Thurmond Senter

M.S., AEROSPACE ENGINEERING, VIRGINIA TECH, 2002B.S.,AEROSPACE ENGINEERING, VIRGINIA TECH, 1999

Thurmond Senter is the executive manager for military Advanced Programs Engineering at GE Edison Works (GE Aviation) in Cincinnati, Ohio, responsible for shaping opportunities to install new or derivative propulsion systems into advanced military applications and inventing and maturing technologies that differentiate those products.

Mr. Senter attended Virginia Tech, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1999 with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. He began his career with GE in 1995 on the engineering co-op program and transitioned to full time in 1999.  Thurmond has accumulated over 23 years of gas turbine design and engineering management experience with GE, predominantly working advanced military programs.  The son of a U.S. Air Force pilot, Thurmond grew up in an Air Force family and has great passion for military applications and customers.

Putting his VT degree to good use, early in his career Mr. Senter led the development and test efforts for the F136 augmentor. In addition to leading the aero / combustion / signature integration design teams, Thurmond pioneered development of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools and techniques for military exhaust systems, laying a foundation for major updates to GE’s augmentor and nozzle aero design practices.  Following his work on the F136, Thurmond owned a portion of the Adaptive Versatile Engine Technology (ADVENT) fan module, working the convertible fan system design that led to the XA100 Adaptive Engine technology.  Thurmond has served in roles of increasing responsibility in design and systems engineering, holds multiple patents, and for his engineering contributions has been awarded the GE Edward Woll Young Engineers Award for outstanding leadership and initiative and the Professional Accomplishment In Industry Award from the Engineers & Scientists of Cincinnati.  As a manager, prior to his promotion to Executive, Mr. Senter led diverse teams in the military business segment including Advanced Programs Mechanical Design, Advanced Programs Systems Engineering, and Military Engineering Operations.

A vocal advocate for his alma mater, Mr. Senter served as GE Aviation’s  Lead Recruiter for Virginia Tech for 9 years.  He has been a guest lecturer and has served on the Virginia Tech Industrial Advisory Council (IAC) for the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity (CEED).

Thurmond and his wife Mariah live in southwest Ohio with their three sons.  When he is not inventing the future of flight, Thurmond enjoys hobby farming and tending his flock of pet chickens – Go Hokies!