David C. Gross

David C. Gross serves as a Teaching Professor in the Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering at Florida State University's Panama City campus, specializing in model-based systems engineering, digital engineering, and human-computer interaction with emphasis on virtual environments and naval/aerospace systems. His industry leadership at Boeing and Lockheed Martin includes roles as Chief Technologist for Modeling & Simulation and Deputy Chief Engineer for simulation labs.

Dr. Gross holds a PhD in Systems and Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida, an MS in Operations Research from the University of Alabama at Huntsville, and a BS in Computer Science from Auburn University. His research bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications in power distribution systems for naval vessels, CubeSat-based space situational awareness, and affordance theory in virtual environments.

His scholarly output demonstrates consistent innovation in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies across defense and aerospace domains. Recent work focuses on functional architecture baselining for power electronic systems, parameter optimization in naval design, and space situational awareness visualization. Cross-cutting themes include semantic interoperability, fidelity measurement, and human factors integration in complex systems engineering.

Dr. Gross has been awarded the NASA Faculty Fellowship for his contributions to aerospace research. His industry impact includes leading $1B+ technical innovations and influencing over $3B in business opportunities through systems engineering leadership at major defense contractors.

His academic work is deeply informed by two decades of industry experience where he pioneered modeling and simulation standards through organizations like the Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO). Current research directions include sustainable transportation planning and MBSE applications for emerging energy systems, building on his foundational work in affordance-based virtual environment design.