About

DEC@UNM was established in 2021 through a cooperative agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) titled Directed Energy Center for Lasers and Microwaves. This is a congressionally mandated center following a successful FY2021 UNM Federal Priority Request directed to the New Mexico delegation. It was subsequently supported by an FY2023 UNM Federal Priority Request. What makes DEC@UNM unique is that it is the only directed energy (DE) academic center in the nation performing state-of-the-art research in both DE lasers and DE microwaves. DEC@UNM is tasked with not only research and education towards workforce development, DEC@UNM is leading the way by growing the directed energy ecosystem in New Mexico.

Leadership

Edl Schamiloglu
Director of DEC@UNM
Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering 

Ganesh (Gunny) Balakrishnan
Associate Director of DEC@UNM
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Dr. Christopher C. Wilcox,
Directed Energy Program Manager
Air Force Research Laboratory Laser Division

Advisory Board

DEC@UNM has an Advisory Board comprising these distinguished engineers and scientists

• Dr. Corry B. Cox
  Director, Research and Technology, US Army SMDC Tech Center
• Dr. Brad Hoff
  AFRL/RDH
• Dr. Charles Johnson-Bey
  Booz Allen Hamilton
• Dr. John Luginsland
  AFRL
• Dr. Nicholas Morley 
  AFRL/RDL
• Dr. Craig Robin 
  Chief Executive Officer and owner of EO Solutions
• Dr. David Stoudt
  President, BOD, DEPS
  
• Dr. Shery L. Welsh
  Executive Director, UTEP Aerospace Center