Mark Buckner

About Mark Buckner

Dr. Mark Buckner has over 32 years of experience in R&D leadership, strategic planning, coordination, and execution. As a Distinguished Research Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, he was responsible for the strategic and tactical direction of teams of innovative cross-disciplinary scientists and engineers conducting R&D in support of strategic government, commercial, and U.S. national security needs. He is currently the lead Instructor of Oak Ridge High School\'s iSchool, a futuristic learning ecosystem aimed at creating teams of innovators who are skillful, able to think critically, and work collaboratively to generate solutions to the most pressing challenges facing VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) our world. The $1.24M grant which launced the program was part of the State of Tennessee’s new Innovative High Schools Model program which was implemented to challenge Tennessee schools to define and describe how the high school, local industry and postsecondary partners can collaborate to reimagine the use of time, space, partnerships, and/or modes of learning through means such as virtual, hybrid, work-based learning, and after-school time to meet the needs of students, partners, and employers. iSchool students learn about systems thinking, design thinking, integrative thinking, wicked problem solving, lean and agile principles and methods, and the science of learning. In addition to creating a curriculum that includes highly sought after skills and professional credentials, the grant has enabled ORHS to stand-up a state-of-the-art digital design and manufacturing center which includes a Haas UMC-500SS 5-axis CNC, CNC mills and lathes, industrial grade FDM, SLA & SLS 3D printers, water-jet, and fiber laser. In his free time he serves as Lead Mentor of FIRST Robotics Competition Team 4265 Secret City Wildbots.

Experience

1. Robotics Innovation Design & Manufacturing Wildcat Manufacturing Mentor First Robotics Team 4265

   Oak Ridge High School

   Jul 2021 — Present · Oak Ridge, TN, US

   Lead Instructor at Oak Ridge High School’s iSchool, is a futuristic learning ecosystem aimed at creating teams of innovators who are skillful, able to think critically, and work collaboratively to generate solutions to the most pressing challenges facing VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) our world. iSchool students learn about systems thinking, design thinking, integrative thinking, wicked problem solving, lean and agile principles and methods, and the science of learning. In addition to creating a curriculum that includes highly sought after skills and professional credentials, the grant has enabled ORHS to stand-up a state-of-the-art digital design and manufacturing center which includes a Haas UMC-500SS 5-axis CNC, CNC mills and lathes, industrial grade FDM, SLA & SLS 3D printers, water-jet, and fiber laser.

Education

• University of Tennessee-Knoxville

  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

  1987 — 2003

• University of Tennessee-Knoxville

  Master of Science (MS)

  1987 — 2003

• Carson-Newman University

  Bachelor's degree

  1981 — 1986

Skills

• Scrum4hw
• Change Management
• Leadership
• Research
• Strategy
• Cognitive Radio
• Software Engineering
• Product Development
• Strategic Planning
• Mentoring
• Lean Startup
• Program Management
• Biomimetics
• Machine Learning
• Software Defined Radio
• Management
• Coaching & Mentoring
• Certified Scrum Master
• Software Development
• Analysis
• Physics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Certified Scrum Product Owner
• Engineering