Title: Principal Research Engineer
Company: Georgia Tech Research Institute
Location: Tucson, Arizona, United States
Kim W. Wood, Major, USAF (ret.), principal research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in aerospace engineering.
With over four and a half decades of experience, Ret. Maj. Wood has established a successful career in aerospace engineering, specializing in applied research and airplane modification. He currently serves as the principal research engineer at Georgia Tech Research Institute, a position he has held since 2024. He has also served as a senior research engineer since 2018 and research engineer and systems engineer since 1994. His responsibilities include acting as a team lead and lead engineer, mentoring younger those entering the field and being responsible for the technical sufficiency of the work in the company. Prior to this, he served as an electronic warfare officer in the United States Air Force from 1977 to 1994. As an electronic warfare officer, he played a vital role in using technology to disrupt or neutralize enemy electronic systems, ensuring U.S. forces maintain an advantage in the electromagnetic domain.
Laying a solid educational foundation, Ret. Maj. Wood earned a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering and orbital mechanics from the University of Minnesota in 1977. He went on to earn a Master of Science in space science from American Military University in 2000. In addition, he is actively involved with the M1 for Vets project, a grassroots initiative providing M1 Garand rifles to combat-wounded veterans as a symbol of appreciation, with donations supporting the initiative.
Reflecting on his path, Ret. Maj. Wood’s most significant accomplishment was the implementation of a system on a Tacticor first around 2007. This system is still operational on the A-10 aircraft today and has since been installed on every A-10 in the fleet. The program was executed with remarkable speed, as the concept was introduced in August, and by Thanksgiving, the first two prototypes had been fabricated, installed, and tested. Afterward, the system underwent further refinement to make it applicable to the entire fleet, and within a year, aircraft with the system were already flying in combat. In light of his impressive undertakings, he was honored with several Air Force ribbons, a Military Service Model award, and was a nominee for the International Test and Evaluation Association Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ret. Maj. Wood also reflects on how being surrounded by others with similar experiences can sometimes cause one to overlook their own accomplishments. He recounted a unique moment during a community meeting when he had been offering travel advice to a lady over the years, only for her to express surprise at the extent of his travels. This moment made him realize that not everyone has had the same opportunities, leaving a lasting impact and prompting him to appreciate the experiences he had often taken for granted. He believes that the most important lesson he has learned throughout his career is the need to respond effectively to customer requirements, with customer satisfaction always being a key focus. Looking to the future, he plans to engage in some consulting work and to prioritize goals he had set out for himself in the early years of his career.
For more information, please visit:
Contact Ret. Maj. Wood:
