Chief Executive Officer
Member, Board of Directors

As President, Mike oversees Aptima’s day-to-day operations and execution of its overall strategy, building on the company’s innovative work with the US Department of Defense and DoD research laboratories in the areas of precision learning and training, human-machine teaming, and artificial intelligence. In this capacity, he is responsible for shaping and executing Aptima’s strategy across Research and Engineering, Technology Platforms, Fielded Programs and Administration.

Mike is also a Principal Industrial Organizational Psychologist at Aptima with more than 15 years of experience developing and applying training and assessment methods and technologies in support of US and NATO organizations. This work has included detailed front-end analyses and validation, as well as the development of metrics for assessing the effectiveness of current simulation-based training. These efforts span a variety of domains, ranging from Fifth Generation Fighters and Unmanned Systems to operators and Senior Leaders within Air Operations Centers.

Prior to joining the executive team, Mike managed Aptima’s largest technical division (Human Performance). In that role, he was responsible for the Scientific, Technical, and Operational Performance of Aptima’s Training, Measurement, and Assessment Technologies and Services. He also has active roles in two Aptima subsidiaries, as a co-founder, board member, and strategic advisor.

Mike holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and an M.S. in Applied Psychology from Clemson University, and a B.S. in Psychology from Appalachian State University.

Notable Publications

Garrity, M.J. (2015). Competency-Based Training, Assessment and Maintenance. Invited Lecture delivered to the Anesthesia Department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Boston, MA.

Tripp, L., Covas-Smith, C., Diemunsch, J., Garrity, M.J., Jackson, C., Keeney, M.J., & Wiggins, S. (2015). Simulation and Training Challenges for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Analysts. Proceedings of the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC). Arlington, VA: NDIA.

Bennett, W., Alliger, G. A., Colegrove, C., Garrity, M. J., & Beard, R. (2013). Mission Essential Competencies: A novel approach to proficiency-based Live, Virtual, and Constructive readiness training and assessment. In Best, Galanis, Kerry, & Sottilare (Eds.), Fundamental issues in defense training and simulation. United Kingdom: Ashgate.

Bennett, W., Coovert, M., Fletcher, D. Garrity, M. J., & Sullivan, J. (2013, May). Synthetic Task Environments: Opportunities and Challenges. Plenary Practitioner Panel Symposium presented at the 17th International Symposium on Aviation Psychology, Dayton, OH.

Garrity, M. J., Alliger, G. A., Beard, R., Bennett, W., & Colegrove, C. (2012, July). Competency-based training within the Air Operations Center. In H. M. K. Wolters (Chair), A blended approach to training—Job Analysis and competency models. Symposium conducted at the Annual Conference of the American Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.

Colegrove, C. M., Alliger, G. A., Beard, R., Bennett, W., & Garrity, M. J. (2009). M. Scott Meyers Award for Applied Research in the Workplace: Mission Essential Competencies: An operations-centric approach to improving training and job performance. Presentation at the 24th Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New Orleans, LA.

Colegrove, C. M., Alliger, G., Rowe, L. J., Garrity, M. J., & Bennett, W. (2009). Defining the training mix – sorties, sims, and distributed mission operations. Proceedings of the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference. Arlington, VA: NDIA.

For more information about Mike’s publications, please contact aptima_info@aptima.com.