Sara Heedy Email & Phone Number

• Laboratory assistant for SEM, AFM, Materials Prep, TEMPR Supporting Staff, and Mechanical Measurement Specialist
• Trained users to efficiently use a range of analytical instruments through one-on-one training sessions, technical support, and optimization of characterization parameters
• Provide technical expertise and trouble-shooting assistance of analytical equipment to users by phone, text, email, and in person
• Ran and maintain a wide variety of analytical instrumentation
• SEM and AFM operation, consultation and training on a wide variety of materials(polymeric materials, nanoparticles, surface agents, metals, ceramics)
• Consultation work with internal and external customers in reverse engineering of medical device using SEM and EDS, coating aggregation analysis using AFM, SEM and rheology, compositional analysis of inorganic/organic.

• Thesis: "Mechanical performance, stability, and antimicrobial efficacy of a polymer surface with biomimetic nanopillars", PhD advisor: Albert F. Yee
• Co-wrote a $2.5 million grant proposal awarded by the Department of Defense (DoD) for development of novel bandage contact lens with ocular drug delivery
• Evaluated the role of nanoscale surface structure arrays on the biodegradability, stiffness, flexibility, water content, and hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity on 8 different polymer systems (biopolymers and thermoplastics)
• Explored the physico-chemical characteristics of surface modified polymers after crosslinking with chemical and ionic crosslinkers, discovering that sub-micron surface structures influence the bulk properties
• Established standard test methods and tooling fixtures to test and validate thermal and mechanical properties of polymer matrices, which were implemented across the group and are still used today
• Investigated the safety of modified hydrogels using MTT colorimetric assay, discovering that epithelial cell viability is not influenced after 24 hours

• Collaboration with the Nanofabrication facility and UC Irvine Yee lab.
• Designed, developed, and fabricated arrays features with heights ranging from 10 nm – 1 µm using XENOS patterning with FIB for use as imprinting templates

• Overhauled technical engineering work orders for composite fabrication, resulting in a decrease in fabrication time and incorrect systems
• Assessed material process integration to determine standards in compliance, corrective actions, and improvements for developmental programs, successfully identifying 4 hang up spots

Greater San Diego Area

• Compiled and organized material design parameters by raw material and manufacturing process into a database, which decreased the time the design group spent searching for parameters from days to 15 minutes

Santa Barbara, California Area

• Support pre-sale activities through development of marketing communication material including design of instrumentation fliers, brochures, journal articles and conference displays
• Communicated with internal and external customers across multiple sites and time zones
• Disseminated technical information on AFM to audiences of engineers and managers, while tailoring the technical message for each stakeholders’ interests
• Implemented external customer sample database in VBA to monitor, analyzed and reported the day-to-day status of sample analysis

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Chemical Engineering

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Chemical Engineering

Associate Of Arts - Aa, Marketing