Editor

Paul G. Slade earned his BSc in physics and PhD in applied physics from the University of Wales. He also has an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. He has more than 45 years of experience in electrical contact technology. He began his career at the Westinghouse Science and Technological Center where he became chief scientist responsible for the Industrial part of the Corporation. After the Westinghouse switching business was sold to the Eaton Corporation, he became the technical director for Vacuum Interrupter Research, Development, and Design for Eaton’s Vacuum Interrupter business. In this position, he was responsible for the R&D into vacuum arc and vacuum breakdown phenomena. He also introduced over 100 new vacuum interrupter designs into the market. He has also developed an intensive course on vacuum interrupter technology and application for presentation to vacuum interrupter customers and users. After retirement from Eaton he has been working as a Consultant in circuit interruption, electrical contacts and vacuum interrupter technology.

During his career, Dr. Slade has become recognized as a leader in electrical contact research and application. Dr. Slade has maintained world-class R&D efforts in the science of electrical contacts. He has helped explain the complex resistance changes in arced Ag-W contacts and his work has led to design rules for use of this material in molded case breakers. He is the course director and lecturer for the IEEE Intensive Course on Electrical Contacts. During his career he has also led and administered the development of advanced circuit interruption devices, the maintenance of state-of-the-art plasma deposition facilities, and the introduction of unique nuclear instrumentation.

Dr. Slade received the 1985 Ragnar Holm Scientific Achievement Award, IEEE Holm Conference, the 1995 Armington Recognition Award, IEEE Holm Conference, and the 2014 Albert Keil Priese, from the German Förderverein Kontakte und Schalter for outstanding accomplishments in the field of electrical contacts. In 1989, he was elected as the Fellow of IEEE.

Dr. Slade has written more than 100 papers in archival journals and technical conference presentations. He has 23 U.S. patents. He has contributed three chapters to the book Circuit Interruption (T. E. Browne, editor) including the chapters on vacuum circuit breakers, molded case breakers and electrical contacts. He has edited, and is the primary author, for this widely referenced book, Electrical Contacts Principles and Application (this being the second edition, the first edition was published in 1999). He is also the author of the book, The Vacuum Interrupter: Theory, Design and Application (published in 2008).