Joseph Mckenna
Managing Director, Purdue Military Res
| Campus: | West Lafayette |
|---|---|
| Office: | |
| Phone: | (765) 496-4274 |
Biography
Colonel (Retired) Joseph W. McKenna is the Managing Director of the Purdue Military Research Institute (PMRI) at Purdue University. In this role, he leads program operations, strategic growth, and execution of key initiatives to develop innovative, mission-ready leaders as strategic national assets to synergize military research and help America maintain military dominance. He combines extensive operational command experience with deep expertise in flight test, defense industry management, and leadership development to strengthen PMRI’s impact on military officers and national defense.
Joe retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2025 after a 26-year career. A seasoned leader in military operations, flight test, and leader development, he was commissioned in 1999 through Manhattan College’s Air Force ROTC. His initial assignments included serving as an Electro Optics and Foreign Materiel Engineer with the Air Force Research Laboratory and National Air Intelligence Center. Following the September 11th attacks, his career pivoted to aviation and bomber operations. After graduating from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, he combined his operational and technical background testing and evaluating airborne weapons, avionics, and radar systems on the B-1 and B-52 bombers. He commanded the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron, where he was responsible for flight test and evaluation of all fighter and bomber delivered nuclear weapons. He also served as Vice Commander of the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, managing operations of America’s largest bomber aircraft base, overseeing 5,500 personnel, 44 aircraft, and $14.5B in assets. His final active-duty assignment was as Commander, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, Detachment 220 and Professor of Aerospace Studies at Purdue University, where he trained and developed leaders of character to commission as Air and Space Force officers.
Joe is a Master Navigator with over 2,100 flying hours in 35 different aircraft types, including 350 combat hours. He was a Department of Defense Acquisition Corps member with a Level 3 certification in Test and Evaluation.
He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Manhattan College (1999), an M.S. in Leadership and Information Technology from Duquesne University (2006), and an M.S. in Flight Test Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (2008). He is also a graduate of Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College (distance learning), Air War College (distance learning), and earned a Master of Military Arts and Science from the Army Command and General Staff College (2012) and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College as a Distinguished Graduate (2021).
Joe retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2025 after a 26-year career. A seasoned leader in military operations, flight test, and leader development, he was commissioned in 1999 through Manhattan College’s Air Force ROTC. His initial assignments included serving as an Electro Optics and Foreign Materiel Engineer with the Air Force Research Laboratory and National Air Intelligence Center. Following the September 11th attacks, his career pivoted to aviation and bomber operations. After graduating from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, he combined his operational and technical background testing and evaluating airborne weapons, avionics, and radar systems on the B-1 and B-52 bombers. He commanded the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron, where he was responsible for flight test and evaluation of all fighter and bomber delivered nuclear weapons. He also served as Vice Commander of the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, managing operations of America’s largest bomber aircraft base, overseeing 5,500 personnel, 44 aircraft, and $14.5B in assets. His final active-duty assignment was as Commander, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, Detachment 220 and Professor of Aerospace Studies at Purdue University, where he trained and developed leaders of character to commission as Air and Space Force officers.
Joe is a Master Navigator with over 2,100 flying hours in 35 different aircraft types, including 350 combat hours. He was a Department of Defense Acquisition Corps member with a Level 3 certification in Test and Evaluation.
He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Manhattan College (1999), an M.S. in Leadership and Information Technology from Duquesne University (2006), and an M.S. in Flight Test Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (2008). He is also a graduate of Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College (distance learning), Air War College (distance learning), and earned a Master of Military Arts and Science from the Army Command and General Staff College (2012) and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College as a Distinguished Graduate (2021).