I am currently working in the lab of Robert Ilic in the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology on aggressively scaled, coupled nano-mechanical oscillators for sensing and materials characterization.Lab responsibilities:  • Conducting & publishing original research  • Design and fabrication of nano/micro-mechanical oscillators  • Assembly & alignment of laser microscopy systems  • Creating control software for our experiments in LABVIEW  • Data analysis in MATLAB  • Mechanical & optical simulations in COMSOL

I did my PhD work with Prof. Jeevak Parpia, studying nonlinear mechanics in vibrating graphene drums. These drums, being one atom thick and 10 μm in diameter, are ideal candidates for atomic gas sensing, detecting ultra-weak forces, and use in accelerometers. We studied the controlled exchange of energy between vibrational modes, essentially making a micro-mechanical frequency mixer. We also studied the interactions between laser light and mechanical motion, in one case creating a mechanical oscillator -- useful as a clock or frequency reference -- simply by shining laser light on a carefully designed nanowire (dimensions 50 μm x 50 nm x 50 nm).

I was honored to spend the summer of 2015 working in the Cryogenics & Fluids branch (552) of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. I worked with Dr. Edgar Canavan performing low-temperature tests of micro-fabricated heat switches and bolometers for space-based infrared telescopes. I designed most of the LabView software we used to take data, and assisted in maintenance of the vacuum chamber and cryogenic systems.