Christopher Perez Email & Phone Number

Cupertino, California, Us

• Developed streamline measurement platforms for in-situ and in-operando x-ray probing of non-linear electronic materials and semi-metals.• Refined time-dependent scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) measurements to reveal dynamical phase transitions in a wide range of semiconductor materials.

Albuquerque, Nm, Us

• Performed electrical, thermal, optical, and structural characterization of ion-tuned IMT oxides such as VO2, NbO2, and NbNiO3. Fabricating devices to study the correlation dynamics in such materials and the resulting implications for their use in neuromorphic computing.• Gained expertise in a novel characterization technique (scanning ultrafast electron microscopy) to study the correlative dynamics of energy carriers in semiconductor, heterojunctions, and thin films with 15 ps temporal and 10 nm spatial resolution.

Albuquerque, Nm, Us

• Used low-thermal conductivity thin film organics to better understand the physics of optical pump-probe thermometry as a thermal and structural characterization tool.• Demonstrated a pump-probe thermoreflectance method to simultaneously determine film thickness and thermal conductivity, performed with a silicon wafer fabricated in a wedge shape, to potentially determine the thermal conductivity accumulation function (and thus, mean free path spectra).• Supported studies involving ion bombardment for enhancing thermal transport across solid interfaces.

Stanford, Ca, Us

• Researched methods to push the limits of thermal metrologies to gain a fundamental understanding of energy transport in nanostructured devices at the Stanford NanoHeat Laboratory.• Lab Link: http://nanoheat.stanford.edu/

Stanford, Ca, Us

• Led the Additional Calculus for Engineers (ACE) program's special weekly problem-solving sessions as a course assistant (CA).• Calculus topics include: limit rules, sequences, limits at infinity, comparison of growth of functions, integrating rational functions, improper integrals, infinite series, convergence/divergence tests, power series, Taylor polynomials, Taylor series and applications. • Held CA/tutorial office hours to help undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds in developing a solid foundation in mathematics and learning methods, including collaborative, heuristic, reflective and team-oriented study.

Albuquerque, Nm, Us

• Validated and verified a recently-built frequency-domain thermoreflectance (FDTR) setup for efficacy/accuracy in state property measurements of bulk and thin-films. • Measured calibration materials such as silicon, quartz, sapphire, and gold with FDTR, comparing the results to literature and independent studies with 4-pt. probe, ellipsometry, profilometry, and atomic force microscopy.• Performed thermal modeling in crystalline solids for predicting their thermal conductivity, specific heat, and density.• Extended FDTR to pilot studies involving experimentally difficult organic thin-film systems at varying thicknesses.

Eskilstuna, Se

Contribution to the Stanford Digital Repository: https://purl.stanford.edu/bz956qd2228• Worked with two other graduate engineering students (in collaboration with four graduate engineering/business students from Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden) on a real-world design challenge brought forth by Volvo Construction Equipment: "The pains of today, and the concerns of tomorrow" through the eyes of the construction worker.• Designed "Advance", a versatile system that caters to the various needs of the future construction site. Centered around a mobile vehicle (the Transporter), the system can distribute customized modules that enable on-demand energy, dynamic communication networks, and much more. • Led the technical design for the "Xchange Module", a mechanism that exchanges up to 150 kWH of electric power in construction vehicles and effectively managed the team’s $15k budget.• Learned, applied, and experienced the Stanford Design Innovation Process consisting of needfinding, benchmarking, brainstorming, prototyping, testing, and redefining problem spaces while engaging in key design practices such as critical experience, critical function, and "Dark horse" prototyping. Abstract: Future construction sites will be autonomous and electric. Current site infrastructure is not flexible enough to manage the transition towards this future. We introduce Advance, a versatile system that tends to the various needs of the future construction site. Centered around a primary transport machine, the system is capable of distributing customized modules that enable on-demand energy, dynamic communication networks, and much more. With Advance, the possibilities are endless.

Falls Church, Va, Us

• Supported phase I of flight test for the first optionally piloted surveillance aircraft by design: The Firebird.• Worked with Scaled Composites installing various orange-wire sensors and hardware to enable high-temperature engine data acquisition for flight test.• Collaborated with experienced flight test engineers in editing and updating flight test documents, customer requirement forms, and FAA documentation to demonstrate experimental aircraft airworthiness.• Utilized object oriented software in adding robust functionality to allow for flight test planning, schedules, requirements databases, reporting metrics, and card templates to be outputted in 60% of the time, lowering costs in the long term.

Los Angeles, Ca, Us

• Assisted professor Laurent Pilon in the UCLA Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering course, 105A: Introduction to Engineering Thermodynamics. • Graded weekly homework for a class of 120 students and provided performance metrics for the overall state of the course. • Assisted the teacher aid on the handling of questions and other study materials.

Los Angeles, Ca, Us

• Investigated the creation of transparent wood composites and their application as energy efficient building materials.• Researched methods for increasing the capabilities of wooden composites by improving optical and thermal properties while reducing environmental impact. ABSTRACT: Transparent wood composites offer a promising solution to mitigate the energy consumption of buildings and the environmental impact associated with fossil fuel-dependent energy sources. Their effective use of sunlight for natural indoor-lighting rivals that of glass as they offer the additional advantages of high-impact absorption and low thermal conductivity. The anisotropic structure of wood consists of aligned channels comprised of voids and colorless wood cell walls made of cellulose and hemicellulose. The constituent that binds the wood cells and lends wood its hard, rigid properties and dark color, is known as lignin. To generate these novel composites, both basswood and balsa wood were used as the wood template and its lignin was removed in a delignification process and replaced with an optically clear epoxy polymer. The delignification process involved sample immersion in a boiling solution of NaOH and Na2SO3, as well as immersion in a boiling solution of H2O2. Pilot studies analyzing this transparent wood composite fabrication process revealed that the resulting materials can be both structurally strong and functional, offering low thermal conductivities and high transmittance/haze. The importance of maintaining concentration gradients between the solutions and the lignin within the wood was revealed as more continuous treatments resulted in a more light transmitting composite. The effect of grain direction was also seen to have played a role since the samples cut with the grain were more optically transparent than those cut against the grain. The persisting color of the samples however, indicated that the whitening/bleaching process implemented was insufficient.

Cincinnati, Oh, Us

• Solely supported the cost audit for the systems team on the new LM9000 engine program. • Communicated with engine module leaders and supply chain to construct an engine parts list for enabling targeted cost reduction and identifying cost drivers for a savings of $675k.• Organized the identification, collection, and status updating of the LM9000 interface control documents (ICDs) as a product definition engineering (PDE) administrator.• Ensured that the engine module and hardware owners had visibility and ownership of their interface definitions.• Justified the economical reuse of existing oil bearings by performing design trade studies with the rotor dynamics team.

Los Angeles, Ca, Us

• Created "Drop it Like it's Hot": An autonomous transporter with projectile launch capabilities. • Collaborated in a team of five to identify high and low level design requirements, conduct a literature reviews on the state of the art, perform detailed calculations to ensure successful preliminary design review, release a Gantt chart and bill of materials for fabrication to meet critical design review, and present the final product in a demonstration.• Designed, analyzed, and programmed using SolidWorks 2016, MATLAB, and NI LabVIEW.• Fabricated and machined using mill, lathe, drill press, and band saw while 3D printing more complex parts.

Los Angeles, Ca, Us

• Led lab project for utilizing the growth of fungal tissue as an organically derived sustainable material created from moldable organic substrates.• Identified the initial parameters involved in the conditioning, manufacturing, and forming of the fungi, as well as the characterization of the generated material for use in both consumer and building applications.ABSTRACT: In an effort to reduce the environmental impact associated with fossil fuel-dependent materials, fungal materials have been gaining recognition for their potential use in a wide range of applications such as construction and consumer products. The fungal root structure of interwoven tissue known as the mycelium, plays a significant role in the fungi’s ability to rapidly digest a variety of organic materials, acting as a bonding agent for those materials. To generate novel fungal composite materials, the non-toxic fungal strain Ganoderma lucidum was grown as a liquid inoculant. This inoculant was used to colonize petri dish samples containing potato dextrose agar, plastic molds filled with UCLA agricultural waste, and glass jars enclosing a proven substrate of brown rice flour, vermiculite and water. The agricultural waste consisted of 1 cm and 0.5 cm miscellaneous branch pieces and crushed Liquidambar styraciflua fruit. Three plastic molds were inoculated with Ganoderma lucidum and destroyed to reveal that the effectiveness of liquid inoculant for colonizing agricultural waste substrate. Two glass jars with the proven substrate inoculated with Ganoderma lucidum were grown, rendered inert by convective heat treatment, and destroyed to gain insight on the type of growth involved. Four glass jars of the same substrate and inoculant were grown with temperatures ranging from 23.9-28.3 ℃ and were rotated every 12 and 24 hours to notice an effect on inoculant dispersal and the homogeneity of the resulting material.

Los Angeles, Ca, Us

• Created multi-physics models to conduct thermal analysis of composite thin films embedded with micro-encapsulated phase change materials for electronic applications.• Identified parameters to gain insight into the thermal mechanisms involved in reducing maximum temperatures and minimizing cooling time for phase change material re-solidification.Abstract: Through multi-physics modeling and simulation software, a simplified thermal analysis of composite thin films embedded with micro-encapsulated phase change materials(PCMs) was performed. Such films may accommodate the heat generated by transient surges in the power output of electronic devices. Parameters were varied to gain insight into the thermal mechanisms involved in reducing maximum temperatures below 100℃ and minimizing cooling time for PCM re-solidification. For the film thicknesses considered and a matrix thermal conductivity of 5W/(m∙K), three effective configurations were identified: film thickness of 450μm with PCM volume fractions of (i) 40% and (ii) 60%, and (iii) film thickness of 400μm with a PCM volume fraction of 60%. The first two configurations yielded temperature reductions of 9% and 13% and cool time reductions of 11% and 13%, respectively, compared with a plain film without PCM. The third configuration yielded a temperature reduction of 11% and a cool time reduction of 19%.

• Constructed, erected, installed, and repaired structures made of wood or metal studs for wall framing, concrete forming, and other various building components around the Los Angeles area.• Developed applied, organizational, and collaborative skills while managing project roadmap and calendar to meet deadlines.

• Worked alongside operating engineers with concrete demolition, ground leveling, and trench excavation for building footing framework.• Collaborated with iron workers during rebar installation for quality assurance.

Bend, Or, Us

• Assisted with various renovation installation projects using novel building materials.• Coordinated with professionals in all fields of construction for the installation of several structural components for newly built cinder-block structures.

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Mechanical Engineering

Master Of Science - Ms, Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor'S Degree, Mechanical Engineering

Associate'S Degree, Mechanical Engineering