In his new role, Mr. Gatley will lead NJII’s growing portfolio of defense initiatives, focusing on cutting-edge advancements in technology, workforce development, and applied research to strengthen national security and support the warfighter.

The Defense Division at NJII partners closely with the U.S. Department of Defense, defense contractors, and research institutions to drive innovation in advanced manufacturing, prototyping, and systems integration. Through its work, the division accelerates the development and deployment of critical technologies designed to enhance warfighter effectiveness, improve supply chain resilience, and ensure military readiness. The division also plays a key role in building the next-generation workforce through specialized training programs that prepare individuals for careers in defense manufacturing and technology.

Sam Gatley brings extensive leadership and industry expertise to the position, having worked at the intersection of technology, innovation, and defense throughout his career. His appointment reflects NJII’s commitment to advancing transformative solutions that directly support the needs of the nation’s armed forces.

“We are excited to welcome Sam into this leadership role,” said Dr. Michael Johnson, President of NJII. “Under his guidance, NJII’s Defense Division will continue to expand its impact, driving forward new technologies and manufacturing capabilities that ensure our warfighters have the tools they need to succeed.”

Mr. Gatley will oversee programs that include advanced materials development, additive manufacturing, printed electronics, and modernization efforts critical to the evolving needs of the Department of Defense.

About NJII

The New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) is a 501c3 organization wholly owned by the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). As an independent corporation, NJII is uniquely positioned to be agile, entrepreneurial, and opportunistic. NJII is focused on accelerating technology and fostering innovation in order to have a positive economic impact in New Jersey. To date, NJII has generated over $330M in revenue during its ten years of operation across its divisions (AI/ML, Defense, Entrepreneurship, Healthcare and Learning & Development) and today has a team of 120 staff.

Learn more: https://www.njii.com/about/

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One of NJII’s longest-serving board members, Paranicas brings extensive executive experience and a deep understanding of New Jersey’s health, science and technology sectors, a background that will be instrumental in guiding NJII’s growth and mission to foster innovation, support workforce development and contribute to the state’s economic vitality. He succeeds Robert Medina, who continues as Chair of the NJIT Foundation Board of Directors.

Paranicas recently retired from his role as President and Chief Executive Officer of the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ), the trade association for the state’s research-based biopharmaceutical and medical technology companies, where he championed New Jersey’s life sciences sector and fostered collaborations across the healthcare spectrum. His legacy at HINJ aligns closely with NJII’s goals to build partnerships, leverage research capabilities, and drive impactful advances in areas such as healthcare, defense, AI, entrepreneurship and professional and corporate education.

“NJII is a key player in New Jersey’s innovation ecosystem,” Paranicas said. “I am honored to be selected as Chair and look forward to the opportunity to build on Bob Medina’s legacy and expand support for NJII as it continues to shape our state’s future through transformative research, public and private alliances and community engagement.”

NJII President Michael Johnson, PhD expressed enthusiasm about Paranicas’ appointment: “Dean’s wealth of experience and strategic insights will be invaluable as NJII continues to elevate New Jersey’s longstanding reputation as an innovation hub. His leadership will help us further strengthen our partnerships with industry, government and academia, building on our progress and ensuring that NJII remains a dynamic force in the region.”

Under Johnson, NJII has made significant strides in these areas, including the recent launching of the NJII Venture Studio, the state’s seventh Strategic Innovation Center focused on high technology and IT, and fostering a robust pipeline of entrepreneurial talent in partnership with NJIT and other academic institutions. NJII has also strengthened its role in workforce development by expanding training programs in cutting-edge fields such as AI, advanced manufacturing and biotechnology, creating hands-on opportunities for students and professionals alike.

About NJII

New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) is a 501c3 organization wholly owned by the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). As an independent corporation, NJII is uniquely positioned to be agile, entrepreneurial, and opportunistic. NJII is focused on accelerating technology and fostering innovation to have a positive economic impact in New Jersey. To date, NJII has generated over $330M in revenue during its ten years of operation across its divisions (AI/ML, Defense, Entrepreneurship, Healthcare and Learning & Development) and today has a team of 100+ members. Learn more: https://www.njii.com/about/

About NJIT

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is the greatest producer of technological talent and knowledge in New Jersey and is a nexus of innovation — a physical and intellectual focal point for innovative ideas, actions, and people. NJIT is the only polytechnic university that is an R1 (highest level) Carnegie Classification research university and is designated both an Asian-American and Hispanic serving institution. The New York Times college ranking tool rates NJIT No. 1 nationally among all public universities when you prioritize high alumni earnings, economic mobility, and academic profile, and the Wall Street Journal rates NJIT No. 19 overall and No. 2 among public universities in the United States. Additionally, NJIT stands among the top 100 universities in the country for alumni mid-career earnings, according to PayScale.com, is ranked No. 35 nationally by The Princeton Review as a Best Value College and is rated among the top 50 public national universities and top 100 overall by U.S. News & World Report.

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The event was hosted by Michael Johnson PhD, President of the New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) and YPO member, with a keynote address by renowned AI expert Zack Kass. Zack Kass is the Former Head of Go To Market (GTM) for OpenAI where he built sales, partnerships, and solutions teams. Today, Zack is a top booked AI keynote speaker, and his mission is to champion a future of abundance by demystifying AI and helping leaders around the world prepare for the impending technological revolution. 

The objective of the event was to empower business leaders with the tools and insights needed to harness AI’s potential in their organizations. “At NJII and NJIT, we are committed to being at the forefront of technological innovation. This event is a testament to our ongoing efforts to position NJIT as an Innovation Nexus—not only for the state of New Jersey but for industries across the globe. AI is not just a tool of the future, but a powerful force for today’s businesses,” said Michael Johnson PhD in his opening remarks.  

The hands-on training sessions, led by Kass and NJII, offered participants a rare opportunity to delve deep into AI applications, learning how to integrate cutting-edge solutions into their operations. Attendees left with actionable strategies tailored to their unique business challenges, from optimizing supply chains to enhancing customer engagement. 

The success of the event underscored NJII and NJIT’s commitment to driving innovation and supporting the growth of local and global businesses. By hosting such high-impact gatherings, NJIT is solidifying its role as a key player in the AI ecosystem and a vital hub for technological advancement. 

Hands-on events like this YPO gathering serve as a reminder that the university is a place of experiential learning with underpinnings of applied research and leadership in emerging technologies. The collaboration between NJIT, NJII, and visionary leaders like Kass positions the institution as a catalyst for change in the AI space and beyond. 

Learn more about AI at NJIT and the NJII AI Lab. 

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Growth and innovation within the Healthcare Division will play a key role in launching new digital transformation initiatives. NJII’s vision to double in size by exceeding $70M in revenue by 2030 is powered by the strength and leadership in the Healthcare division.

Darlene Carr has been recently promoted to Vice President of the Healthcare Division at the New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII). With over two decades of experience in the healthcare and information technology sectors, Darlene brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her new role. Since joining NJII in February 2023 as Client Engagement & Privacy Officer, she has played a pivotal role in driving client success and ensuring privacy compliance.

Darlene is an accomplished healthcare professional with extensive experience in system integration and healthcare business operations.  Prior to joining NJII in 2023, Darlene spent over two decades at RWJ Barnabas Health, where she held various leadership roles, including IT&S Director at Children’s Specialized Hospital. Her responsibilities included directing the day-to-day operations of IT, telecommunications, and strategic improvement departments, overseeing clinical and financial applications, and implementing comprehensive EMR systems.

Darlene’s career spans over two decades, with roles at prominent healthcare organizations like Price Waterhouse Coopers, Carrier Clinic, and JFK Medical Center. She holds a B.A. in Healthcare Management-Business Administration from American Intercontinental University and is an active member of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), New Jersey Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (NJHIMSS) and the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). Her expertise lies in leveraging technology to improve patient care, optimize business processes, and drive organizational success in the healthcare sector.

This appointment comes following the promotion of NJII’s Healthcare Division Senior Vice President, Jennifer D’Angelo, to NJII Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President over Healthcare. Jennifer states, “I look forward to continuing to work closely with Darlene as we align key initiatives to our mission and vision and expand the adoption of NJHIN. Darlene’s expertise will drive daily operations within the division as I work with the team to expand our Healthcare portfolio.”

Darlene’s extensive experience and commitment to innovation make her an invaluable asset to NJII’s leadership team, where she will continue to drive forward the organization’s mission to transform healthcare through innovation and technology.

Learn more about Darlene Carr and the rest of NJII’s leadership team here.

About NJII

The New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) is a 501c3 organization wholly owned by the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). As an independent corporation, NJII is uniquely positioned to be agile, entrepreneurial, and opportunistic. NJII is focused on accelerating technology and fostering innovation in order to have a positive economic impact in New Jersey. To date, NJII has generated over $330M in revenue during its ten years of operation across its divisions (AI/ML, Defense, Entrepreneurship, Healthcare and Learning & Development) and today has a team of 120 staff.

Learn more: https://www.njii.com/about/

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Q. I’d love to start by hearing a little bit about your background. How did you get started at NJIT, and how did your role evolve to where it is today? 

A. Yeah, absolutely. About 8-and-a-half years ago, I got an opportunity to be a 3D-printer technician in a physics lab. I was wrapping up my master’s in Science, Technology, and Public Policy and got this opportunity to start collaborating with a lab that was working on a handheld multispectral camera. And this newfangled technology that was just becoming accessible to consumers, 3D-Printing, was on the market, and some of the professors thought it would be a good idea to use it to build housing and kind of rapidly prototype ideas. I had done a little bit of engineering in my undergrad; I didn’t actually finish my engineering degree, I got more of a general studies bachelor’s. But I had enough CAD background that I picked it up quickly, and next thing I knew I was offered a position in the lab. I worked my way up there, turned it into an additive manufacturing lab itself; we founded something we call the ADLAB, short for additive. And it was a way to get going while the Makerspace was getting set up. They had a much bigger goal in mind, so it took a little while for them to become accessible to the rest of the community at NJIT. So, in the meantime, we just bought a few printers and got to work. But a lot of the funding for that lab came from Picatinny Arsenal and the US army. And so I started to get more involved in the grant writing and the reporting, and business development with the army. Then I got to meet Bill Marshall, and he and I took a liking to each other, and I became his Chief of Staff. Long story short, here we are. 

Q. Did you always have an interest in additive manufacturing or did that develop over time? 

A. No, I mean it definitely developed over time, in part because I’m old enough that for much of my life I didn’t know it was a thing! Now I know people who’ve been in the industry for as long as I’ve been alive. I’ve been lucky enough to meet people that were working on 3D printing 30-plus years ago. But it was a really niche field then; million dollar machines that took days for – what we would now look at as – mediocre parts. It was about a decade ago now that the ‘consumer revolution’ for 3D printing became a thing, because a lot of patents expired, so cheaper machines were able to get on the market, and it allowed people to get access to it. And now, I hire people that have been doing 3D printing since they were kids. We actually have an intern this summer, I think he’s in his early 20s; he’s been 3D printing for 10 years. He’s been in 3D printing for longer than I have! 

But I have always been interested in engineering. I went to school initially for mechanical engineering and learned that I wasn’t well suited for the daily work of being an engineer, but I like being around the projects. At the time I was coaching high school basketball and track & field, and I’ve always really liked building teams and helping to facilitate teamwork and collaboration. It took me a while to figure out how to plug that all together, but I joke that nowadays I basically coach engineering. 

Q. What is something about additive manufacturing that people might not know about? 

A. One of the things that we work on out here are 3D printed, additively manufactured electronics. There are people in the industry that may be working for polymer, plastic, 3D printing companies, that aren’t even aware that 3D printed electronics are really a thing. So it’s a pretty early-stage part of the industry. The machines are still very temperamental and getting them to work effectively is still an uphill battle. But I think the promise that they represent – combining the ability to print plastic, metal, ceramics, and electronics – it’s still decades out, but the idea of the Star Trek replicator… maybe! 

Q. The COMET program – How and when did it originate? How has the program developed over the years? 

A. So it’s kind of tough to pick the exact point, but Bill and I were having lunch with one of our army collaborators near Picatinny at the Rockaway Mall. We were looking at the empty Sears building, and we thought “geez, wouldn’t it be cool if we could repurpose this wasted retail space as an additive manufacturing center where we do workforce development, and educate people on the possibilities of the technology”, everything we’re doing now at COMET. 

It was right before COVID that we had the idea. We ended up talking to Sears during COVID. It was actually becoming a site where they were doing COVID tests for the state. They had a date where the state was going to get out of there, and we got to the 11^th hour of signing the lease with them to take over the space. But at the last moment, Sears realized “You guys aren’t doing COVID relief. What are you doing?” And they raised the rent on us 10x as we were about to sign the lease. Little bit of a blessing in disguise because I think it was 10 times as big, and it’s been hard enough managing 20,000 square feet let alone 200,000.  

So maybe a month or two later, we were lucky enough to find the listing of the building we’re in now. We rushed out there, basically started negotiating to put an offer in that day, and thankfully we did because the next day 5 more groups wanted to take over this building.  

So, we were able to find that location, but a lot of it was built off work we had done on campus. I ran an internship on campus for four years working on robotics, showing off 3D printing and integrating edge computing into it. That was developed on campus, but in a 2000 square foot room with a couple few-thousand-dollar 3D printers. So, the opportunity to carry those lessons forward into this state-of-the-art facility has been really amazing. 

Q. Where do you see COMET going over the next 5 or so years? Are there any specific prospects that excite you? 

A. One of the things that’s really exciting is the design studio that we’re starting. The Army has worked with us to build out this facility, but they want a developed workforce that knows how to use the equipment. The best way I know how to do that is to put people on the equipment and get them to work. But working on real projects for people that matter, not just toys and made-up things. And so, sometimes that’s in support of the army, but increasingly we’ve had the opportunity to work with startups and small businesses in the state. There are some state programs that help with funding, and other companies are fortunate enough to have cash flow already that they can support this.  

Our facility is well suited to prototyping and low-rate initial production. It’s what we call a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing facility, and I think Mike Van Ter Sluis from NJII had done a study a few years ago showing that a facility like this would be an accelerator to innovation in the state. But it’s not really a money maker on its own. So, the fact that we were able to leverage the resources to do the defense application, but then have excess capacity on the machines, means that now we can be a design studio to help develop those MVPs (minimum viable products), get their ideas out of their head, off napkin sketches, and into the hands of potential investors. We have a pipeline of really great talent from NJIT with their industrial design program, let alone all the engineers and scientists, and so we can support industry in that way. 

These sorts of facilities make sense to address regional workforce needs and industrial needs. We have Northwest Jersey taken care of; we’ve got students commuting over an hour from here. But that’s starting to stretch how far the reach should be. So, figuring out how we might deploy some additional sites to target other industries is something we would be excited to do. And the figuring out how we can network them for defense and for the civilian world, having distributed capabilities like this, so that if a tornado or hurricane comes through or an earthquake or if something more malicious happens, you don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Figuring out how to network manufacturing capabilities like this is something else we’re working on. 

Learn more about the COMET program here.  

Q. NJII’s Defense Division works with both private companies and public institutions like the US military. How have those partnerships helped lift our projects and programs, and do you find that these relationships become stronger over time? 

A. Absolutely. Another way I could have answered the question of “how did comet become a thing?” is through a decade of relationship building on my behalf, that built on decades of Bill’s relationship building. Nothing that we do happens overnight, and especially in this space, it feels like it’s built on trust with the people. We have very good relationships with Picatinny Arsenal, but also at the joint base and increasingly with the other branches of the DoD. All of this really relies on working with industry as well. Our role, the way we see it, is as an integrator between the academic efforts that happen at NJIT or other universities, the industrial partners we have, and the DoD, and kind of aligning those interests so that we get the most bang for our buck when we work together. 

Another thing that we did before COMET was the ADAPT program, and I was the project manager on that. We brought together a dozen small businesses, about a dozen faculty members from NJIT and a couple people from the University of Delaware to work with Picatinny Arsenal on some interesting technology and try to accelerate the development from the lab to get it in the field as soon as possible. And on that, it was really built around in team building. So, if you’re a big prime, like Raytheon or a Booz Allen, you might have divisions that can all work together to build final products, or you have people in your supply chain. These were small businesses, though, that kind of tackled one slice of a product on their own. So, we had, a battery company, software, a 3D printing electronics company, an antenna company, and separate from that a testing company. So together, if they’re properly aligned, they can do the development that typically only primes could do. 

It’s also been kind of the inspiration for our internship. We had 20 interns that had 12 different majors working together last year. We tried to teach and expose the interns to that way of working while they’re young, so that they can learn these lessons early and really apply them through their whole career. My goal is for them to have fun this summer, and if you don’t find this work fun, you’re on the wrong job. 

Q. Working daily operations at Landing 360, what are the most common challenges that come about on a day-to-day basis, and what kind of work do you find yourself enjoying the most? 

A. We’ve been in this building for over two years now and it doesn’t really feel like any one day is like the other. We’ll have days where we all have to chip in, clean up the facility, put furniture together and receive equipment. Recently we hosted a meeting for the state effort around the CHIPS Act Notice of Funding Opportunity 3 Response, with ideation sessions with high level people from the DoD. Then it’s teaching 20 year olds how to do 3D printing or giving a tour of the space to FIRST Robotics Clubs in high school. One of the things that I think makes it so exciting is how varied the work is. And since we kind of view ourselves as that systems integrator, we need to understand what other people in this space are doing to properly align those efforts.  

And so that’s really fun, but also challenging. It requires kind of a high level strategic vision of what we’re trying to do and merging the priorities of NJIT and NJII and DEVCOM Armaments Center; keeping all of those interests in mind while then executing tactically day-to-day. But one thing that’s cool about additive manufacturing is you can get your ideas out of your head and into your hands quickly at relatively low cost. So, you’re able to kind of try something, assess it and reiterate. For better or worse, we have applied that methodology to just about everything we’re doing. 

Q. You are an employee of both NJII and NJIT. Does this affect your job significantly in any way? Do you find yourself working more with one than the other? 

A. Yeah, it does. One of the things that’s funny about this is that I supervise NJII staff members and employees, but because I’m actually paid by NJIT, I don’t always know the processes that you have to go through. Like, I’ve never actually filled out a timesheet or gotten a paycheck from NJII. But the benefit of being between both organizations is that I really understand the processes on both sides of the house; who to talk to, what portals to access, what forms to fill out, how “the sausage” is made on both sides. So, I’m able to get things to effectively move back and forth. There’s a huge benefit to us being able to act as an academic effort at times, put it in grants, and engage with people that way. Then at times move a lot faster. Being able to engage with the government and industry at the speed that they operate at as NJII, but then also leverage the academic resources of NJIT, it really opens up a lot of opportunities. 

Q. What do you enjoy most about working for NJII? 

Oh, my favorite thing about my job is how many interesting people I get to work with. I get to work with young people at the beginning of their career. I often joke with them or other people I’m talking to: They don’t realize what’s supposed to be hard, and I put problems in front of them that I think are damn near impossible, and they just breeze through them in a day. I also put problems in front of them that I think are trivial and it takes them a week to figure out, so it’s always exciting to see what’s going to be challenging on that front. But then I also get to work with people from the state or the federal government, industry, etc. Additive manufacturing is a pretty small industry at this point, so it’s amazing how many people I know in that space. 

And recently, Bill arranged for us to lead an ideation session at Fort Gregg Adams on advanced manufacturing and how the Army will use it in the next upcoming decades. I was lucky enough to actually lead that third day ideation session and report out to several acting generals. That was just an amazing opportunity.  

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“I am thrilled to have Robin and Susan join our Healthcare Division leadership team to further develop our strategic plans and foster technological advancement for healthcare providers,” said Jennifer. “As the leading HealthIT organization in New Jersey, we are focused on accelerating digital transformation of health technology to drive interoperability and ultimately, outcomes for patients. Robin and Susan will play a key role in collaborating with government and state entities to further support our operations and developments”.

Robin Ford, NJII Healthcare Division’s Government Relations Officer, brings over 20 years of experience working with both the Legislative and Executive Branches of government.

Prior to joining NJII, Robin served as New Jersey’s Deputy Commissioner of Health for the New Jersey Health Department, having been promoted from her previous position at the Department as the Executive Director of the Office of Health Care Finance. Robin’s past experience focused policy issues in the health, human services, banking, insurance and labor areas. 

“The dedicated team at NJII is working extremely hard at putting technology into action to help the State of New Jersey improve the lives of all of its citizens,” said Robin. “It is a pleasure to work with this team to meet those objectives. NJII is full of dedicated, smart, talented individuals and I am lucky that I am able to work with them to share my knowledge of how to best help the government meet its goal of helping all of New Jersey’s residents.”

Susan Teran joins the Healthcare Division as its new Healthcare Technology Officer. She earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, minor in BioEngineering, and a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from Rice University and began her Healthcare IT career in application software development.

As an experienced Healthcare executive with demonstrated proficiency in the architecture and delivery of enterprise systems, Susan joins the leadership team to oversee the successful implementation of complex technical solutions within the organization.   She has over 20 years of healthcare interoperability experience, specializing in health information exchange in the US and internationally, working on initiatives in Dubai, Qatar, Australia, the UK and Brazil.

“It’s an honor to lead the exceptional team of technical experts at NJII. Our organization is growing and well poised to create new, innovative healthcare solutions. Together, we can make a difference.” said Susan.

Learn more about our Healthcare leaders and programs.

About NJII 

The New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) is a 501c3 organization founded in 2014 and wholly owned by the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). As an independent corporation, NJII is uniquely positioned to be agile, entrepreneurial, and opportunistic. NJII is focused on accelerating technology and fostering innovation in order to have a positive economic impact in New Jersey. To date, NJII has generated over $330M in revenue during its ten years of operation across its divisions (AI/ML, Defense, Entrepreneurship, Healthcare and Learning & Development) and today has a team of 120+ staff.  Learn more: https://www.njii.com/about/.

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New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) has appointed Stacey Clark as the Vice President of the Defense Division and Sam Gatley as Deputy Director.  These changes come alongside the announcement of General William (Bill) Marshall’s transition from leading the division.  He will remain as an Advisor for Special Projects. 

Bill ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌distinguished‌ ‌leader who has spent years serving the public good. Before joining NJII, Bill served ‌more than 35 years in the New Jersey National Guard, where he achieved the rank of Brigadier General. Overlapping with most of this, he spent 29 years with the Montclair, NJ Police Department, where he retired as captain. ‌His‌ ‌work‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌Department of Defense (DOD)‌ Advanced Development of Asset Protection Program (A.D.A.P.T.) ‌‌has‌ ‌received‌ ‌national‌ ‌acclaim‌ ‌and‌ ‌was‌ ‌recently‌ ‌mentioned‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌Army’s‌ ‌“Gold‌ ‌Book”‌ ‌recognizing‌ ‌significant‌ ‌contributions‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌‌DOD. 

According to NJII President, Michael Johnson, Ph.D., “General Bill Marshall has been the driving force behind our Defense division since NJII’s inception and can be credited with supporting dozens of faculty members, hundreds of students, and building the robust Defense division that we have today.  We are thrilled to have him stay with us on special projects to ensure a smooth transition and the continued utilization of his expertise.”   

NJII’s vision to double in size by exceeding $70M in revenue by 2030.  Defense division initiatives play a key role in driving the diversification of revenue streams and launching new divisions and programs.   

For the last 15 months, Stacey has been leading the Defense division at NJII as Deputy Director.  Her oversight of the division as the Vice President will be crucial to the expansion of capabilities and government programs, utilizing her experience in International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards development, materials science and systems engineering. 

With over three decades of experience with the United States Army, Stacey is an innovative leader in the materials engineering field.  She held the position as Deputy Division Chief, Materials and Manufacturing where she dedicated 27 years to the practical use of engineering to advance research and development of technology for the Army.  Stacey holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Materials from Rutgers University and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from Stevens Institute for Technology. 

Sam Gatley moves from Director of Operations overseeing key initiatives to Deputy Director of the Defense division in recognition of his accomplishments.  Sam launched the Collaborative Operationalized Manufacturing Engineering and Training (COMET) initiative in partnership with the United States Department of Defense.  Today, COMET is a highly collaborative relationship with the United States Army that drives agile innovation for next generation problem solving while supporting workforce development. 

Stacey adds, “I met Sam Gatley nearly a decade ago when he was one of the first NJIT staff working in the field of additive manufacturing. I am awed by his work to establish the COMET initiative at NJII’s Advanced Manufacturing Center, Landing 360. I look forward to working with Sam to enhance our capabilities, train a new set of summer interns and be a resource for New Jersey manufacturing and the defense sector.” 

Learn more about Bill, Stacey, Sam and the rest of NJII’s leadership team here.  

About Defense Division 

At NJII, the Defense division has been developed to help identify, build, and implement innovative solutions that identify and operationalize advances in technology.  The key outcomes are workforce development, improved protection of military personnel and critical assets, and improved efficiency of military operations.  To achieve these outcomes, NJII aligns and advances emerging technologies to operationalize them, with a particular focus on advanced manufacturing, contested logistics, and AI/computer vision.   

About NJII 

The New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) is a 501c3 organization wholly owned by the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).  As an independent corporation, NJII is uniquely positioned to be agile, entrepreneurial, and opportunistic.  NJII is focused on accelerating technology and fostering innovation in order to have a positive economic impact in New Jersey. To date, NJII has generated over $330M in revenue during its ten years of operation across its divisions (AI/ML Defense, Entrepreneurship, Healthcare and Learning & Development) and today has a team of 120 staff.  

The post NJII Announces Leadership Changes to the Growing Defense Division  appeared first on NJII.

“As NJII continues to grow, we are delighted to onboard industry experts to further advance our mission,” said NJII President, Dr. Michael Johnson. “As the Gateway to Innovation in New Jersey, NJII is continuing to accelerate technology translation, foster innovation and upskill the workforce. With these new additions to the team, NJII is positioned for strength and growth as we expand innovative methodologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) We are looking forward to tapping into the knowledge and leadership our new members bring, which will further our mission to make positive economic impact in New Jersey.”   

Thomas Murphy, NJII Defense Division’s Director of Defense Manufacturing Technology brings over 10 years of defense focused research of army technology and resources.  

After retiring from the Canadian Army, Murphy found a passion for Additive Manufacturing (AM) with his experience in the Advanced Materials Technology Branch with the U.S. Army at Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) where he was responsible for R&D of AM for various projects. 

Previous to joining NJII, Murphy investigated new technologies and managed a service bureau as the Lead 3D Printing Technologist at Cimquest and later worked with internal and external manufacturing partners at Shapeways as its Senior Product Manager. 

“The Defense Division at NJII is making great strides in the Additive Manufacturing field and in operationalizing emerging technologies,” said Murphy. “I am so excited to be joining such an innovative team where I will be able to practice my passion of AM and seeing that new advancements and ideas are able to become a reality with our support.”  

An attorney and technologist, Michael Chirico is a compliance leader with a deep understanding of the security and privacy challenges facing organizations. Chirico, a former Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at two New Jersey hospitals, has a career spanning over two decades working with clients, both internal and external, to develop, operationalize, and improve global security and privacy programs. His experience as a CISO and attorney aids organizations navigating information security, privacy, and the related regulatory landscape. Chirico’s practical experience comes from decades as an information security officer, technology attorney, and risk professional. 

“NJII, as a leader in the healthcare information technology (Health IT) sector, has been offering data-driven services that serves providers, patients, and the broader healthcare community. I look forward to this new chapter, continuing to serve and advance the security and privacy posture, and the corporate compliance program of leading companies such as NJII whose goals are aligned with driving economic impact,” said Chirico. 

Tom Villani joins NJII’s Entrepreneurship Division with a focus in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning. Currently, as Chief Science Officer at contract research organization, Visikol, Villani brings innovative strategic planning and leadership to a team of scientists working to use machine learning and other innovative solutions to automate workflows and processes.  

“I am thrilled to be joining the NJII team amidst its rapid growth and new initiatives. I am looking forward to leveraging my background as CSO at Visikol to apply elevated technologies and skills to new projects and solutions at NJII to work on further advancing its capabilities and offerings to entrepreneurs,” said Villani.  

To learn more about our leaders, visit www.njii.com/leadership.  

About NJII  

New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) is a 501c3 organization wholly owned by the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). As an independent corporation, NJII is uniquely positioned to be agile, entrepreneurial, and opportunistic. NJII is focused on accelerating technology and fostering innovation to have a positive economic impact in New Jersey. To date, NJII has generated over $330M in revenue during its ten years of operation across its four divisions (Healthcare, Defense, Continued Learning, Entrepreneurship) and today has a team of 120 staff. Learn more: https://www.njii.com/about/.  

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Through its 2030 Strategic Plan, NJII plans to double the size of the organization and to exceed $70M revenue as it rolls out various new initiatives focused on accelerating technology translation, spurring innovation and upskilling workers. As NJII’s COO, Jennifer will play a key leadership role in shaping the organization and leading strategic growth initiatives.

“I look forward to working closely with Jennifer as we align operational objectives to our mission and vision.  Jennifer’s leadership and expertise will continue to direct the Healthcare division on its growth trajectory, and now Jennifer will have the opportunity to impact operational alignment across NJII,” said NJII President Michael Johnson, Ph.D. 

For the last 4 years, Jennifer has been leading the Healthcare division at NJII as the Senior Vice President and General Manager.  Her oversight of the division as the Executive Vice President will be crucial to the continued growth and sustainability of programs. 

With over two decades of CIO and General Manager experience, Jennifer is an innovative leader in the healthcare industry, where she has dedicated her career to leveraging technology, innovation, and strategic leadership to revolutionize healthcare delivery and patient care.  Her experience includes positions within healthcare providing facilities in New Jersey where she led digital transformation efforts to ensure a seamless and efficient patient care experience.   

Jennifer adds, “I am honored to step into this new role as the Chief Operating Officer at NJII. I am excited to lead our operational strategy to meet the ambitious objectives of our 2030 Strategic Plan. My focus will be on streamlining our processes and enhancing our organizational capabilities to not only achieve, but exceed, our goal of doubling the size of NJII and surpassing $70 million in revenue. This role presents a unique opportunity to leverage my background in healthcare technology and management to significantly advance our mission and impact across the industry.”

D’Angelo earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) from Thomas Edison State University and her Master of Science in Healthcare Management (MSHCM), Health/Healthcare Administration/Management from Thomas Edison State University.  Jennifer is active in volunteering within the industry on several committees and boards.  She often speaks and presents at major healthcare conferences such as HIMSS, NJHIMSS and NJAMHAA. She has been recognized as Top 50 Women We Admire of NJ, CIANJ Enterprising Women in Commerce, CIO Views Magazine, and NJBIZ Healthcare Hero and Leader in Digital Technology.

To learn more about Jennifer D’Angelo and the rest of NJII’s leadership team click here.  

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Instead, the wars of the future would be waged on a larger scale supported by ever more complex supply chains leveraging the innovations of the day (e.g., railways) and the scale of war would be staggering. Instead of small scale conflicts, war could now be waged on an industrial scale where the main determinant to success would not be tactics or individual leaders on horseback but instead raw industrial might. War would become a question primarily of resources, production, efficiency and supply chain where whoever geared up the fastest would be out in front. Inevitably, these findings among other factors lead into our first industrial scale world war which was unlike any conflict prior to it.  

Today, a similar situation is taking place in Ukraine where observers are noticing again that war is experiencing another major evolution and the way that war is fought has drastically changed in the last decade. Just this past week, I attended MIL AM where industry experts and military leaders discussed this change at length. The fundamental change that we are seeing now is that there is a rapid movement from a focus on a few expensive battle systems (e.g., Tanks, APCs, AFVs etc.) to a focus on many highly inexpensive battle systems. Specifically, in the conflict inexpensive unmanned aerial systems (i.e., drones) are being used at an enormous scale for surveillance and loitering munitions for targeting personnel and hard targets. In the last year alone over 200,000 drones have been lost in the conflict and it is expected over 1M drones will be lost in the next year.  

To understand just how disruptive this is, a drone capable of carrying munitions can be as inexpensive as $100 where an Abrams M1A2 tank has a price tag of $24M. A quarter million drones carrying munitions for the price of a single tank drastically changes how we think about warfare and creates orders of magnitude more impact for the same price. Further, a quarter million drones represents a seismic disruption to how battles and conflict unfold and create a vast array of new challenges for the warfighter.  

As discussed at MIL AM, unfortunately the US is very poorly positioned for this rapidly evolving type of warfare as the US does not produce the electronics required for this type of manufacturing at scale. Today, the US simply cannot support a large conflict that would utilize this quantity of drones despite the CHIPs Act and Replicator initiative working to improve the standing of the US. Further, the US military supply chain and manufacturing base is not designed for this type of inexpensive/high volume production. However, Advanced and Additive Manufacturing present promising new solutions such as manufacturing closer to the point of need.  

At The New Jersey Innovation Institute, we are working closely with the Army and Picatinny Arsenal to address this problem through our COMET facility which is a test bed for advanced manufacturing capabilities and also a training ground for the professionals who will lead this manufacturing and engineering shift. The coming decade will be extremely disruptive to how conflicts unfold and we at NJII are well positioned to help support this shift and the manufacturing improvements required.

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