Captain Compean currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Chemistry Department, Academic Wing, U.S. Air Force Academy, teaching general chemistry. He commissioned into the Air Force as a 61C through AFROTC at Det 630 at Kent State University, where he majored in Chemistry. He was assigned as a Research Chemist at the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory. He has led various biotechnological research projects at AFRL, and was selected to get his PhD at the civilian institute, the University of Maryland, College Park.

Previous to his PhD assignment, Capt Compean was the Executive Officer at the Air Force Institute of Technology, School of Engineering and Management at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. There, he aided the Dean and Associate Dean of the School of Engineering and Management with daily operations of six academic departments and eight research centers, performing Department of War centered education and research to graduate students across all branches of service.

PhD in Chemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Md. (2026)

Master of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio (2021)

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio (2018)

Assistant Professor, United States Air Force Academy, Colo. (June 2026–Present)

PhD student, AFIT/ CI, University of Maryland, College Park, Md. (August 2023–June 2026)

Executive Officer to the Dean, Graduate School of Engineering and Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton Ohio (August 2022–August 2023)

Research and Development System Scientist, Persistent Infrared Research and Development Flight, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio (September 2021–August 2022)

Research Scientist, Biological Materials and Processing Research Team, Soft Matter Materials Branch, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio (September 2018–September 2021)

Air and Space Commendation Medal

Air and Space Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Chemical Biology

Protein Engineering

Bio-Organic Chemistry

Enzymology

Artificial Intelligence