INDIAN HEAD, Md. — Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD) scientists Dr. Zbigniew Dreger and Orlando Mulero-Flores were honored at the 2025 Dr. Delores M. Etter Top Scientist and Engineer Awards virtual ceremony, June 25.
“The remarkable efforts of these individuals highlight the groundbreaking advancements happening at NSWC Indian Head Division and stand as a testament to the exceptional talent dedicated to supporting our warfighters and the Department of Defense,” NSWC IHD Technical Director Ashley Johnson said.
Dr. Dreger built a suite of tools for advanced energetics to meet current and future naval operational challenges. The effort developed novel diagnostics enabling fundamental insight into material properties and reaction processes. His work is a potential game-changer for addressing crucial challenges in developing explosives and propellants for missiles with increased lethality, speed, range and weapon effectiveness in smaller packages and with reduced smoke signatures.
“My research at Indian Head pertains to the behavior of energetic ingredients and formulations subjected to high-amplitude dynamic or static compression,” Dreger said. “The citation for this award refers to the project that we initiated last year to provide the first experimental results at pressure and temperature extremes on a very promising, recently discovered energetic material.”
Mulero-Flores’ modeling and simulation of explosive effects open an array of new possibilities in undersea warfare. Through advanced simulations, he developed new ways to assess underwater shock impacts and methods for enhancing target damage without increasing explosive mass. His efforts address critical needs for the Navy and Marine Corps in developing the next generation of explosive formulations and novel defeat mechanisms.
“I am honored to be recognized by this prestigious award,” Mulero-Flores said. “Though it is an individual award, it highlights the accomplishments of the Shock Physics Group at Indian Head and builds upon the Navy chemists’ discoveries. I believe this award also recognizes the crucial role of fundamental research in addressing challenges for developing advanced energetics.”
Established in 2006, the Delores M. Etter Awards recognize outstanding achievements in science and engineering by both civilian and military personnel within the Navy and Marine Corps. Approximately 35,000 eligible scientists and engineers annually compete for this distinction. Honorees are selected based on exceptional accomplishments in their respective fields during the previous calendar year, reflecting the Navy’s commitment to excellence in research and innovation.
NSWC IHD — a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command and part of the Navy’s Science and Engineering Establishment — is the leader in ordnance, energetics, and EOD solutions. The Division focuses on energetics research, development, testing, evaluation, in-service support, manufacturing and disposal; and provides warfighters solutions to detect, locate, access, identify, render safe, recover, exploit and dispose of explosive ordnance threats.