Dragan Velkov

My professional background is composed of experiences gained within three different work settings, educational, scientific and industrial, with physics being the common denominator. I held high-school teaching positions prior to enrolling in a MSc program at York University in Toronto, Canada. The association with the York University Lidar Research Group gave me an opportunity to participate in the project entitled “Lidar Atmospheric Studies” involving the development and operation of two lidar (light detection and ranging) facilities on the campus of York University in Toronto and at Eureka in the Canadian High Arctic as part of the NASA Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC) program. After earning a MSc degree in physics, I continued work on remote sensing applications as a Project Scientist at CRESTech (Centre for Research in Earth and Space Technology). My exposure to industrial environment and full immersion into laser-based testing methods and testing of components and systems started at Optech. Last 12 years I spent at VLOC. My interests envelope material and optics characterization, with the primary focus on laser components.