Name: Maj. Ara Barton, USMC
Hometown: China Lake, California
Major: M.S. candidate, Systems Engineering
Ara Barton lives life in the fast lane – literally. He began
his career flying FA-18 Hornet jets for the Marine Corps and now spends
his days testing new systems and software for the Hornet and Superhornet
as an operational test director with the Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation
Squadron Nine in China Lake, California.
So it’s no surprise that Barton has opted to pursue graduate studies
via videotape. Barton currently is enrolled in the master’s program
in systems engineering offered by the Department of Engineering Management,
Information and Systems.
Barton says he selected the SMU program for two reasons: he was looking
for a systems engineering program from a highly regarded university,
and the distance education system at SMU was highly recommended by some
of his colleagues. “They were right,” Barton says. “The
staff and faculty have been fantastic!”
Barton, who holds an undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering from
the Naval Academy, says he hopes his graduate studies will give him a
better grounding in the multitude of statistics the military uses to
evaluate systems and a better background in statistical analysis for
follow-up on tests. He also would also like to develop a good understanding
of how to justify the quantity of testing the military does on systems
to prove or disprove their suitability for the military.
Barton says he might like to pursue a career in systems engineering
when he leaves the Marine Corps, but for now he has another goal in mind:
consideration for NASA’s astronaut program.
