Inducted
Degrees
Baxter (Bob) Mullins joined the General Dynamics Corporation as an aerosystems engineering specialist upon receiving his BSAE degree at WVU. By 1979, he had risen to a senior position with responsibility for threat analysis and the design and verification of weapon system simulations for the Air Force Electronic Warfare Evaluation Simulator.
After completing his MSE degree at Southern Methodist University, Mullins began working on his PhD at the University of Texas at Arlington while teaching a variety of courses. Mullins continued to teach after completing his PhD, performing research and developing a reputation for his expertise in a variety of areas including aerodynamics and atmospheric flight mechanics of aircraft in adverse weather conditions, including airframe icing, wind shear and turbulence.
Mullins served as director of TCS Consulting from 1986 to 1996. He specialized in flight vehicle design, modeling, simulation, wind tunnel testing and accident reconstruction. He also worked with a variety of defense and aircraft companies including BEI Defense Systems, Bell Helicopter Textron and Ishida Corporation on projects ranging from studies of microburst and windshear-induced accidents to the development of the Advanced Rocket System and Hypervelocity Rocket System.
From 1996 to the present, Mullins has worked for Bell Helicopter Textron joining the company as a staff engineer and rising to the position of chief, research projects and technology programs. In this capacity, he has led the development of five-year and twenty-year technology plans, including the development of advanced concepts to meet customer requirements for the next generation vertical lift aircraft. Mullins has incorporated innovative and modern management processes such as integrated product teams, earned value management systems and Six Sigma into research and technology development programs. While managing more than 100 internal and contracted research programs, he also directs and coordinates bidding and proposal activities for contract R&D, averaging $20-$35 million per year in new contracts.