Dr. Pamela Kobryn
Department of Defense
Dr. Kobryn is a Principal Aerospace Engineer in the Structures Technology Branch, Aerospace Vehicles Division, Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. She has over 20 years of experience in AFRL in the areas of aircraft structures, materials and manufacturing, and systems engineering. In her current position, Dr. Kobryn is responsible for developing the vision and strategy for two concepts born in the Science & Technology realm -- Digital Thread and Digital Twin. These innovative concepts are changing the way weapon systems are developed and maintained throughout their lifecycle, taking advantage of artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, physics, and probabilistic techniques to transform decision making.
Dr. Kobryn also leads the Sustainment Product Area in AFRL’s Aerospace Vehicles Division and the Structural Integrity Team in the Structures Technology Branch. The scope of her Product Area includes digital thread and digital twin as applied to the design and sustainment of aerospace vehicles, and she is a champion for the development and implementation of digital engineering, digital thread, and digital twin across the weapon system lifecycle. She collaborates closely with the AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, and the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Systems Engineering.
Dr. Kobryn began her Air Force career after earning a B.S. in Materials Engineering from Renssealer Polytechnic Insitute. She subsequently earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial Engineering from The Ohio State University as a member of the Metals Processing Team in the Metals Branch of the AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. During her time with the Metals Processing Team, Dr. Kobryn worked in the area of solidification processing and led research projects on novel manufacturing methods such as metal-mold casting and laser additive manufacturing of titanium. Prior to joining the Structures Technology Branch, Dr. Kobryn spent 5 years as a collocated materials engineer in the Airframe Integrated Product Team of the F-35 Joint Program Office. Dr. Kobryn has authored/coauthored over 10 peer-reviewed journal articles, one ASM Handbook Chapter, and many conference papers/presentations.