In 2011 at the SAE conference Riley was recognized with one of the greatest achievements as an inventor when he was awarded the “Best of the Best” award for a two-stroke engine design that he invented. Matthew has many patents to his credit and has many new patents, both filed and pending for Astron's revolutionary new technology.

As an Engineering Director, Mr. Umbarkar has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills by successfully overseeing powertrain technology consulting projects. His contributions in expanding the software and consulting business through the development of technical capabilities and identification of new opportunities showcase his strategic thinking and business acumen.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Mr. Umbarkar is widely recognized for his comprehensive understanding of engine design and development across various industries. He has actively shared his expertise as a renowned speaker and has chaired international conferences, further establishing himself as an authority in the field. Additionally, his technical papers and articles published in leading industry magazines have contributed to the advancement of engineering knowledge.

Mr. Umbarkar's educational background, including a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from VJTI, Mumbai, and an Executive MBA from S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai, highlights his strong academic foundation and his ability to merge technical expertise with business management principles. Furthermore, his participation in the Harvard Executive Program underscores his strategic thinking and leadership capabilities.

With his extensive experience, leadership abilities, and unwavering passion for engine design and development, Mr. Yogesh Umbarkar is poised to make significant contributions in driving innovation and business scale at Astron Aerospace!

He received his Bachelors of Accounting degree from Wichita State University in 1998. In 2000 he received his Masters of Professional Accountancy degree from Wichita State University. He then sat for the CPA exam and passed it in 2002 receiving his certificate to practice. He is currently a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants.

With this experience, he moved into other managerial roles including becoming the Shop Supervisor and later the Quality Control Manager and eventually a General Manager. In 1994 along with his father he started Mockry & Sons Machine Company where he has spent the last 26 years managing this successful aerospace manufacturing company. During this time, he also gained experience in the automotive industry helping a local business develop and reengineer their fluid exchange machines including transmission, coolant, brake, and fuel systems. He continued to grow his business in the aerospace industry implementing the business systems and certifications necessary that helped his company to become a first-tier supplier to multiple aerospace manufacturers such as Spirit AeroSystems and Textron Aviation to name a few.

In 1997 he began working for a small aerospace machine shop, Mockry and Sons Machine and in 2000 he became the Shop Manager. During this time, he also accomplished

From 2009-2015 he was a member of the Wellington COOP Board of Directors overseeing the administration of product needs for the local farming community and from 1998-2006 he was a member of the Chikaskia TWP (township) board of directors where he helped oversee the maintenance and infrastructure needs of the township. He moved on in 2017 to work for Clearwater Engineering who is a supplier to the aerospace industry.

This move provided him experience in high-speed precision milling machining and the operations of a modern machine shop. He quickly moved into shop management and eventually into the expanded role of Operations Manager.

With this change, he managed all complex high speed and hard metals milling as well as assembly, maintenance, and facilities. His hands-on experience in machining and shop floor management, as well as other managerial positions, has also led to leading roles in lean manufacturing, production management, and efficiency initiatives including high levels of work in business systems and operations management.

He has an impressive background. For the last decade, Steve has been involved in numerous projects focused on the modeling of mobile source emissions related to gasoline and ethanol blends. Steve’s influence was instrumental in enabling testing that resulted in the publishing of numerous Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) papers on ethanol’s performance and emission benefits. In 2019, Steve was awarded the High Octane Award by BBI International and Ethanol Producer Magazine for his passion and unstoppable pursuits to benefit the ethanol industry.

Steve has also been instrumental in raising awareness within the scientific community, ethanol industry and general public on the health and emission benefits of ethanol. His dedication to engine and fuel properties has created a new level of research and understanding related to fuel ethanol.

Industry Involvement

• As an ASTM member, Steve has presented multiple times on fuel property limits and the challenges with modeling ethanol in a gasoline mixture.
• Member of the National Conference of Weights & Measures
• Member of EPA’s MOVES Review Group which reviews and analyzes the emission modeling qualities of EPA’s Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES) model.
• Active member in the Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) Association
• Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee, Clean Fuels Development Coalition

He is also responsible for the creation and administration of two research centers, the Applied Aviation Research Center, and the Bulk Solids Innovation Center. There, he is tasked with pivoting a campus with a primary teaching mission to one which incorporates leading research. He is responsible for developing business strategy, maintaining legislative relationships, and working with state leadership as current chair of the Kansas Governor’s Aviation Advisory Board. In this role his current project is development of a strategic plan to leverage Kansas' deep history in aviation manufacturing to global competitiveness in advanced aerospace research operations.

Dr. Barnhart is also responsible for managing campus research activities including research seed funding program oversight and undergraduate research showcase development. Dr. Barnhart’s Research agenda has been focused on the integration of Unmanned.

Aircraft Systems into the National Airspace System. His industry experience includes work as an R&D inspector with Rolls Royce Engine Company where he worked on the RQ-4 Unmanned Reconnaissance Aircraft development program, Research & Developmental Test Inspector, Allison Engine Co. (Now Rolls Royce), in Indianapolis, IN. where he monitored the build & tear-down of prototype jet aircraft engines. Engines included: 250 (all series), T-56, T-406, T-800, AE 3007 & 2100. Projects included the Citation X, V-22 Osprey, and Saab 2000. Dr. Barnhart is an invaluable asset to Astron in the development and production of this revolutionary new engine.

His education includes a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from The University of California, Berkeley, also in Mechanical Engineering. Along with his design expertise, Dr. Alei owns a full machine shop and eight 3D printers. One of these printers, a Markforged Mark Two, prints with chopped carbon fiber reinforced nylon. It also has the capability to incorporate continuous fiber reinforcement with fiberglass, carbon, or Kevlar yielding parts with tremendous strength and stiffness.

These lightweight parts are equivalent to or better than quality purchased components, but custom parts can be designed and produced in a matter of days. This combination of education, skill, experience, and fabrication capability puts Dr. Alei in a unique position to provide ultra-fast design iterations on a large variety of projects. In 1991, Dr. Alei and two other Ph.D. graduates from UC Berkeley founded Berkeley Engineering And Research (BEAR, Inc.), a consulting company focused on design, analysis, and testing of a variety of mechanical devices and systems. More can be found on our website: www.bearinc.com The company is now involved with several COVID-related projects, including a non-invasive ventilator.

Using a CPAP, full-face snorkel, and related interface we can provide oxygen to a patient without intubation. Although the United States government has not approved the device, we have successfully employed hundreds of these units in foreign countries, saving many lives in the process. Dr. Alei’s passion is providing fast prototype development, taking an idea “from your head to your hands” A recent colleague has stated: “Dr. Phil, with you, I don’t even need a bar napkin! I wave my hands with design ideas, and you put a working prototype in my hands within days that is even better than I imagined”