John Nichols Email and Phone Number

• Initiated R&D capabilities in carbon composites and metal manufacturing using Electric Field Assisted Sintering (EFAS) and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS).• Led planning for workflow in a 40,000 sq. ft. manufacturing and R&D facility, defining space, utility needs, environmental controls, and PPE requirements.• Identified dual-use equipment and instrumentation needs for R&D and hardware verification, developing workflows for EFAS/SPS processes from raw stock through fabrication, post-processing, and shipment.• Helped recruit key personnel (Director of Materials Science, Program Manager) and shape the organization's culture and core values.• Supported proposals using the Shipley guide; authored technical briefs on composites, metals, ceramics, and resin formulae.• Built collaborative relationships with universities and research labs (JHU/APL, NASA, DoD, DoE) by leveraging previous relationships, attending conferences, and supporting NDA negotiations.

• Managed a diverse team of ~60 employees, including 20 with PhDs.• Defined contamination control strategy for spacecraft, addressing protocols, surface cleanliness, outgassing, nitrogen purge, venting, modeling, and plume analysis. Established a world-class precision cleaning capability. Inventor of the APL effusion cell, significantly advancing outgassing quantification. • Focused on recruiting materials engineers and providing long-term mentorship while pursuing graduate studies. Developed a custom Combined Environment Test (CEnT) vacuum chamber for materials testing, emphasizing outgassing measurements under varying conditions. Leveraged practical knowledge of over 800 materials used in large spacecraft, including metals, polymers, composites, ceramics, coatings, adhesives, and lubricants.• Played a key role in building planetary protection capability by hiring the lead, who received accolades from NASA/JPL for "world-class" planning and presentations. Obtained capital investment for heat microbial reduction (HMR), vapor hydrogen peroxide (VHP), and bio-assay sampling capabilities.• Influenced advancements in radiative testing and modeling through strategic hiring, team structuring, and facility development, including in-situ surface charge measurement, enhanced Total Ionizing Dose (TID) testing, and secured funding for a new Enhanced Low Dose Rate Sensitivity (ELDRS) facility.• Led multiple initiatives from proposal to launch as a lead engineer, managing Cost Account Manager (CAM) responsibilities, including make vs. buy decisions, labor planning, and procurement strategies. Developed system-level requirements, authored documentation, and executed plans for spaceflight hardware, ensuring compliance and delivering clean, reliable spacecraft. Contributions are evidenced by the successful outcomes of major NASA missions including the Van Allen Probes, Parker Solar Probe, Europa Clipper, Interstellar Mapping & Acceleration Probe, and other sensitive payloads.

• Led contamination control engineering team on multiple projects, focusing on the assembly, integration, and test of hyperspectral remote sensing, weather, exploratory, and telescopic satellites, including the James Webb Space Telescope.• Developed optical cleaning processes and quantifiable verification techniques, resulting in two award-winning processes.• Established expertise as the thermal vacuum bakeout engineer, recognized across the industry for vacuum engineering.• Developed supervisory, planning, and cost management skills while leading a team of up to four personnel.• Created a vacuum process that received a corporate award for excellence.

• Served as the test lead for standardized payload racks developed for the International Space Station, overseeing testing across vacuum, thermal, electrical, and command and data handling systems.• Managed safety protocols, including permit reviews and hazard analyses, ensuring compliance with safety standards.

• Learned about CCD optical sensors and optical components, including lasers, mirrors, lenses, beam splitters, and filters.• Supervised lab operations, overseeing testing protocols and ensuring quality control in the characterization of detectors.

• Researched phase transitions in glass using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF).• Gained hands-on experience with furnaces, refractory materials, and analysis of gaseous emissions through stack sampling.• Researched intermediate energy physics, exploring photon detection, accelerators, scintillators, and optical couplings.