DRON8 Summit 2026 — Austin, Texas

Maruthi Akella is a professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin, where he holds the Cockrell Family Endowed Chair in Engineering. His research spans coordinated autonomous systems, learning, adaptation, and vision-based sensing — and his group contributed the onboard guidance algorithm for the Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission, the first U.S. moon landing in more than 50 years. A Fellow of the AIAA, IEEE, and AAS and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, his contributions to astrodynamics were honored in 2024 when the International Astronomical Union named asteroid 5376 Maruthiakella after him.

Frank Trevino is a technology executive with more than 30 years of experience advancing innovation, AI, and data intelligence across the space, telecommunications, and technology sectors. He is Managing Partner of Illumulus Space, co-founder of Frontier Forum, and leads the Data Intelligence Group at Space Foundation. He advises governments and industry — including the U.S. Department of State and NASA — on technology strategy, dual-use commercialization, and space situational awareness. A graduate of the University of Oxford, where he is currently pursuing his DPhil, he also holds an MBA from the University of Houston and a BS from The University of Texas at Austin.

Scott Firsing, PhD is an aerospace and technology executive with over 20 years of experience spanning aviation, space, UAS, and dual-use innovation. He is Founder and President of Scott Sky Advisors and co-founder of Frontier Forum, with senior business development and advisory roles across the aircraft, simulation, and space sectors. He has worked for the United Nations and advised the U.S. Department of State and the White House. A former professor and author of more than 100 publications, he holds a PhD in International Politics and is a graduate of the London School of Economics.

Michael W. Mosser, PhD is Director of the Center for European Studies at The University of Texas at Austin and Associate Professor of Instruction in the Department of Government and the International Relations and Global Studies program. A Distinguished Scholar at the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law, he served as Executive Director of UT's Global Disinformation Lab from 2022 to 2024 and as faculty liaison to the U.S. Department of State's Diplomacy Lab. His teaching and research focus on European and international security, international organizations, and the intersection of technology and defense. An award-winning educator named to the 2021 Texas Ten, he holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.