Materials and Light: Understanding Optical Propagation

Dave Shelton earned his PhD and Master’s degree in Materials Science and Optics from the University of Central Florida studying under Prof. Glenn Boreman in the CREOL Infrared Systems Lab. In 2010, Glenn and Dave founded Plasmonics Inc, which Dave ran as CEO until 2016. He then moved on to serve as Chief Scientist with St. John’s Optical Systems, and later oversaw its day-to-day operations. Moving from component development to mission system integration work, Dave assumed a program management role in the Image Processing Center of Excellence with L3 before moving to a role as senior scientist with BAE Systems FAST Labs. His career then took him to Ball Aerospace where he served as an advanced systems manager and a responsible engineer on several space programs. Dave is a subject matter expert in infrared detectors, radiometry, and EOIR systems engineering. He has a deep understanding of the defense industry from time working for prime contractors and has worn many hats with start-up companies in the defense industry. He has also served as an adjunct professor teaching graduate level classes in infrared systems and radiometry.