Beavercreek, Ohio – Parallax Advanced Research announces four new members, including Dr. Christina Bloebaum, Dr. Meredith Bond, Ms. Gail Dolman-Smith, and Dr. J. Michael Oaks, to its Board of Directors. These members expand the depth of experience, expertise, and knowledge of the Parallax board and will continue the work of tying Ohio together via advanced R&D.
“Not only have we reached deeper into academia, but we have also added diverse experience, perspective, representation across Ohio, and much more,” said Dennis Andersh, Parallax Advanced Research president and CEO. “As we navigate the complex landscape of R&D, these members will help us bolster our capacity to innovate, collaborate, and drive meaningful change for our clients, in our communities, and beyond.”
The new board members are:
Christina Bloebaum, Ph.D.
Dr. Christina Bloebaum spent much of her career looking at challenges in the multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) field, developing new optimization, visualization, and trade-space methodologies for large-scale complex engineered systems. She has most recently been engaged in research on new value-based systems engineering frameworks built upon the rigorous foundations of decision analysis, MDO, and value driven design. Dr. Bloebaum started her career as Dean of the College of Aeronautics and Engineering at Kent State University in 2018. She joined Iowa State University in 2012 and served as program director for the Engineering and Systems Design and System Science programs at the National Science Foundation. She is the recipient of several academic awards and chairs along with professional recognitions for her work. Her academic and professional work have also been rewarded with more than $15 million in research funding.
Meredith Bond, Ph.D.
Dr. Bond received her B.A. in Biology in 1976 from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia and her Ph.D. and post-doctoral fellowship from the University of Pennsylvania in 1984. In 1986, she joined the Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland Clinic, conducting NIH-funded research to elucidate the molecular bases of heart failure. She was elected President of the Cleveland Clinic Women’s Professional Staff Association. From 2003-2011, she was Chair of the Department of Physiology at the School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). During her 8-year tenure at UMB, the department’s NIH ranking rose from #32 to #7 in the US. She was recognized as one of 2008’s “Top 100 Women in Maryland” and was President, or had senior leadership roles, in national scientific societies. In 2011 she moved back to Cleveland to take the position of Dean of the College of Sciences and Health Professions at Cleveland State University (CSU). During her 11-year tenure as Dean, COSHP garnered over $45M of external funding. In 2019, Dr Bond was nominated as one of Crain’s Cleveland Business “Notable women in STEM”. Dr. Bond oversaw infrastructure improvements, and growth of the internationally recognized Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease (GRHD). Dr. Bond is a co-Program Director of a $1M grant from the NIH to support PhD students from groups under-represented in STEM. In 2022, she moved to the position of VP for Research and Innovation at Cleveland State, overseeing all federal state and local grant -related, and tech-transfer activities university-wide. Dr. Bond’s leadership has helped boost CSU’s trajectory of strong research growth.
Ms. Gail Dolman-Smith
Ms. Gail Dolman-Smith is a highly results-driven business owner with extensive business development and in-depth expertise in business development, management, and oversight of federal, state, county, and industry contracts valued at more than $300 million. As CEO, she guided Paragon TEC to emerge as a nationally recognized, innovative firm with a proven record spanning over two decades of integrating business solutions, technology, education, and communications in various services that enable organizational transformation and success. Prior to founding Paragon TEC, Ms. Dolman-Smith managed the NASA Lewis Visitor Center and served as an independent business consultant, and manager at AT&T Communications in Cleveland. She is an active and ardent advocate of innovative programming designed to increase participation and retention of students’ K-16 in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Ms. Dolman-Smith earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Dyke College in Cleveland, Ohio and a Master of Business Administration from Baldwin Wallace in Berea, Ohio, along with a Turner School of Construction Certificate.
J. Michael Oakes, Ph.D.
Dr. J. Michael Oakes was recently named Case Western Reserve University’s inaugural Senior Vice President for Research and Technology Management. He oversees all aspects of Case Western Reserve University’s $550+ million research enterprise and technology transfer program. He is the Veale professor of Technology Transfer and Commercialization and Professor of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences in the School of Medicine. Prior to joining Case Western Reserve, Dr. Oakes served as the University of Minnesota’s interim vice president for Research, leading its $1.1 billion research enterprise. From 2019 to 2021, Dr. Oakes served as associate vice president for research, shepherding a 31% increase in research funding fueled by COVID-19 related grants. Dr. Oakes is also founder and director of the Interdisciplinary Research Leaders, a national Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-supported program. Dr. Oakes is a social epidemiologist whose research has been highly collaborative, interdisciplinary, and focused on three principal areas: applied methodology, social epidemiology, and research ethics. Dr. Oakes received degrees from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
“The four new board members will help us advance new technologies and create the workforce of the future,” said Parallax Board Chair, Lt. Gen. (Ret) C.D. Moore.
###
About Parallax Advanced Research
Parallax Advanced Research is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit 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. With offices in Ohio and Virginia, Parallax aims to deliver new solutions and speed them to market. In 2023, Parallax and the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI) formed a collaborative affiliation to drive innovation and technological advancements in Ohio and for the nation. OAI plays a pivotal role in advancing the aerospace industry in Ohio and the nation by fostering collaborations between universities, aerospace industries, and government organizations and managing aerospace research, education, and workforce development projects. More information about both organizations can be found at the Parallax and OAI websites.