Outstanding Service and Contribution in the Development of Systems and Planning Applying to Shipbuilding and Ship Repair
Lee Kvidahl recently retired from Ingalls Shipbuilding after 43 years, leaving from the position of Manager, Welding Engineering. He is a Bachelor of Engineering graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology and was involved in the shipbuilding industry for 48 years. His experience includes performing welding engineering work on nuclear power plants, new construction of many classes of surface ships and the overhaul/repair of submarines and surface ships for the US Navy and US Coast Guard. He was involved in many leading edge technologies for the construction of US Navy combat ships including the certification of HSLA 80 steels, the application of ceramic backing for one side butt welding, the use of small diameter flux cored welding electrodes for all position welding and the introduction of the hybrid laser welding process for butt welds in steel plates. In addition to working at Ingalls, he was the long time chairman of the Welding Technology Panel of the National Shipbuilding Research Program and is a Past President and Counselor of the American Welding Society.