About
In Memoriam: Chandra S. Vikram,
Aug 17, 2007
In Memoriam: Chandra S. Vikram
Chandra S.Vikram, an OSA Fellow known widely for his distinguished contributions to optical metrology, died suddenly on August 17, 2007, in Huntsville, AL. He was 56 years old.
After receiving his Ph.D. in Physics in 1973 from the Indian Institute of Technology (ITT), Delhi, Prof. Vikram took a brief post-doctoral assignment at the institution, leaving to join Pennsylvania State University in 1977. His work at Penn State focused on ultra-low thermal expansion measurements, laser speckle metrology, particle field holography, non-destructive testing of biological objects, and water tunnel instrumentation.
In 1989 Prof. Vikram moved to the staff of the University of Alabama in Huntsville as a senior research scientist, and in 1993, he became research professor of optical science and engineering. During his tenure, he discovered critical limiting needs of two-color holography for heat and mass transfer studies. He also pioneered the use of Spacelab-III reconstructed wavefronts for multiple unconventional applications. In a parallel development, he established a new method of residual stress measurement by laser heating and speckle correlation interferometry.
In addition to advanced academic research, Prof. Vikram was also known for solving contemporary industrial problems. One of his algorithms was adopted in PhaseCam, a commercial interferometric system that is faster and less noisy.
Prof. Vikram has authored the book Particle Field Holography published by Cambridge University Press. He has also contributed six book chapters and authored or co-authored more than 140 research papers.
Honored as a Distinguished Alumnus of ITT, Delhi, Prof. Vikram received a certificate of recognition from NASA for his work done under its Advanced Technology Program. He was also awarded the Distinguished Research and Creative Achievement Award by the University of Alabama in Huntsville Foundation and the Dennis Gabor Award from SPIE. He was a Fellow of Optical Society of America and SPIE.
He is survived by his wife Bina, daughter Preeti and son Tushar.
