Gerardo Javier "Gerry" Meléndez, PhD
PhD, Electrical Engineering, CoE, 1994
Dr. Meléndez is the president and CEO of Enterprise Technology Systems, LLC, which provides consulting services specializing in organizational structure and strategy development, continuous process improvement, program management, sensors, signal processing, artificial neural networks, and armaments. After 31 years of service as a federal employee working for the US Army, he retired from federal service in 2014 as a member of the Senior Executive Service. He served as the director of the Armament Research, Development & Engineering Center (ARDEC) in Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, the largest US Army research, development and engineering center focused on improving the Army’s lethality. He also served as the director of the Command, Power and Integration Directorate (formerly Command & Control Directorate) with responsibility for the research, development and engineering of software-enabled command and control capabilities; portable and mobile electric power systems; environmental control systems; position, navigation and timing capabilities; and quick-reaction integration of systems into military platforms. Early in his career Dr. Meléndez was responsible for the development of techniques to identify airborne targets as friend or foe. As a subject matter expert in the topic he was assigned to work with the NATO Allies to develop anti-fratricide techniques in the aftermath of fratricide reports during Operation Desert Storm. Upon retirement Dr Meléndez has provided consultancy services to the federal government, defense contractors and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In 2012, Dr. Meléndez was inducted into the College of Engineering Alumni Circle of Distinction. Other notable recognitions include being conferred the Rank of Meritorious Executive by the U.S. President in 2010, receiving the Department of the Army Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service in 2014, and inductions into the Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe in 2014 and the Order of Saint Maurice in 2013.