Seminar - Vyto Babrauskas - Inventor of the Cone Calorimeter
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Fire Protection Engineering Department
FPE SEMINAR SERIES
A Career in Fire Safety Engineering
by
Vyto Babrauskas - Inventor of the Cone Calorimeter
Monday, April 6, 2026
11:00 am – noon, Room 1226
50 Prescott St.
https://wpi.zoom.us/j/320855113
ABSTRACT
In this talk, Dr. Vyto Babrauskas will provide examples from both his career and others whom he’s met through his more than 50-year career built around turning fundamental fire and explosion safety questions into tools that practitioners can use. He will share his story and provide a roadmap for students and early-career engineers on how to pick problems that matter, build real expertise, and make contributions that endure.
BIOGRAPHY
Prof. Vyto Babrauskas, AB in Applied Physics, Swarthmore College, MS and PhD at UC Berkeley in Structural and Fire Protection Engineering (1976) has authored more than 300 papers and some of the most field-defining references such as the Ignition Handbook. He is the inventor of the Cone Calorimeter which is the most important tool in the field of fire science. Prof. Vyto Babrauskas is currently an adjunct professor at WPI, teaching a course on Case Studies in Explosions in the Energy Industry (FP 588) for the Explosion Protection Engineering MS program.
Sponsored by the Department of Fire Protection Engineering