Fritz Stahr

Dr. Fritz Stahr, most recently Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at MRV Systems, is a leading manager of marine robotics endeavors for academic and defense customers. In 2005, he established the Seaglider Fabrication Center (SFC) at the University of Washington’s School of Oceanography, and directed it through 2018 providing buoyancy-driven 1000m-rated underwater gliders to customers worldwide, including the U.S. Navy. While there, he helped develop and manufacture the 6000m-rated Deepglider™, and his ongoing efforts at UW include teaching courses in the School of Oceanography’s ocean technology program as an Affiliate Professor. Dr. Stahr also volunteers for various education and outreach programs such as the MATE Remote Operated Vehicle Competition, the National Ocean Science Bowl, and Northwest Aquatic & Marine Educators (NAME). He co-founded Ocean Inquiry Project, a non-profit dedicated to teaching marine science through on-the-water experience while conducting research in Puget Sound. Dr. Stahr joined the MTS Puget Sound Section in 1998, began heading up the section’s regional MATE ROV Competition in 2006, and has been the MTS Puget Sound Section chair since 2007. Dr. Stahr served as Treasurer for OCEANS-2010 Seattle and chaired the OCEANS-2019 Seattle conference.

He earned a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Washington in 1998 following ten years at instrument companies in California after his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.