Destined to become an engineer

Scott Zogg spent his boyhood days dreaming about turning problems into products. Find out how this 2006 Inventor of the Year made those dreams come true.

By Kathy Hogan

North Dakota native and 2006 Rockwell Collins Inventor of the Year Scott Zogg was honored for his work on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT).
Photo by Paul Marlow
The Creative Gene, LLC

An admirer of American inventor and businessman Thomas Edison, Scott Zogg spent his boyhood days dreaming about how cool it would be to invent something. Today, with seven patents lining the walls of his Rockwell Collins office, and 12 more pending at the U.S. Patent Trademark Office, it's safe to say that Zogg has made his dream a reality.

"I like making stuff work — turning problems into products," said Zogg, who was recently named the Rockwell Collins 2006 Inventor of the Year. "That's one of the reasons people go into engineering — to solve problems."

A native of Grand Forks, N.D., Zogg originally set out to follow in his father's footsteps, much the same way two of his brothers did. But one-and-a-half years after he entered college as a chemistry major and pre-med student, Zogg decided to take a different route.

"My dad was a physiologist at The University of North Dakota, and two of my brothers are in the medical field, so I figured that was in my genes," said Zogg. "But it didn't take me long to realize that I was destined to become an engineer."

Recently promoted to director of Advanced Radio Systems, Zogg has had the good fortune of working on a variety of successful projects since joining Rockwell Collins more than two decades ago. He has been involved with work on both the commercial and government sides of our business, and was recognized in 2002 as one of six Engineers of the Year.

His recent recognition as Inventor of the Year, however, is a result of the contributions he made toward the development of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT). More specifically, he was honored for inventing a waveform, architecture, and channel access control mechanism to receive wireless data simultaneously from multiple sources.

"The TTNT technology, developed for DARPA, is now in the process of transitioning to MIDS-J," explained Zogg. "It allows broadband Internet connectivity, which will directly impact our warfighters and allow them to be more effective in their missions."

A graduate of The University of North Dakota with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, and The University of Iowa with a Master of Science degree in electrical and computer engineering, Zogg admits he is extremely proud to work for Rockwell Collins.

"Our company has such a rich history," he said. "From the legacy of Art Collins, to the Apollo landing on the moon, to all of the new technology we are developing today, this is an amazing place. We are open and honest with our customers and, when we say we're going to do something, we follow through."

That's also a personal philosophy for Zogg as well, and is something he tries to instill in those around him.

"We have so many talented engineers and scientists here, so many people deserving of an honor like this award," said Zogg. "Being picked as that one innovative person is a tremendous honor."

Volume 12 Issue 2 > Destined to become an engineer
Volume 12 Issue 2 Open to innovative ideas Inventor of the Year Scott Zogg Engineers of the Year Mike Espenes Steve Robbins Rob Frank The power of a simple choice From Clay Jones Executive profile - Kent Statler Letters to the editor Contributors in this issue Across our company Service anniversaries Retirees In memoriam Facility spotlight		Destined to become an engineer Scott Zogg spent his boyhood days dreaming about turning problems into products. Find out how this 2006 Inventor of the Year made those dreams come true. By Kathy Hogan North Dakota native and 2006 Rockwell Collins Inventor of the Year Scott Zogg was honored for his work on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT). Photo by Paul Marlow The Creative Gene, LLC An admirer of American inventor and businessman Thomas Edison, Scott Zogg spent his boyhood days dreaming about how cool it would be to invent something. Today, with seven patents lining the walls of his Rockwell Collins office, and 12 more pending at the U.S. Patent Trademark Office, it's safe to say that Zogg has made his dream a reality. "I like making stuff work — turning problems into products," said Zogg, who was recently named the Rockwell Collins 2006 Inventor of the Year. "That's one of the reasons people go into engineering — to solve problems." A native of Grand Forks, N.D., Zogg originally set out to follow in his father's footsteps, much the same way two of his brothers did. But one-and-a-half years after he entered college as a chemistry major and pre-med student, Zogg decided to take a different route. "My dad was a physiologist at The University of North Dakota, and two of my brothers are in the medical field, so I figured that was in my genes," said Zogg. "But it didn't take me long to realize that I was destined to become an engineer." Recently promoted to director of Advanced Radio Systems, Zogg has had the good fortune of working on a variety of successful projects since joining Rockwell Collins more than two decades ago. He has been involved with work on both the commercial and government sides of our business, and was recognized in 2002 as one of six Engineers of the Year. His recent recognition as Inventor of the Year, however, is a result of the contributions he made toward the development of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT). More specifically, he was honored for inventing a waveform, architecture, and channel access control mechanism to receive wireless data simultaneously from multiple sources. "The TTNT technology, developed for DARPA, is now in the process of transitioning to MIDS-J," explained Zogg. "It allows broadband Internet connectivity, which will directly impact our warfighters and allow them to be more effective in their missions." A graduate of The University of North Dakota with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, and The University of Iowa with a Master of Science degree in electrical and computer engineering, Zogg admits he is extremely proud to work for Rockwell Collins. "Our company has such a rich history," he said. "From the legacy of Art Collins, to the Apollo landing on the moon, to all of the new technology we are developing today, this is an amazing place. We are open and honest with our customers and, when we say we're going to do something, we follow through." That's also a personal philosophy for Zogg as well, and is something he tries to instill in those around him. "We have so many talented engineers and scientists here, so many people deserving of an honor like this award," said Zogg. "Being picked as that one innovative person is a tremendous honor."