National Institute of Aviation Research
John Tomblin is the Vice President for Research and
Technology Transfer at Wichita State University (WSU) and
the Executive Director of the National Institute for Aviation
Research (NIAR). He is also a Sam Bloomfield Distinguished
Professor of Aerospace Engineering.
As V.P. for Research and Technology Transfer, Dr. Tomblin
oversees university research centers, institutes and sponsored
programs; and the Office of Research and Technology
Transfer and its staff. Dr. Tomblin has overall administrative
responsibility for developing, coordinating and stimulating
research and creative activity; for enhancing external funding;
and for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and
regulations. This includes leading university-wide strategic
growth activities including acquisition of research funding; planning and development of
research space; research commercialization; incubation of new companies; and recruitment
of corporate research partners. Dr. Tomblin is also responsible for the transfer of
intellectual property to patent. The Office of Research and Technology Transfer deals with
intellectual property issues associated with faculty start-up companies, especially when
technology is licensed from the university.
As Executive Director of NIAR, Dr. Tomblin oversees eighteen laboratories in four locations
encompassing 350,000 square feet, 400 employees and a yearly budget of $45+ million.
Under his leadership, NIAR has gained worldwide recognition in the area of composites and
advanced materials; greatly expanded its capabilities and footprint; and nearly tripled its
yearly funding.
Dr. Tomblin also serves as director of NIAR’s Composites and Advanced Materials Lab,
Mechanical Test Labs, Center of Excellence for Composites and Advanced Materials
(CECAM) and National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP). He is
administrator of the Composite Materials Handbook 17 (CMH-17) working group meetings
and co-chair of the CMH-17 data review working group. CECAM, NCAMP and CMH-17 are
FAA-sponsored research programs revolutionizing the use of composites and advanced
materials in the aviation industry.
Previously, Dr. Tomblin has served as NIAR’s director of research and development;
professor for the College of Engineering from 2000-2004; and assistant professor of
aerospace engineering from 1994-2000. He has also served in adjunct professor roles at
Kansas State and Wright State Universities.
During his time at Wichita State, Dr. Tomblin has directed a number of multi-discipline and
multi-investigator projects with external funding exceeding $125 million. He has worked in
the area of material qualification and insertion into aviation production for 18 years. He has
WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY 1845 Fairmount Street Wichita, Kansas 67260 tele: (316) 978-3456
web: www.niar.wichita.edu, authored numerous publications in the areas of composite and advanced materials research,
including reports for the AGATE program and FAA technical reports that have resulted in
FAA policy governing use of composites within the aerospace industry.
Additional honors achieved by Tomblin include Air Transportation Centers of Excellence
Outstanding Faculty of the Year Award 2010; Composite Materials Handbook
Distinguished Service Award; Military Handbook 17 Appreciation; NASA Group
Achievement Award (AGATE); FAA Outstanding Faculty of the Year; NASA Turning Goals
into Reality Award (AGATE); NASA AGATE Leadership award; AGATE Alliance Association
Award; Dwayne and Velma Wallace Outstanding Educator Award for Excellence in
Research; Wichita Business Journal 2012 Newsmaker; Ingram’s 2013 50 Kansans You
Should Know; Wichita Business Journal 40 under 40.
Dr. Tomblin received his Ph.D., master’s degree and bachelor’s degree from West Virginia
University in Morgantown, WV. He resides in Wichita, KS with his wife Katharine and three sons.