Outstanding Alumnus: Dr. Greg Bacon — Class of 1995, Appointed to ASMS School Board by Governor Kay Ivey
Story by: Lamaria Miles, ASMS Senior from Mobile County
From Early Supercomputing to Leading-edge AI & Industry Leadership
Dr. Greg Bacon (ASMS Class of 1995) traces his professional journey to an unforgettable ASMS experience with the Alabama Supercomputing Program to Inspire Computational Research in Education (ASPIRE). With classmates Lisa Chang, Richard Chen, and Carl “Mannix” Williams, Greg helped lead their team to victory in the national SuperQuest supercomputing competition. The summer between their junior and senior years, they worked at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) with CS-department faculty, researchers, and NASA scientists on their project “Removing Static From Music,” building a back-propagation neural network in FORTRAN — a form of AI/ML long before it was common.
That early exposure to advanced computing and research set the basis for Dr. Bacon’s educational and professional trajectory. With the support of a J.L. Bedsole Foundation scholarship and a Presidential Scholarship to UAH, he earned his bachelor's degree in computer science. He immediately joined the UAH CS Department as a system administrator. From there, his career spanned roles at a telecom equipment manufacturer, UAH's largest research center, the Boeing Company, and multiple defense contractors -- touching all the major industries of north Alabama. While working for Boeing on Space Shuttle Main Engine Controller software, Dr. Bacon also completed his master's degree in CS. In 2013, he co-founded Omicron Research Corporation, which was acquired a few years later. Most recently, Dr. Bacon earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science, with a dissertation exploring ethical AI and traceability for large language models.
Today, Dr. Bacon is the Chief Technology Officer at OASYS, INC., a defense-contracting company headquartered in Huntsville with offices across California, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, and the D.C. area. Under his technical guidance, OASYS offers software engineering, AI, big data analytics, cybersecurity, missile defense, systems engineering, and IT services. Additionally, Greg gives back as an adjunct instructor in UAH’s CS Department. Outside of technology, he serves as a flight instructor at the Redstone Arsenal Flying Activity.
ASMS: "The Launchpad That Changed My Life"
For Dr. Bacon, ASMS was both a life-changer and a catalyst for career success. He reflects on ASMS as “college life with training wheels” — a place that not only accelerated his academic growth but also taught discipline, time management, responsibility, and balance. The friendships and connections he made at ASMS — many of them still strong decades later — played a meaningful role through celebrations and tough times alike.
Dr. Bacon firmly believes in the power of consistency, preparation, and showing up ready: “Whether or not you realize it, you are always doing business development for yourself.” That lesson — to show up on time, on budget, and with integrity — has carried through his career.
Serving Full Circle: Joining the ASMS Board
In a meaningful turn, Dr. Bacon has accepted an appointment from Governor Kay Ivey to the ASMS Board of Directors. He sees it as coming home -- and as an opportunity to help guide the school that shaped him. As he assumes this role, he is committed to collaborating with other alumni and the school's leadership team to support ASMS's continued excellence and its mission to empower young people.
Memories That Stand the Test of Time
Looking back, Dr. Bacon recalls with a smile his ASMS memories:
The excitement of arrival on campus for the first weekend as juniors – the start of a new life.
Late-night music sessions with friends listening to Beck and Weezer.
Playing Doom in the computer labs.
Helping to create the very first email addresses for ASMS students on campus.
Adventures in dorm life, to the cafeteria work-service, philosophizing with dorm staff, to even launching potato-gun experiments.
The chalk artwork in multivariable calculus lectures, the thrill of friendly basketball games, and the quirky — but formative — traditions that made ASMS uniquely memorable.
Advice to Current ASMS Dragons
Dr. Bacon offers straightforward, empowered advice to current and future ASMS students:
“Take advantage of every opportunity — dual enrollment, research, independent studies, and electives that interest you.
Don't sell yourself short. Apply to at least one college where you think you have no chance of being accepted.
Don't be afraid of emerging technology — particularly AI. Use it as a collaborator. Human creativity, critical thinking, and ethical judgment stay indispensable.
Embrace ‘fail forward.’ Take smart risks, take ownership of your growth, and stay curious.
He closes with his life motto: “Carpe diem — seize the day.”’