I turn code into lasers, wafers into data, short deadlines into results, and wild ideas into funding. My technical area covers tunable lasers and a lot of specialized PICs. I’m involved with all aspects - epi and laser design, mask layout, process transfer to foundries and manufacturing, characterization including some pretty involved failure analysis, teasing future photonic platform direction out of complex and messy datasets, and managing a (very) small team. I also write proposals, find overlaps between programs, solve problems impacting yield, train and support new designers, and try to qualify lasers to go into orbit.

I studied ordering and doping in thin films of small molecules and polymers and modeled polymer crystal structures and diffraction data.

In grad school, I switched from doing synthetic organic chemistry to electronic device fabrication and characterization. This enabled me to develop a solid background in a variety of thin film processing techniques. I made and tested organic photovoltaics and thin film transistors. I also picked up more characterization methods and instrumental methods than I can list. I became the resident expert on small-molecule crystallography in my group, and spent a substantial amount of time on the diffraction beamlines at SSRL. The large volume of data I generated tested my organizational skills--I can still find years-old experimental results very quickly when I need them, and I have worked to make my notebook and file structure clear enough that others can follow them easily.In addition to making me a competent researcher, my PhD experience taught me how to train people effectively, from interns to postdocs. I started with limited public speaking experience, but honed my communication skills through a variety of conference presentations and seminars.

Teaching physical science principles and problem-solving methods to a large group at a nontechnical level required me to think quickly on my feet and address questions quickly and clearly. Preparing and grading exams, quizzes and assignments helped me assess what I could do to reach my audience more effectively. This position improved my public speaking, time management and organizational skills, and gave me some solid experience translating science into language nonspecialists understand.

I synthesized functionalized pentacenes, then grew crystals. Outrider gave me experience working in a startup environment, and I enjoyed the flexibility. This position developed my notebooking skills substantially, as I was working to synthesize several compounds for a patent application.

I learned how to do organic synthesis in this lab by doing several independent projects under the direct supervision of a professor. I successfully synthesized, isolated and characterized several compounds that had eluded previous students.In addition to synthetic chemistry techniques, I also became well-versed in lab safety by necessity, as my research required me to prepare air-sensitive reagents and handle pyrophoric materials.

I analyzed water for a state environmental lab with NELAP certification. This required me to work on short deadlines, since hold times were often five days or less, and keep track of thousands of samples using a database shared with all the other chemists in my organization. I also learned to revise standard operating procedures.

During this internship, I developed a method for electrodepositing CdSe nanorod arrays. I also picked up some instrumental characterization experience on nanomaterials.

I used circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy to determine which secondary structures were present as proteins unfolded with urea exposure. This gave me experience working with solutions of biomaterials and taught me to keep clearly organized data files.

My first lab position was in entomology, studying evolutionary relationships between parasitic wasps. I organized a database of samples, performed PCR and gel electrophoresis, and was tasked with ordering lab supplies and handling shipments of research samples.I learn quickly: I was hired as a freshman undergraduate with no experience. After a few months, my postdoc mentor left, and I found myself in charge of the molecular biology lab, supervising another undergraduate student worker.