Victor Bellitto
Dr. Victor J. Bellitto is currently a research scientist with the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Indian Head, Maryland where he is a member of the Research & Technology Division. He was the recipient of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) scientist of the year award for work in energetic materials. Dr. Bellitto earned his B. S. degree in Physics from Florida International University in 1987. He later continued his education receiving his M. S. in Physics from Georgia State University in 1995 with the thesis entitled Positron Annihilation Studies of Beta-Cyclodextrin Complexed with Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Acetate, and Ethyl Salicylate. In 1999 he earned his Ph. D. in Physics from Georgia State University with his dissertation entitled The Interaction of Hydrogen with the GaN(0001)Surface. In 2000, he was awarded the NRC Post-Doctoral research fellowship at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D. C. The current focus of his work is in the safer handling, storage and transport of energetic materials and in the development of equipment for the detection of improvised explosive devices.