How K-State taught engineer and U.S. Air Force colonel Dustin Thomas ’02, ’21 to solve problems – one innovative step at a time

Posted August 05, 2025

Dustin Thomas ’02, ’21

“Don’t wait for permission — if you see a problem, start solving it.” 

That’s one of the best pieces of advice Dustin Thomas ’02, ’21 has to offer the K-State engineering students seeking to follow in his footsteps.

“You’re never going to feel completely ready, and you’re never going to be ‘good enough’ before you begin — whether that’s launching a startup, tackling a tough engineering challenge, or even starting a family,” Thomas says. “But that’s no excuse to sit still. No one is ever really ready. It’s the journey of solving the problem that makes you ready.”

It’s advice that has served Thomas well both during his time studying mechanical engineering at K-State, and in his current rank as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force. And these problem-solving skills have also helped him prepare for a rapidly evolving future.

“With AI-assisted design, 3D printing and software-defined systems, we can finally start matching the speed of innovation to the speed of the mission,” he said. “And that future isn’t 20 years away. The shift has already started.”

Taking the first step

Thomas looks back with fond memories on his years at K-State, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering and participated in Air Force ROTC. During his time as a student, he also met his wife, Amy Ashford Thomas ’01, and got married, and his daughter was born during his senior year. 

He says his time at K-State gave him curiosity, structure and confidence, and showed him that it’s OK to go ahead and take the first step towards overcoming an obstacle — even if the path ahead isn’t totally clear.

“The engineering program taught me how to solve complex problems by breaking them down into manageable chunks,” he said. “One of the most valuable lessons I learned was not to get overwhelmed when facing something hard. If you don’t know where to begin, just start by defining the problem, listing what you know and what you assume. That simple habit has carried me through some of the toughest situations — many of which weren’t even technical.”

His experiences in K-State’s Air Force ROTC program also helped shape him as a leader and learn how to work as a team.

“It was my first exposure to leading teams and understanding how different people respond to different styles of leadership,” he said. “But to be honest, it also frustrated me most of the time. My mindset didn’t always mesh with the rigid structure of military training programs. It forced me to adapt — to shape myself to fit within something far bigger than me. And that’s exactly why I joined the Air Force in the first place.”

Problem solving with a time crunch

All that experience led to Thomas’ recent involvement with a project called Black Phoenix, which he calls “one of the most exciting things I’ve ever worked on.” The challenge was to design, create, build and fly an unmanned aerial system within 24 hours.

Thomas worked on the project through an innovative military fellowship called Blue Horizons. According to the U.S. Air Force, Blue Horizons is “part think-tank, part incubator that promotes unconventional thinking and processes” and seeks to tackle “Air Force problems with strategic impact.”

Thomas’ team partnered with a small startup based out of Los Angeles called Titan Dynamics to see if they could write software to design a small airplane around a specific payload and mission, use 3D printing to build it quickly and cheaply, and fly it … all in the same day. 

“The first time that aircraft took off, flew the mission, and came back, it felt like watching the future arrive,” Thomas recalls. “But honestly, the best part wasn’t the tech. It was the team. It was watching a small group of people come together to attempt something genuinely hard — something we were told was on the ‘bleeding edge of crazy.’ As one of my teammates liked to say, ‘People are more important than hardware.’ That experience confirmed something I’ve believed since my K-State engineering days: you can solve almost any problem if you’re willing to break it down, take the first step, and build the right team around you.”

>>>Learn more about the project.

Air Force project

Thomas said technology like artificial intelligence and 3D printing continues to advance at a breakneck pace, and he is embracing the challenges — and opportunities — that come as part of that. 

“I’m now leading an organization that’s trying to transform how the Department of Defense oversees the production of drones and robotics,” he said. “We’re exploring ways to shift from traditional factory models to something faster, more distributed, and closer to the point of need.”

Where new ideas are born

Thomas sees many possibilities ahead for the students currently studying engineering at K-State, and he encourages them to take what resources they already have and look for creative solutions.

“The tools are more accessible than ever,  and you don’t need a massive lab or a billion-dollar company to start building,” he said. “Some of the best innovation I’ve seen has come out of garages, dorm rooms and messy little teams that just got to work. Big companies are great for scale, but small teams are where new ideas are born.

“Also, remember this: innovation isn’t about coming up with something totally new. There’s nothing new under the sun. Innovation is more like building a snowmobile out of spare parts, taking pieces that already exist and combining them in a new way, for a new purpose. The world doesn’t need more people waiting around for the perfect idea. It needs more people who are willing to start building.”