Keynote Speakers
Prof Dr Thomas Fanghänel
Director of the Institute for Transuranium Elements, European Commission, Joint Research Centre
Prof. Dr. Thomas Fanghänel currently serves as Director of the Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU), which is one of the seven institutes of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre located in Karlsruhe, Germany. It is ITU’s mission to provide the scientific foundation for the protection of the European citizen against risks associated with the handling and storage of highly radioactive elements. Research is focused on (i) basic actinide science and applications, (ii) safety of conventional and advanced nuclear fuel cycle including spent fuel disposal and (iii) safeguards and nuclear forensics.
Since 2002 he is Professor of Radiochemistry at the Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg. Prof Fanghänel has degrees in Chemistry (Diplomchemiker), Ph.D and Habilitation in Inorganic and Physical Chemistry from the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg. Before he was appointed as the Director of ITU he was Director of the Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE) of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Director of the Institute of Radiochemistry, Forschungszentrum Rossendorf and Professor of Radiochemistry at the University of Dresden. He has more than 25 years research experience with special expertise in Actinide chemistry and long term safety of nuclear waste disposal. Since 2003 he is member of the Reactor Safety Commission of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.
BG Leslie C. Smith
Chief of Chemical and Commandant of the United States Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School
Brigadier General (BG) Leslie C. Smith was commissioned as a Chemical officer from Georgia Southern University (GSU) in 1983, graduating with a BBA in accounting and as a distinguished military graduate.
BG Smith has served in a variety of Chemical officer roles from the platoon through brigade level, including multiple staff positions and all levels of command. He has also served in the Chemical Branch PERSCOM, the Joint Staff, J-5 where he served as the Chairman’s representative to the Biological Weapons Convention Protocol, the Army Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff for Programs, G8 as the Deputy Division Chief and Chief NBC Branch for the Full Dimensional Protection Division, and served as the G3 for the 20th SUPCOM (CBRNE). On 28 June 2008 he became the 25th Chief of Chemical and Commandant of the United States Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School.
His military education includes the Chemical Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Airborne School, Jumpmaster School, and Command and General Staff College. He holds a Masters of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Master of Science in National Strategy from the National Defense University. His decorations include the Senior Parachutist Badge, and both the Joint and Army Staff Identification Badges.
Dr Cary F. Chabalowski
Acting Director for Research and Laboratory Management
Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research & Technology/Chief Scientist, US Army
Dr. Cary Chabalowski received his BS degree in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin and his Ph.D. in Theoretical Chemistry from the University of Kansas. He began his career in the U.S. Army Science and Technology community in 1986 when he joined the U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratory as a research chemist. Over his career, Dr. Chabalowski’s research interests have included the development of methods for modeling chemical properties and reactions, modeling drug activity, the study of molecular spectroscopy, detection of chemical warfare agents, modeling gas-phase combustion reactions associated with energetic materials, and studying reactions of small, organic compounds on metal surfaces. He has authored or co-authored over 40 open literature publications in scientific journals.
Since 2003, Dr. Chabalowski has held positions from the Executive Staff Chair for the Defense Science and Technology Advisory group to Acting Deputy Director for Research in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology (ODASA/R&T). For his outstanding work, he was awarded the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service in 2005 and the Army’s Superior Civilian Service Medal in 2007. Recently Dr. Chabalowski became the acting Director for Research and Laboratory Management within the ODASA/R&T, where he assumed leadership responsibilities for basic research activities and laboratory policies across the Army.