Precision Optical and Opto-mechanical Components and Assemblies for Commercial and Defense applications

Technical Lead on new product integration (NPI) of precision optical components and assemblies in commercial and defense markets.

• Focus on optical thin film process development for new product integration (NPI)• Support optical thin film coating operations and assist on continuous improvement (CI) projects• Technical advisor and support for customers on production and NPI efforts

• Manage thin film engineering team• Continuous improvement projects - planning and execution• Optical thin film design and development• Support production in ion-beam sputtering chambers• Train and assist chamber technician and maintenance personnel

***Research Electro-Optics is now part of Excelitas Technologies Corp. (July, 2018)***• Optical thin film design and development• Support production in ion-beam sputtering chambers• Train and assist chamber technician and maintenance personnel

• Principal Investigator for DOE-funded Phase I SBIR awards on additive manufacturing of proprietary refractory ceramics• SBIR proposal writing and review

• Investigated properties and processing of customer-critical thin film products• Optimized thin film production equipment performance for customer needs• Tested PVD and CVD thin film deposition processes: multi-layer metallic and plasma polymer films• Measured and analyzed thin film properties: mechanical, electrical, optical

Conducted application-driven research in collaboration with industry partners to produce single and multi-component glass materials solely from food waste (banana peels, egg shells, rice husk, corn husk, spent beer grain, coffee grinds, 30+ more).• Assembled database of food waste mineral composition and thermal history• Produced peer-reviewed paper on novel sources of raw materials for glassmaking• Developed material for patents on glass products made from food waste• Co-authored proposal for future funding from NSF GOALI Initiative

Developed composite ceramic-ceramic (cercer) material for hydrogen separation membranes, based on an all-perovskite composition of electronic-conducting Nb-substituted SrTiO3 (STN) together with a proton-conducting Y-substituted BaCeO3/BaZrO3 solid solution (BCZY).• Synthesis and composition optimization (inorganic chemistry, calcination, XRD, PSA)• Membrane fabrication (planar geometries by pressure-less and spark plasma sintering)• Characterization of microstructure, conductivity, and transport properties (SEM, FIB, EDS, EIS, DC conductivity)• Measurement of hydrogen flux capabilities (GC, MS)• Collaboration with the Tech. Univ. of Denmark's Dept. of Energy Conversion and Storage (DTU-ECS).• Spent 15 months as a guest PhD student at DTU-ECS.• Published two (2) peer-reviewed journal articles as first author, in the Journal of Materials Science (2013) and the Journal of Materials Chemistry A (2015).

Developed computationally robust continuum-level model for evaluating space charge effects in complex geometries of nanoionic composites. Compared results to experimental work on proton-conducting Y-substituted BaCeO3 composited with palladium nanoparticles, achieving satisfactory agreement.-- Collaboration with computational scientists at the University of Leeds (UK) and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (US)-- Learned to modify and execute C-based simulation code supercomputer housed at CSM, with the guidance of Dr. Chris Goodyer (Leeds)-- Gained experience navigating in the Linux terminal environment (bash)-- Produced two (2) peer-reviewed papers (one first-author), both in Electrochimica Acta (2011, 2013).

Formed a collaboration with scientists at DTU and served as a guest researcher at their Risø Campus for 15 months. Synthesized and characterized ceramic composite material as a hydrogen separation membrane.

Investigated doped ceramic materials for application as cathodes in solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC). Studied SrTiO3 material with 10 mol % Nb, W, Ta, and Mo added to create electronic conductivity via aliovalent substitution.-- Collaborated with scientists at the Tech. Univ. of Denmark (6 month research visit)-- Synthesis (inorganic chemistry, calcination, XRD, PSA)-- Cone electrode studies (sintering, ceramic machining, DC conductivity, EIS, CV)

Designed and conducted experiments to test power densities of planar solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes were used as supports for spray-coated strontium-doped lanthanum manganite (LSM) electrodes.-- Pressed and fired YSZ electrolyte discs-- Spray-coated patterned LSM electrode layers on YSZ discs to make symmetrical cells, as well as three-electrode cells with working, counter, and reference electrodes-- Designed custom-built cell holder in SolidWorks-- Used EIS (Gamry Reference 600) to evaluate OCV and power curve of symmetrical and three-electrode LSM/YSZ SOFC-- Composed technical report on project, presented to Senior Design class instructor-- Compiled findings into poster presentation for Senior Design class (awarded best poster prize)

Tested a novel electrostatic repulsion system for removing charged particulates from the surfaces of photovoltaic panels on interplanetary and interstellar equipment. Explored the electrostatic properties of simulated Lunar and Martian soils with various custom-built testing equipment. Experimented with masking and chemical etching for metal pattern fabrication. Learned to design and execute application-driven experiments, and developed cooperative research skills. Worked under and alongside a dynamic group of contracted scientists and technicians, as well as NASA employees.