DR. LALIT CHHABILDAS

Dr. Lalit Chhabildas, a member of the scientific and professional cadre of senior executives, is the Senior Scientist, Enhanced Energy Effects, Munitions Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. He leads the high-pressure/rate materials science basic research program to enable E3 munitions design based upon solid understanding of governing physics, including munitions stability and survivability, energy focusing and coupling. 

Dr. Chhabildas has more than 30 years of experience in the area of high-pressure, high strain rate material properties. He is known for his work in developing, growing, and implementing many new and novel experimental techniques to promote an understanding of dynamic properties of materials, including metals, explosives and ceramics, under high strain rate and dynamic loading.

Dr. Chhabildas has served on various technical committees and several professional societies; reviewed publications; and authored and co-authored more than 200 articles. He has presented numerous invited presentations including keynote addresses at many international professional meetings and symposiums. Dr. Chhabildas has developed alliances with national research communities within the Department of Defense and Department of Energy as well as internationally with European defense laboratories and universities. He also teaches a shock physics course at the University of Florida, Eglin Campus, and mentors young researchers at AFRL in the discipline of shock physics and applications. 

EDUCATION
1966 Bachelor of Science degree in physics, University of Bombay, India
1971 Doctor of Philosophy degree in physics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y.

CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. 1971 - 1973, postdoctoral associate, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y.
2. 1973 - 1976, research associate, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
3. 1976 - 1996, senior member of technical staff, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N.M.
4. 1996 - 2003, distinguished member of technical staff, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N.M.
5. 2003 - 2007, Manager, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N.M.
6. 2007 - 2009, Principal Research Physicist, Munitions Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin AFB, Fla.
7. 2009 - present, Senior Scientist, Enhanced Energy Effects, Munitions Directorate, AFRL, Eglin AFB, Fla. 

AWARDS AND HONORS

1990, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2007 Sandia Award For Excellence
1996 Ballistics Award, Aeroballistics Range Association
1996 Fellow, Aeroballistics Range Association
1998, 2003 and 2007 Best Paper Award (co-author), Hypervelocity Impact Society 2000 Fellow, American Physical Society
2003 Best Paper Award (co-author), AIAA Missile Defense Conference
2005 Distinguished Scientist Award, Hypervelocity Impact Society

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2008 - present, Adjunct professor, University of Florida, REEF Campus, Shalimar
 
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS 
Technical Advisory Board, American Physical Society
Chairman, Topical Group on Shock-Compression of Condensed Matter, American Physical Society
Board of Directors and President, Hypervelocity Impact Society
Secretary, Aeroballistics Range Association
Technical Committee, International Center for Applied Computational Mechanics Conference

(Current as of August 2009)