Experience

Type One Energy Group

• United States
• Industrial Machinery Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Fusion Physicist

  • Mar 2023 - Present

  Continuing my career jumping from startup to startup building fusion engines from scratch, I've joined Type One Energy to work on the stellarator approach to fusion energy. My background in plasma diagnostics will come in handy... once we start generating plasma... but until then, I'm filling a myriad of roles involving machining, cryogenic testing, power supply design, material science, and so on. Whatever it takes to make fusion energy a modern possibility! Continuing my career jumping from startup to startup building fusion engines from scratch, I've joined Type One Energy to work on the stellarator approach to fusion energy. My background in plasma diagnostics will come in handy... once we start generating plasma... but until then, I'm filling a myriad of roles involving machining, cryogenic testing, power supply design, material science, and so on. Whatever it takes to make fusion energy a modern possibility!



Fuse

• Canada
• Renewable Energy Semiconductor Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Fusion Scientist

  • Dec 2020 - Sep 2022

  Role: Nuclear Physicist: • Employed diagnostic instruments such as plastic scintillator neutron detectors, UV spectrographs, Rogowski coils/Pearson probes as well as BDot probe construction, calibration, analog integration and digitization. • Created machine learning algorithms to optimize neutron production. • Built a Delta 3D printer on a $0 budget. • Designed and 3D printed parts for inner electrode alignment, spectroscopy optic mounts and ESD pads using a variety of materials ranging from conductive ABS to flexible filaments. • Simulated device geometry for neutron scattering, informed neutron detector deployment and calculated yield conversion factors with MCNP. • Participated in construction projects such as ultra-high vacuum chamber assembly, pneumatic drop switch interlock installation and coaxial/fiber optic cable crimping and routing. • Designed and assembled circuitry for spectrograph trigger and PMT power supplies with EMI shielding and ground loop elimination. Role: Safety Officer: • Wrote and enforced company COVID policy. • Maintained safety equipment and policies regarding lockout/tagout and machine interlocks. • Performed project risk assessments involving calculating approach boundaries for HV components and radiation dose measurements. Role: Chief Operator: • Maintained experimental SOP and trained new operators to run prototypes. • Conducted live demonstrations for visiting investors. • Invented 4 patentable upgrades to the prototype. Show less



Sabbatical

• Wrentham, MA

• Engineer Training

  • Aug 2016 - Feb 2020

  I've taken this time between jobs to learn some skills that I was lacking upon graduation and are necessary for my chosen career goal. Although I've mastered several programming languages, I will surely be more valuable to future employers if I become more familiar with the link between my diagnostic software and the scientific instruments that actually obtain the data. Given the prototypical nature of nuclear fusion reactors, this skill in computer engineering is even more important. By experimenting with Raspberry Pi and its components, I am filling this gap in my education with online courses and small side-projects. Show less



Virginia Tech

• Blacksburg, VA

• Postdoctoral Researcher

  • May 2016 - Jul 2016

  I'm continuing the research I performed as a graduate student for the Quasar Outflow Group until my adviser begins his sabbatical in August. The images below show my suite of interactive Java applets and programs that are used to analyze spectral emission and absorption features seen in plasma outflows from quasars. Also used to determine ionization phase, electron density and other plasma diagnostics. I'm continuing the research I performed as a graduate student for the Quasar Outflow Group until my adviser begins his sabbatical in August. The images below show my suite of interactive Java applets and programs that are used to analyze spectral emission and absorption features seen in plasma outflows from quasars. Also used to determine ionization phase, electron density and other plasma diagnostics.



University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• • Aug 2009 - May 2010

  Performed fluid dynamics experiments with Weather-in-a-Tank, an inter-university outreach project.This project consists of a tank of water on a mechanically rotating platform (emulating the Earth's rotation) and can be used to simulate various meteorological phenomenon.I worked on several engineering improvements to the apparatus. I developed circuitry for attaching a side camera, improved mechanical mounting of fans, and added circuitry allowing fine control of the fan speed.I also performed scientific research using the apparatus, including a new experiment that demonstrated the coastal up-welling effect of a freshwater-saltwater interface. I demonstrated these experiments at several scientific outreach events. Show less

• • Jan 2009 - Dec 2009

  Developed cellular-automata simulations of asteroid-Earth impacts and stellar gas dynamics.Performed research in supercomputing, including world’s first PS3 cluster.Researched induction of relativistic field-reversed magnetic loops, with applications to ultra-high frequency power transmission.



Nanoptek

• Maynard, MA

• Intern-Scientist

  • May 2008 - Aug 2008

  Nanoptek developed a self-contained solar collector used for photoelectrolysis of water into hydrogen fuel. I contributed to every aspect of the solar collector project. I helped develop the fuel separation mechanism in the photocatalyst core, from theoretical design to proof-of-concept demonstrations to manufacturing. I conducted international business with companies in China to obtain epoxy-encapsulated photovoltaic cells that provided bias voltage to the device, and I engineered the circuitry and structural support for attaching the cells to the prototype collector. I performed solar tracking simulations to calculate the optimal deployment density of a field of the collectors. I operated a scanning electron microscope to image the topography of the photocatalyst etching process. I measured film thicknesses using an ellipsometer. I helped manufacture the photocatalysts and performed band-gap measurements of the prototypes to determine efficiency. I operated the fully assembled collectors to measure performance. Show less