The Arizona Board of Regents has hired a retired U.S. Air Force colonel as its first director of military affairs, to advance the partnership between Arizona’s public universities and the defense sector.
“This initiative underscores ABOR’s recognition of the critical intersection between academia and national security, ensuring that Arizona’s public universities remain at the forefront of defense-related research, workforce development and technological innovation,” ABOR said in a news release Friday.
“With Arizona ranking eighth nationally in 2023 as a recipient of federal defense spending, there is immense potential for the board and universities to play an even greater role in supporting the nation’s security priorities,” it said.
The hire of Wade Thompson, whose career has been in the military, academia, combat and peacetime command positions, as well as in the private sector, is part of ABOR’s initiative to strengthen collaboration with the defense industry, announced in November. The initiative’s goal was assigned to all three universities the board oversees: the University of Arizona, Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University.
Thompson will be paid $180,000 annually, said Nicholas Opich, associate vice president of communications for ABOR.
Thompson has been an A-10 pilot, the leader of three different Air and Space Operations Centers, and has worked on Capitol Hill. He held posts around the world during his 28 years of active duty before retiring.
Thompson
He moved into defense contractor roles with industry leaders Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman after his retirement.
A first-generation college graduate, Thompson has a bachelor’s degree in astronautical engineering from the Air Force Academy and three master’s degrees from the University of Helsinki, Harvard University and the U.S. Air War College. He also previously led the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program and taught aerospace studies at the University of Arizona.
ABOR said his goals will include:
— Aligning the research and workforce development capabilities at the three public universities with the needs of the defense sector;
— And advising and guiding the regents on policies and strategies that promote partnerships and collaborations between the universities and the Department of Defense, military entities and defense-related industries.
ABOR will host a military summit in the fall, which it says will bring together military leaders, industry experts, business leaders, policymakers and university officials.
