Skills

Leadership

Experienced team project manager with proven mentoring and leadership skills.

Communication and Publication

Strong record of effective communication through research presentations and scientific writing, with 20+ peer-reviewed publications.

Research Experience

Extensive experience in instrument design and development, including optics, software, and electronics.

Technical Expertise

    Optics and lasers
  • time-resolved spectroscopy
  • linear, nonlinear, and ultrafast optics
  • light characterization (spatial, temporal, and spectral)
  • high pulse energy lasers
  • diffractive, refractive, and polarization-sensitive optics
  • interferometry
    Materials
  • semiconductor nanomaterials
  • thin films
  • organic photovoltaic polymers and small molecules
  • photosynthetic protein complexes
    Experiment/instrument development
  • robust optical design
  • high-speed data acquisition
  • technique characterization, calibration, and documentation
    Software development
  • instrument control and real-time synchronization
  • data acquisition
  • modular, object-oriented design
    Analytical methods
  • UV-vis spectroscopy
  • mass spectrometry
  • NMR
  • chromatography (HPLC, GC)
    Data analysis and modeling
  • signal and image processing
  • global analysis methods
  • linear and nonlinear optimization
  • Fourier methods
  • optical modeling and ray tracing
    Programming
  • MATLAB
  • LabVIEW
  • C and C++
  • Linux/Bash
  • Python
  • Mathematica
  • Fortran
  • Java
    Electronic engineering
  • analog
  • digital
  • microcontrollers
  • PCB design
  • test & measurement

Experience

 
 
 
 
 

Research Scientist

Cree-LED

Jul 2022 – Present Durham, NC
  • Lead product development, from initial concept through implementation and qualification.
 
 
 
 
 

Laser Physicist

Dynamic Compression Sector, Advance Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory

Jul 2020 – Jun 2022 Lemont, IL
  • Developed and operated a 100 J UV laser system as a driver for laser shock experiments.
  • Designed optical assemblies and diagnostics for improved laser performance and monitoring.
 
 
 
 
 

Postdoctoral Researcher

Northwestern University

Feb 2018 – Jul 2020 Evanston, IL
Advisor: Prof. Lin X. Chen

  • Led graduate students in the development and execution of collaborative research projects.
  • Spearheaded a new project to study energy transfer in solar energy harvesting materials.
  • Aided in writing proposals for NSF and DOE grants.
  • Designed and built a time-resolved spectroscopy instrument and trained students in its use.
 
 
 
 
 

Postdoctoral Researcher

Northwestern University

Sep 2014 – Jan 2018 Evanston, IL
Advisor: Prof. Elad Harel

  • Advised graduate and undergraduate students on project development and publication of results, and trained them on experimental techniques.
  • Designed and built highly-cited time-resolved spectroscopies, including 4D electronic–Raman spectroscopy, single-shot 2D spectroscopy, and compressive sensing detection.
  • Probed electronic–vibrational coupling in CdSe quantum dots and photosynthetic proteins, demonstrating the strong interactions between excitons and phonons.
 
 
 
 
 

Research Assistant

University of Colorado Boulder

Aug 2009 – Aug 2014 Boulder, CO
Advisor: Prof. David M. Jonas

  • Studied charge carrier dynamics in colloidal InAs and PbS quantum dots, exposing interactions between excitons within the same nanoparticle.
  • Developed computational simulations for the modeling of multidimensional spectra.
 
 
 
 
 

Undergraduate Researcher

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Dec 2007 – May 2009 Chapel Hill, NC
Advisor: Prof. Tomas Baer

  • Investigated UV photodissociation and thermochemistry of halo-alkanes and halo-silanes.