Dr. Tom Chapin is an authority on materials science and fire behavior. His fire research involves content flammability and sources of ignition; fire services education and training in fire ignition, fire growth and fuel load calculation; and fire research on materials and plastics, including corrosion, decomposition, ignition and long-term stability. The corporate research team he leads is involved in the detailed study of smoke from a variety of materials in order to facilitate new detection schemes and the development of new smoke suppressant technology. Dr. Chapin has also been active in our restricted substances program, particularly its application to materials and products related to Fire Safety. A William Henry Merrill Society member, Dr. Chapin's technical papers have been published extensively since 1977, and his work in copper and fiber-optic cable technology has resulted in 17 U.S. patents. He was an honors scholar graduate of the University of Connecticut, with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry in 1974. He earned his doctorate in polymer chemistry from the Institute of Materials Science at the University of Connecticut in 1978.

Dr. Pravinray Gandhi is well known in both the North American and international fire protection communities as a leading fire researcher and, perhaps more significantly, for translating the products of fire research into economically useful applications in testing and certification of materials, products and systems. Thanks in large part to Dr. Gandhi, a Corporate Fellow of the William Henry Merrill Society, UL is able to study a range of variables through analytical modeling techniques, permitting a wide range of features and conditions to be evaluated through fewer tests. These new technologies have enhanced UL's reputation, leading to an increase in the demand for UL's unique fire capabilities.

Dr. Thomas Fabian has a doctorate in polymer science from the University of Connecticut and a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a UL Mark of Excellence recipient for research on smoke characterization and a Fire Protection Research Foundation Ronald Mengel Award recipient for research on smoke detection.

Stephen Kerber is an expert on improving firefighter safety, fire service ventilation, lightweight construction and smoke management fire modeling. A 13-year veteran of the fire service, Mr. Kerber spent most of his service at the College Park Fire Department in Prince George's County, Md., where he served at ranks up through deputy chief. He received his bachelor's and master's in fire protection engineering from the University of Maryland and is currently working on his doctorate in fire safety engineering at Lund University in Sweden. Mr. Kerber is also a registered professional engineer.

Dr. Mahmood Tabaddor leads the Predictive Modeling Global Center of Excellence. He received his Master of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and his doctorate in engineering mechanics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He has extensive experience in applying high performance computing (HPC) tools during his tenure at Bell Labs and DaimlerChrysler. At UL, Dr. Tabaddor is responsible for developing and executing strategies that would further the use of HPC tools in advancing safety science. He also employs a risk management framework for analyzing hazards related to fire and electrical safety.

Dr. Paul Brazis leads the Electrical Safety Center of Excellence. His responsibilities include conducting project planning and providing technical mentoring. His areas of focus include arc fault/arc flash phenomena, arc and ground fault protection (AFCI/GFCI) for residential (AC) and photovoltaic (DC) systems, electromagnetic hazards, RFI/EMI interference and alternative lighting, including OLED, LED and CFL. Dr. Brazis has a doctorate in electrical engineering from Northwestern University.

Dr. Carl Wang leads the materials science research team in Taiwan that supports UL's global research activities. He is working on research involving lithium-ion batteries, photovoltaics and biofuels. Dr. Wang has a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California and a master's in mechanical engineering from National Sun Yat-sen University.