics and battalion training. He also brings prior experience from the fields of corrections and public safety. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Geographic Information Systems and Business Administration from Mississippi State University and maintains a Top Secret security clearance. 

Adam is the Assistant Director for UAS at the University of Vermont’s Spatial Analysis Laboratory, bringing together more than a decade of academic and industry experience in leveraging UAS technology for conservation, engineering, public safety, and humanitarian applications. His research focuses on utilizing UAS data for environmental monitoring and in support of rapid damage assessment, search operations, infrastructure triage, and situational awareness during small- and large-scale disasters. He is a dedicated educator, training students, geospatial professionals, and emergency responders to harness the latest advancements in UAS technology to shape a more resilient future. Adam is a Board Member of the Swiss NGO Drones For Earth, advancing responsible, community‑focused UAS applications for crisis response and recovery worldwide.