Mr. Daren Chauvin, PE

KBR

Aerospace Environment Protection Laboratory 

High Altitude and Acceleration Research, Development, Test and Evaluation.

Located on the campus of Brooks City-Base in San Antonio, Texas, KBR’s
Aerospace Environment Protection Laboratory (AEPL) delivers exceptional
research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) of altitude, thermal, and
acceleration protection as well as training capabilities to industry and government customers. 

AREAS OF EXPERTISE 

The AEPL’s cadre of highly experienced physiologists, psychologists, engineers and technicians provide science-based analysis and solutions to ensure safe operations in the aerospace environment. 

Training Services: Our integrated facilities enable RDT&E in conjunction with training in altitude, thermal and high G-force environments. 

Human Performance: Count on KBR to support your needs with proven human performance program management, planning, data collection and data analysis capabilities. 

Research, Test and Evaluation: The KBR Brooks AEPL simulates the altitudes and temperatures encountered during mountain operations, HALO/HAHO sky diving, commercial and military flying, and stratospheric ballooning. It is one of the few facilities in the U.S. with the capability and experience to conduct human rapid decompression testing of up to 60,000 feet (18,000 meters). Additionally, our human-rated centrifuge provides fast-jet and spacecraft acceleration testing and training up to +9 G. 

PROVEN PERFORMANCE
Since the 1960s, KBR has operated and maintained these critical centrifuge and altitude chambers in San Antonio, Texas, where fast-jet pilots and astronauts, including the famous John Glenn, have come to train. The centrifuge simulates gravitational forces that these individuals experience during high-speed flight. KBR experts at the Brooks AEPL are ready to assist you with: 

    Test and evaluation of aircraft life support and aircrew flight equipment to DoD standards.
    Physiological training at altitude and under acceleration for peak human performance.
    Validation of biosensor utility in operational and aerospace environments.
    Conducting RDT&E in acceleration, altitude, and thermal environments: 

            Up to +9Gz/x • -70°F to 160°F
            Up to 100,000+ feet equivalent altitude • Up to 99% humidity 

Biography:

Daren Chauvin, P.E.

Program Manager

Aerospace Environment Protection Lab, (AEPL)

Brooks, San Antonio, TX

Licensed Professional Engineer, experienced program manager skilled at customer and team member relations, planning and executing project schedules and budgets. Strong record leading multidisciplinary teams of scientists, engineers and technicians while actively participating in test, experimental and system design and execution. Over 30 years in a variety of technical areas -- 20+ years as an engineer.

Specialties: Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) and training program management, aerospace programs, electro-optics, lasers, experimentation and instrumentation, LabVIEW, MATLAB, computer networking including Cisco routers, UNIX/Linux, SMTP, SNMP. Certified AF Acquisition Professional (Level II) Systems Planning, Res., Dev., & Engineering.

WORK EXPERIENCE

KBR, Program Manager, AEPL & WPAFB Centrifuge & Chambers Operations 2016 – present

• Manager for aerospace physiology and human performance RDT&E and training programs for teams at AEPL (Brooks) and Wright-Patterson AFB locations with a combined team of 35 scientists, engineers, technicians, and medical support staff. 
• Helped grow and lead a team responsible for resuscitating an operating location targeted for closure at Brooks by expanding the customer base and winning new contracts while also overseeing a growing team supporting the Air Force’s legacy Brooks mission relocated to WPAFB.

KBR, Senior RDT&E Engineer, Brooks Centrifuge and Chambers Operations                2011 – 2016

• Provided programming, analytic and electronics testing support for manned and unmanned RDT&E of life support equipment and aerospace physiology related training for government and commercial entities with a team of experts whose primary role is to maintain and operate the Brooks human-use centrifuge and the Brooks high-altitude research chambers for training and RDT&E programs.
• Led team of technicians maintaining all systems required for operating the centrifuge and altitude chambers including all mechanical and electrical infrastructure and all associated instrumentation and data collection hardware and software.

USAF, Chief, Laser Research Engineer               2005 – 2011

• Conducted research into effects of laser glare on human performance of various visual tasks.  
• Collaborated with various partners such as the Joint Nonlethal Weapons Directorate and Federal Aviation Administration to secure over $4M in external research funding 
• Designed laser glare experiment instrumentation for lab, simulator and field experiments
• Integrated laser glare positioning system with full-motion flight simulator.  Designed fully automated system which tracks real-time with fixed position on simulated landscape.

USAF, Various               1989 – 2005

• Held various technology and leadership positions as enlisted and commissioned officer.  Provided computer and network communications support and system design and installation for base operations at USAF Academy, Osan AB, and Scott AFB. Also developed computer network defense and other information warfare tactics at Lackland AFB. 

EDUCATION

Air Force Institute of Technology, WPAFB, OH

M.S. Electrical Engineering; major track: electro-optics, minor track: microelectronics, 2005

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL

B.S. Electrical Engineering, 2000