Adam Barber

After witnessing the tragic events of 9/11 during a middle school class in his hometown of Nelsonville, Ohio, Adam knew from an early age that he wanted to serve his country. To that end, he enrolled in the Army ROTC program at Ohio University while earning a B.S. in mechanical engineering. As an engineering student, he became fascinated with sustainability, energy, and the environment, which led him to work as an engineer and research assistant at the OU Institute for Sustainability and the Environment. After college, he was commissioned as an aviation officer and completed flight school, becoming an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter pilot.

As an Army officer, Adam was humbled to lead several amazing aviation teams through countless attack, security, and reconnaissance missions, both at home and overseas. In addition to serving two Apache helicopter company commands, Adam broadened professionally with Army engineers where he earned an M.S. in engineering management from Missouri University of Science and Technology and graduated from the Sapper Leader Course. After 9 years of service, Adam enrolled in the Leaders for Global Operations program at MIT to earn an M.B.A. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering. His current research focus is sustainability and equity in the energy sector. He has enjoyed learning from and contributing to the experiences of his incredibly talented and diverse classmates, with whom he shares a passion for bettering the human condition through leadership in technology. Adam and his wife, Brittany, have two sons, John (5) and Sam (3).