Prof. Zoe Szajnfarber is an Associate Professor of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering and of International Affairs at the George Washington University. Her research focuses on design and innovation management in complex systems, with particular emphasis on how the organizational and technical systems architectures interact, and affect engineering work, during the design and development process. She has spent most of her career studying the aerospace and defense sector, from traditional acquisition programs to open innovation contests. Szajnfarber received her bachelor's degree in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto and conducted her graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There she earned dual masters' degrees in Aeronautics & Astronautics and Technology Policy and a doctorate in Engineering Systems. Outside of academia, Dr. Szajnfarber has worked as a systems engineer at MDA Space Missions (Canadarm Program) and Dynacon Inc. (Microsatellites); and as a researcher at the European Space Agency (Advanced Concepts Team) and NASA (studying multiple centers).