When Ed Burnett (Aerospace ’83, ’85) was hired by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. through a co-op his sophomore year, he didn’t know he would have a hand in solving seemingly unsolvable challenges. Retiring after 38 years with the company, he still serves as a Lockheed Martin Senior Fellow, emeritus on a part time basis. His dedication to the company is matched only by his support for the Cal Poly College of Engineering.

In October, Burnett was honored as a 2021 Cal Poly Honored Alumnus.

“Ed’s motivation and desire to make a difference provide an incredible example of the caliber of people Cal Poly prepares for the world,” Dean Amy S. Fleischer said. “He is a visionary professional, College of Engineering advocate and philanthropic supporter, and I believe he is one of the finest examples of a Cal Poly alumnus.”

Burnett grew up in Santa Barbara County and started attending Cal Poly in the summer of 1979, serving as a resident advisor. During his second year, he walked on the Mustangs football team that won the 1980 NCAA Division II championship but left when finances became tight, and he could not secure a scholarship. His co-op with Lockheed Martin came shortly after and, following graduation, turned into a rewarding career solving the impossible.

“There are things I worked on that had never been done before, including the F-117 Nighthawk,” said Burnett of the first stealth airplane developed by Lockheed’s Advanced Development Program, better known as Skunk Works®, in response to the urgent national need for a jet fighter that could operate completely undetected by the enemy. “As a part of Skunk Works®, we were always trying to come up with ways to solve unique problems. To fly higher, faster and further without being detected.”

“Every advancement in aerospace technology has been tested at Skunk Works,” Fleischer said. “That’s what Ed did, and that’s pretty amazing because it shows how truly innovative he can be.”

That innovation helped with everything from the first stealth airplane to the Lockheed Martin X-35B, the first aircraft to perform a Short Takeoff, a supersonic dash, and then perform a vertical landing in one flight.

“At Cal Poly, I learned how to break the problems down into smaller pieces, using not only mathematical models but physical models,” Burnett said. “The professors I had were so inspirational. They taught me to solve simple problems, then build them back up.”

Burnett, who is married to Abra Flores, stayed in close contact with Cal Poly as an alumnus. He serves on the Electrical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering advisory boards and served on the College of Engineering Advisory Board from 2014 to 2019. He also has facilitated grants from Lockheed Martin that support many projects in the Aerospace Engineering Department, enhancing the skills of Cal Poly graduates and follows a long-running record of philanthropy within the university.

“Not only has he contributed to amazing advancements in the aerospace field, but he has served as a role model to our students,” Fleischer said. “He has never forgotten us, and that will impact Cal Poly Engineering for decades and beyond.”