Dr. Chester has more than 30 years of applied research and development experience in the design, fabrication, testing, and productization of innovative remote sensing systems for military and civil applications, including imaging sensor system integration on manned and unmanned tactical and research airborne platforms. His areas of expertise include remote sensing, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems, image and signal processing, real-time sensor processing, and systems engineering. Previously, Dr. Chester was Vice President of Systems Engineering and Head of the Electro-Optical (EO) and Infrared (IR) Business Area of Meta Materials, Inc., focused on commercializing wide area motion imagery products. Prior to his tenure at Meta Materials, Inc. he was a Chief Scientist and Technology Director at BAE Systems FAST Labs, providing strategic vision and business and technical leadership across a broad range of sensor technologies, including active and passive EO and IR sensor components and systems, RF multimodal sensors, novel processing technologies, and modeling and simulation. He has led the development of novel sensor, targeting and navigation systems for space, air, ground and sea domains. He has a proven track record of leading the successful execution of novel sensing programs for DARPA and DoD customers and converting prototype system development to product line business impact, with more than $100M of product line sales. His technical interests include innovative observational systems, sensor system architectures, embedded and autonomous sensor processing, rapid prototyping of new sensor capabilities in relevant environments, and virtual/digital twin concepts.

Dr. Chester holds a Ph.D. and a Master of Science in Physical Oceanography from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Southampton College of Long Island University.