Beavercreek, OH and Cleveland, OH — Parallax Advanced Research and the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI) announced today the appointment of two new members to their joint Board of Directors: Chris Schuppe and Robert “Rob” Rasch. Their appointments reflect the organizations’ continued commitment to strengthening national defense, innovation, and workforce development through science and technology leadership.
Chris Schuppe: Leadership and Innovation in Additive Manufacturing
Chris Schuppe began his career with Toyota in 1995 in Design and Evaluation. In this role, he worked extensively in establishing a North American supplier base, designing and testing Toyota’s North American vehicles and training in Japan. During this time, Chris had the opportunity to participate and lead multiple lean events in Georgetown, KY and in Japan.
Mr. Schuppe moved to GE Aviation in 2000 and spent 16 years in Engineering working in Systems, Advanced turbine blade technology, mechanical systems, and externals integration including work on the GE90-115B, GP7200 / A380, GEnx, LEAP and GE9X engine lines. Starting in 2008, Chris started working in additive in various forms including polymer and metal additive as well as more advanced materials. Chris’ teams in Aviation led to the creation of the LEAP fuel nozzle, the GE9X , Catalyst engine and future military platforms.
In October of 2016, Chris helped found GE Additive (now Colibrium Additive) as the Engineering Integration leader for GE Additive and then led the GE Additive AddWorksTM team to accelerate additive adoption across all industries. In January 2020, Chris was named the global leader of Additive’s Engineering & Technology teams helping advance the state of the art of additive machines, software, applications, and materials. This also led to the external sale of an internally developed technology (https://www.hyliion.com/karno/ ). He has also lead the development of multiple government programs including a 2024 Senate appropriation of $5M, a Department of Energy grant of $5M, and total government sales of over $30M.
Most recently, in January 2025, Chris was promoted to the General Manager, GE Aerospace Additive Part Family Team which includes the prior responsibilities within the additive business but adds the Aerospace additive integrated product team that manufactures all of the additive parts that go into GE Aerospace’s engines.
“Chris has spent his career working at the point where engineering, manufacturing and implementation meet.” Said Andersh. “That perspective is especially valuable as we expand our work in additive manufacturing, digital engineering and supply-chain resilience. I look forward to the practical insight he will bring to the Board as we help our partners move promising technologies toward reliable, scalable use.”
Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Robert “Rob” Rasch: Defense Leadership in Growth Strategy and Technical Acceleration
Lt. Gen (Ret.) Robert “Rob” Rasch is the Founder and President of R3 – Rasch Advisory Group, LLC, where he provides strategic advisory services focused on defense modernization, technology acceleration, leadership, and growth strategy for companies operating in national security and advanced technology markets.
A retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General, Rob brings nearly four decades of leadership experience at the intersection of government, industry, and emerging technology. He most recently served as Director of the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) at Redstone Arsenal from 2022 to 2025. In that role, he led the Army’s efforts to rapidly develop, prototype, procure, and field high-priority capabilities designed to deter and defeat advanced threats. His portfolio included some of the Army’s most critical modernization initiatives, including the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon and directed energy systems.
Previously, Rob served as Program Executive Officer for U.S. Army Program Executive Office Missiles and Space from 2018 to 2022, where he oversaw one of the Army’s largest acquisition portfolios. His responsibilities included air and missile defense systems, counter-UAS capabilities, precision fires programs, and significant foreign military sales supporting allies and partners around the world.
Across his career, Rob developed a reputation for delivering results in complex, high stakes environments that require speed, accountability, and disciplined execution. He has extensive experience in enterprise leadership, technology transition, strategic partnerships, acquisition governance, and aligning innovation with operational needs. Rob holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from the University of Georgia, a Master of Science in Computer Science from Northwestern University, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.
“Rob understands what it takes to guide complex defense programs from an operational requirement to a fielded capability.” Says Andersh. “His experience leading modernization and acquisition efforts will bring an important customer and mission perspective to our deliberations. I welcome his counsel as we consider how Parallax and OAI can better align research, partnerships and technology transition with the needs of the national-security community.”
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About Parallax Advanced Research & the Ohio Aerospace Institute
Parallax Advanced Research is a research institute that tackles global challenges through strategic partnerships with government, industry, and academia. It accelerates innovation, addresses critical global issues, and develops groundbreaking ideas with its partners. In 2023, Parallax and the Ohio Aerospace Institute formed a collaborative affiliation to drive innovation and technological advancements across Ohio and the nation. The Ohio Aerospace Institute plays a pivotal role in advancing aerospace through collaboration, education, and workforce development. More information can be found at parallaxresearch.org and oai.org.