Derek K. Hitchins (United Kingdom) – Honorary Member Citation
Derek K. Hitchins joined the Royal Air Force in 1952 as an apprentice, subsequently becoming an engineering officer to include weapon systems with a Lightning Squadron; MOD as systems architect for Automatic Test Equipment; R&D for the UK Air Defense System; and the Staff College leading to an MSc from Southampton University in 1968. His last tour was as OC Engineering Wing at the RAF College Cranwell, retiring from the RAF at age 38 and joining the premier Systems House EASAMS, where he was appointed Avionics Systems Design Manager. Later he joined the US team conceiving and designing the Reagan’s Star Wars program. In 1988 he became Professor of Engineering Management at City University, London, receiving his PhD in Systems Science in 1990. Drr. Hitichins then became the BAe Systems Professor at Cranfield University for Command & Communications and then Systems Science. Derek founded, and was the inaugural president of the UK INCOSE Chapter, becoming both an INCOSE Fellow and Pioneer. The exemplary quality and timely appearance of SE publications is unmatched, with well over 100 including: six books, three on systems thinking/systems engineering, and two on the web for general use; a comprehensive SE web site; and a YouTube channel dedicated to SE. As one of the OAA Charter Members named in 2006, the Omega Alpha Board of Directors is delighted and honored to include Professor Hitchins as an Honorary Membership in the International Honor Society for Systems Engineering.