Dr. Rutherford brings over forty years of leadership spanning higher education, aerospace engineering, and global academic accreditation. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and both a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University. His expertise is further supported by a Global Leadership Certificate from the American Graduate School of International Management.

During his eighteen-year tenure as a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University, he served as the Director of Global Aerospace Design. In this role, he pioneered an international curriculum that coordinated virtual, multi-country student teams across the United States, Mexico, India, and Singapore. 

Dr. Rutherford is also a recognized authority on academic accreditation. For nearly two decades, he served the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET in various roles, including Program Evaluator, Commissioner, and Commission Chair. Through his consulting firm, Assessment Advantage, LLC, he has provided guidance on curriculum alignment and outcomes assessment to engineering programs worldwide, with significant experience assisting universities throughout Southeast Asia. 

His academic work is supported by extensive experience in aerospace program management. At Boeing, he served as an International Program Manager, directing a $415 million production program to deliver AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopters to the Government of Singapore. This project required complex coordination across engineering, logistics, and international diplomacy. earing him the Gruppo Augusta Award from the American Helicopter Society and multiple quality achievement awards from McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems. 

An active innovator, Dr. Rutherford is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He holds three U.S. patents in advanced aircraft design and has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications. His career is defined by a commitment to bridging classroom education with real-world industry standards vision that will guide AUV as it continues to develop its next generation of international scholars.