Experience

Voxtel LLC

• United States
• Nanotechnology Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Staff Scientist

  • Oct 2016 - May 2021

  Eugene, Oregon Area • Secured $1,000,000 in government funding for developing a broad-band non-linear optical (NLO) limiting material for use against laser threats in armored vehicles by demonstrating the synthesis of a graphene-polymer composite material capable of substantially limiting high intensity wide-spectrum wavelengths. • Synthesized functionalized monodisperse polymer nanoparticles suitable for self-assembly with graphene oxide. Incorporated the resulting particles into a photo-polymerizable… Show more • Secured $1,000,000 in government funding for developing a broad-band non-linear optical (NLO) limiting material for use against laser threats in armored vehicles by demonstrating the synthesis of a graphene-polymer composite material capable of substantially limiting high intensity wide-spectrum wavelengths. • Synthesized functionalized monodisperse polymer nanoparticles suitable for self-assembly with graphene oxide. Incorporated the resulting particles into a photo-polymerizable monomeric matrix capable of performing an in-situ photo-catalytic reduction of the graphene oxide-nanoparticle assembly via UV irradiation, improving the NLO performance of the resulting composite material. • Developed a synthetic technique for replacing the ligand shell of in-house synthesized magnetite nanoparticles in order to tune the dispersion properties of the particles, making them suitable for incorporation in a wide range of monomeric matrices at high concentrations and concomitantly eliminating oxygen sensitivity, allowing inks formulated with the modified particles to be photopolymerized and consequently additively manufactured in air. • Formulated monomeric matrices suitable for dispersing high concentrations of modified magnetite nanoparticles. Measured the rheological properties of the resulting magnetic inks and demonstrated their ability to be used in additive manufacturing to create magnetic composites for various applications such as radio antennae and lightweight compact low-power electric motors. • Formulated polymeric nanocomposite materials to manufacture magnetic parts via fused filament fabrication. Developed a composite polymeric material containing very high concentrations (>60% by weight) of proprietary and commercially available nickel-zinc ferrite. Demonstrated the viability of the material in fused filament fabrication by characterizing its rheological properties and successfully extruding it.

• Research Intern

  • Oct 2016 - Jun 2017

  Eugene, Oregon Area • Developed and improved the synthesis of monodisperse polystyrene nanospheres and successfully grew SiO2 shells onto the spheres resulting in core-shell polystyrene-SiO2 nanoparticles. Demonstrated the successful growth of additional SiO2 layers as a measure of size control. • Functionalized the surface of the core-shell particles with ligands suitable for the incorporation of the particles into a monomeric matrix. Formulated inks for additive manufacturing by using the as-synthesized… Show more • Developed and improved the synthesis of monodisperse polystyrene nanospheres and successfully grew SiO2 shells onto the spheres resulting in core-shell polystyrene-SiO2 nanoparticles. Demonstrated the successful growth of additional SiO2 layers as a measure of size control. • Functionalized the surface of the core-shell particles with ligands suitable for the incorporation of the particles into a monomeric matrix. Formulated inks for additive manufacturing by using the as-synthesized core-shell particles. • Demonstrated the suitability of the resulting inks in the additive manufacturing (by 3D printing and UV curing) of dielectric parts with improved performance over inks lacking the synthesized core-shell particles. • Designed, formulated and characterized low and high refractive index (RI) ink pairs for the additive manufacturing of GRIN optics, entirely dependent on favorable physical interactions between the inks for the successful manufacture of defect-free optical parts. • Spearheaded new design principles for correcting optical defects arising from undesirable ink mixing during the additive manufacturing process. Experimentally demonstrated the necessity of matching the rheological properties of the inks in order to prevent optical defects in the final part. • Overcame formulation barriers imposed by the inks’ newly discovered strict rheological parameters and successfully formulated ink sets capable of additively manufacturing optical elements with a highly increased optical power. • Successfully functionalized titania (TiO2) nanoparticles and formulated suitable monomeric matrices for the dispersion of the particles, resulting in inks capable of additive manufacturing. Demonstrated the viability of the inks to produce the company’s first TiO2 containing inks lacking the undesirable coloration associated with titania nanoparticles arising from surface lattice defects and photocatalytic activity.



University of Oregon

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Graduate Student

  • Jun 2016 - Jun 2017

  Eugene, OR • Acquired a working knowledge of polymer synthesis, structure-property relationships, rheology, as well as processing • Developed polymer synthetic skills and characterization techniques such as DSC, TGA, DMA, TMA and GPC • Gained technical presentational skills through regular laboratory group meetings • Developed NMR technique to determine Mn for low molecular weight phenol formaldehyde



Oregon State University

• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Undegraduate Researcher

  • Oct 2014 - Jun 2016

  Corvallis, OR • Built a platinum ultra micro electrode (25 μm diameter) and used it in cyclic voltammetry experiments in order to detect nanomolar concentrations of important biological analytes • Synthetized a variety of doped carbon based materials to investigate the viability of oxygen reduction catalyst substitutes with the goal of creating a new industry standard • Communicated research results biweekly through presentations to my peers and principal investigator