Dr. John Sankovic, is president and CEO of Ohio Aerospace Institute. As OAI’s leader, John Sankovic prioritizes developing multi-university partnerships, driving research from university laboratories to Ohio’s industrial aerospace manufacturers and fostering novel collaborations between governments, industries, and private organizations.

John Sankovic comes to OAI following a distinguished 31-year career at NASA, where he most recently served as center chief technologist and director of the Office of Technology Incubation and Innovation. There, he received numerous awards, including the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, six Agency Honor Group Achievement Awards and an R&D100 technology innovation award.

An industrious academic, John Sankovic earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from The University of Akron, his Master of Business Administration degree from Cleveland State University and his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Ohio with distinction by the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers for highest achievement on both licensure examinations. He holds three U.S. patents.

Inclined to share his knowledge and passion with future generations of innovators, John Sankovic has taught numerous university courses over the past 15 years and authored or co-authored more than 70 technical publications on topics ranging from space propulsion and power to fluid mechanics and biomedical sciences.