Dr. Douglas Herrmann
Douglas J. Herrmann (Doug) was born and raised in Lorain, graduating from Admiral King in 1983. He went on to Purdue University where he majored in Mechanical Engineering. While at Purdue, Doug was in the cooperative education program, working 4 semesters as an engineering intern at General Electric Aircraft Engine in Evendale, OH and Albuquerque, NM. This is where he found his love for aerospace and specifically aircraft engines.
After completing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Purdue, Doug worked for Pratt & Whitney in West Palm Beach, FL where he had the opportunity to be involved in the design of the F119 engine for the F22 Raptor. Doug then returned to Purdue where he completed his PhD in Mechanical Engineering specializing in fatigue and fracture mechanics. He then spent a year as a National Research Council Fellow at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA, before beginning his 30+ year career with Rolls-Royce in Indianapolis, IN.
At Rolls-Royce, Doug has had the opportunity to contribute to a number of exciting projects, including engines that power many civilian and military aircraft including the ERJ 145, Cessna Citation X, C-130 Hercules, V22 Osprey, P-3 Orion, A427 Hawkeye, RQ-4 Global Hawk, F35B Lightning II, and now the new Bell MV-75 Cheyenne II Tiltrotor for the US Army which is intended to replace the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. His technical contributions primarily focused on improving engine durability/safety and reducing fuel consumption.
His engineering leadership roles at Rolls-Royce have included being the Chief Project Engineer for a number of engine projects, Head of Test, and the Chief Engineer – Advanced Product Development. Currently, Doug serves as the Chief Engineer – AE 1107F, the engine being developed to power the MV-75 Tiltrotor for the US Army.
Outside of work, Doug has given back through youth baseball, serving on the boards of Indiana Dirt Bags Baseball and Hamilton Southeastern Baseball, a program involving approximately 2,000 young athletes.
Doug currently lives in Fishers, IN but is still just a Lorain kid. He has been married to the love of his life, Karen, for 36 years and is the very proud father of Andrew, David, and Katie.