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AFIT's School of Systems and Logistics Honors the Newest Demidovich Award Recipient
Posted Monday, August 24, 2015

 

During a ceremony on 31 Jul 2015, AFIT's School of Systems and Logistics honored Mr. Michael Mowry, the newest recipient of the School's John W. Demidovich Award. Established in 1989, the Demidovich Award is the highest honor that the School's faculty can bestow upon its members. It recognizes outstanding ability and service sustained throughout an individual's tenure at the School. Mr. Mowry is the 15th recipient of the award. The award ceremony can be viewed here.

Mr. Mowry joined the faculty in 2006 while on active duty. In 2010 he became the course director for the Fundamentals of Acquisition Management (FAM) course. Information in this three week course covers all aspects of the acquisition process from requirements development, weapon system development, testing, production, system deployment and sustainment. The FAM course educates 600-800 students annually. Mr. Mowry was instrumental in improving the faculty to student ratio from 1:80 to the current level of 1:10, resulting in higher quality instruction for the students. Mr. Mowry recognized the importance of Earned Value Management in the acquisition process and incorporated it into the FAM course. Under his leadership, the School of Systems and Logistics has implemented a capstone exercise where students apply the information learned reinforcing the material. One of the highlights of his course includes a field trip to the National Museum of the United States Air Force where Mr. Mowry walks the students through real life examples of systems acquisition. While describing these achievements at the award ceremony, Colonel Jeffrey Lanning, Dean of the School of Systems and Logistics remarked, " Our FAM course has never been better. There is internal and external recognition of the value of the course. That is a credit and testament to Mike and all of his efforts."

Mr. Mowry was also the faculty lead for a project management course designed for the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. The course was delivered early and exceptionally well, receiving positive feedback from the U.S. Forces-Iraq team lead who stated " &hellip of all the courses and material&hellip this is the best I have seen of any course, any class, any module."

Mr. Mowry takes the initiative to learn new ways to be more effective in the classroom and works with the School's Academic Instructor Course to share best practices. Colonel Lanning noted, " Through these efforts, he is making the entire school better."

During his acceptance speech, Mr. Mowry stated, " I am suitably honored, and humbled, and embarrassed, all at the same time. I am an average guy that has been given some great opportunities. The biggest opportunity came from Mark Caudle to be in the FAM classroom. The folks that teach FAM - you work hard, I appreciate you, and thank you."

The Demidovich Award's namesake, Dr. John W. Demidovich, was the model, professional continuing education, faculty member. Serving on the School's faculty from 1965 - 1986 as both a military and a civilian member, he established an unparalleled record of achievement in all areas of faculty endeavor. He was best known as a dynamic lecturer and speaker, a champion of new educational methods and technology, and was actively involved in pioneering distance learning efforts at the School. He was internationally known as a proponent of creativity, both in the classroom and in the workplace, and led innumerable seminars and classes aimed at spurring students to new ways of problem solving and new pathways of thought. Dr. Demidovich was an active mentor to a whole generation of faculty. Dr. Demidovich passed away in 1987, but his mark is indelibly embossed on everything done in the School of Systems and Logistics to this day.

The Demidovich Award isn't presented annually it is given only when a faculty member has proven that he or she has met the standards of excellence personified by Dr. Demidovich. The award honors excellence in teaching foremost, but also excellence in creativity, curriculum development, finding new and better ways to reach students, and, finally, excellence in the myriad of endeavors that delineate a truly professional faculty member. Demidovich award winners aren't just the school's best teachers they are members of a rather exclusive club to whom others look for leadership, assistance, mentoring, and vision. They are those recognized by their peers as the best of the best.

About the School of Systems and Logistics

AFIT's School of Systems and Logistics equips the Air Force's acquisition and logistics workforce to be the world's best managers of air, space, and cyberspace systems through professional continuing education (PCE), consulting, and research. The School is the USAF's provider of 100+ PCE management courses in acquisition, contracting, financial/budget/cost systems and software engineering logistics and sustainment education delivered to war-fighters globally by customer focused delivery modes to include resident, on-site, and eLearning.

About the Air Force Institute of Technology

The mission of AFIT is to advance air, space, and cyberspace power for our armed forces, the Nation, and its partners by providing relevant defense-focused technical graduate and continuing education, research, and consultation. AFIT accomplishes this mission through three resident schools: the Graduate School of Engineering and Management, the School of Systems and Logistics, and The Civil Engineer School. AFIT also manages all Air Force health, line, legal, and chaplain graduate education at civilian institutions.

Dr. John W. Demidovich's daughter Becky Hoffs and his son Chuck Demidovich were in attendance.

Past winners attending the ceremony to honor Michael Mowry included (from left to right): Paul Joyce (2008), Mark Caudle (2005), Steve Glazewski (2012), John Reisner (2003), and Doug Goetz (1990).