John Slaughter

Director of the UAS Research and Operations Center

University of Maryland

Monday September 8, 2025, 12 PM ET

In-Person Seminar Info:

This seminar will be held at noon at Rm 4102 of ESSIC, 5825 University Research Ct. College Park, MD 20740. Refreshments will be available for those who attend in person, and a Zoom option is also available for virtual attendees.

Click here to RSVP for attendance

Abstract:

The seminar will familiarize researchers with a little-known UMD asset: the UROC. UROC is a part of the Aerospace Engineering Department and provides Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) for research support to faculty and students; supports student teams and provides hands-on undergraduate internships each summer; works with public and private entities on research and test flight operations involving UAS; and spearheads projects aimed at advancing the integration of UAS into the National Airspace System. To do this, it has a small staff of engineers and drone operators with deep expertise and broad experience in drone design, fabrication, test, and operations. It routinely works with the Federal Aviation Administration and is highly conversant with federal law and regulations regarding UAS operations including obtaining authorizations to fly drones under waivers, COAs, and exemptions to federal law. It has an extensive UAS fleet of multicopters, fixed-wing, and VTOL systems including an in-house family of open-source, NDAA compliant systems custom designed to meet the needs of researchers. 

Biosketch:

John Slaughter received his bachelor’s degree in 1983 and was immediately commissioned into the U.S. Navy from the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps at the University of California, Berkeley. Following flight school, he flew numerous aircraft types and accumulated over 4000 flight hours while commanding an operational helicopter squadron at sea and a flight test squadron ashore. He served in Naval Aviation acquisition roles where he led procurement of the MH-60S helicopter and was Military Director of the Systems Engineering Department at the Naval Air Systems Command. Following retirement from the Navy in 2012 he joined a small business focused on support to Naval Aviation. He led company business development activities taking it from 90 to over 300 employees and from $15M to over $50M in annual revenue, and managed a small division providing commercial UAS services. In August 2022, he left the business world and joined the University of Maryland as Director of the UAS Research and Operations Center located at the St. Mary’s County airport in Southern Maryland. 

Hybrid (In-Person & Virtual):

This is a hybrid (in-person & virtual) seminar with refreshments served at Rm 4102, 5825 University Ct, MD

Event site: https://go.umd.edu/slaughter

Zoom Webinar: https://go.umd.edu/essicseminarwebinars

Zoom Meeting ID: 918 7733 3086

Zoom password: essic

US Toll: +13017158592
Global call-in numbers: https://umd.zoom.us/u/aMElEpvNu

Add to Google Calendar

For IT assistance:
Cazzy Medley: cazzy@umd.edu

Resources:

Seminar schedule & archive: https://go.umd.edu/essicseminar

Seminar Google calendar: https://go.umd.edu/essicseminarcalendar

Seminar recordings on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ESSICUMD