Now is the time to do something different. Since I am trying to make a career change into education and particularly product management, I want to detail the various projects I worked on during my six years at MIT. In partial chronological order:

1. Misfit Layered Materials
   • Synthesize and Characterize BaTiS2.8
   • This was my first project given to me by my advisor. My role was to carry out this project as a way to familiarize myself to research techniques
   • I learned x-ray crystallography techniques and solid state synthesis techniques that I would use throughout my career.
2. Safety Lab Representative (4 years)
   • I was the point of contact in lab for managing lab safety
   • I performed weekly inspections and worked to create a safe working environment.
   • Our lab used toxic gases (H2S and H2Se). I learned safety and engineering controls to safely deliver toxic gases to multiple points of use in the lab.
3. Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) Chamber Installation
   • Receive and install custom MBE Chamber from Mantis and develop use protocols
   • I was part of the three-person team that initially brought this highly-specialized tool online
   • I learned proper handling of vacuum equipment as well as basic pluming to setup support equipment
4. Materials Process Database
   • Develop a database of materials processing for AI data mining
   • I supervised development of the database. I used feedback from my peers and other stakeholders at MIT to develop this database with my advisor and an undergraduate responsible for building the front and backend of the MaterialsMaterials Database
   • I learned how manage a project on a different level, where I developed the product more than executing the product.
5. Summer Interns and GAIN program
   • Supervise MIT summer interns from two programs (GAIN and REU)
   • I trained interns and mentored them throughout their summer research projects
   • I learned how to train young inexperienced students. I learned how to adapt to their different levels of expertise to provide them with the best research learning experience.
6. Toxic Gas Manifold for Tube Furnace
   • Develop a manifold to deliver any mixture of six gases (included toxic gases) to a tube furnace
   • I lead this project with an undergraduate research assistant to design and build the manifold.
   • I learned to design a product and source product materials from various vendors
7. FactSage – Thermodynamic Modelling
   • Use FactSage to calculate thermodynamic growth windows for Complex Chalcogenides
   • I carried out the modelling work with a collaborator who provided formation energy calculations
   • This was my first paper (first-author paper). I learned how to take a research project all the way from conception to final product delivery (article submission and acceptance)
8. Tolerance Factor Calculator
   • Develop on online calculator for perovskite tolerance factors
   • I wrote the code for this project and collected feedback to improve the tool to meet user needs
   • I learned some additional web coding languages. I also developed a digital product.
9. Sulfurize Sn and Zr in with H2S in MBE
   • Sulfurize metals in the MBE to prepare future projects
   • I calibrated metal deposition and carried out sulfurization experiments
   • I learned to troubleshoot project goals and reprioritize when metal sulfurization was not working.
10. MBE gas injector extension
    • Develop gas injection extension to improve MBE sulfurization capability
    • I again supervised an undergraduate student who modelled gas injected and developed the design (including materials selection, high-temperature, corrosion-resistant and machinable) for the injector as well as developing the installation process, which included opening lines filled with toxic gas.
    • I learned how to work on a team developing a product, filling various roles as the need arose from mentor, to designer to the guy who sticks his hand in the tool to connect the injector.
11. MBE substrate temperature calibration
    • Calibrate the MBE substrate temperature
    • I designed a high-vacuum rated thermocouple to measure the actual temperature of substrates in the MBE. I also devised this project to to repeated failure to sulfurize metals in the MBE and suspicion that actual growth temperatures where much lower than assumed.
    • I created a hypothesis, prototyped, tested and provided data to show that our experiments were actually occurring 300-500 degrees cooler than assumed. This lead to design of new holders.
12. MBE substrate holder design
    • Design and test a new substrate holder that allows for much higher growth temperatures
    • I lead the design and material selection process. I worked with machinists to build two prototypes as well designing the final product to be custom manufactured
    • I learned to prototype various designs and weigh pros and cons from both the manufacturing and user points of view.
13. MIT MADMEC
    • MADMEC is a materials design competition (MADMEC (mit.edu))to create real-world sustainable materials products
    • I worked on a three-person team to prototype a sustainable new brick design using geopolymers and 3D printing to create a lightweight highly insulating brick.
    • I learned product development in a more real-life context where we had to understand the economics and use-case of our product in addition to design and prototyping of the product.
14. ZnSnS3 synthesis
    • Synthesize a completely theoretical and metastable material
    • I lead this project on my own and iterated between synthesis and characterization. The challenge was to anticipate problems synthesizing a metastable material
    • I learned how to make progress in a high-risk high-reward project and found ways to measure progress in a project with an all-or-nothing result. I gained experience working to prove a negative, which infinitely harder than proving a positive.
15. Lab Safety Rating project
    • Improve Lab Safety as measured by bi-yearly inspection finding
    • I was inspired by behavioral economics ideas after reading Nudge and decided to adapt the Restaurant Food Safety Ratings for MIT labs. I worked with the MIT Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Office to develop and gain support for this project.
    • I learned how to deal with the politics of different stakeholders when developing a project. I gained quite a bit of support from the EHS but failed to gain traction with MIT professors, which ultimately killed the project.
16. Barium Zirconium Sulfide crystal capacitor measurements
    • Measure the dielectric constant of BaZrS3 single crystals
    • I developed the technique to hand-wire microscopic crystals and perform impedance spectroscopy measurements on highly-resistive semiconductors
    • I learned how troubleshoot the many unforeseen obstacles that arise even with a straightforward problem
17. Cryogenic temperature measurements
    • Measure the dielectric constant of BaZrS3 single crystals at cryogenic temperature
    • I adapted unused cryogenic equipment and designed a custom printed circuit board (PCB) holder to enable low-temperature measurements, including writing control code in LabView.
    • I learned to work with cryogenic equipment, PCB design and integrating various tools using LabView to run experiments.
18. Barium Zirconium Sulfide lithography
    • Measure the electronic mobility of BaZrS3 single crystals.
    • I developed a technique to pattern metal contacts on BaZrS3 single crystals
    • I learned perseverance. Lithography can be like black-magic and it took me months before I discovered the critical variable that allowed me to successfully deposit metal contacts
19. Barium Zirconium Sulfide Melting Point Measurement
    • Measure the melting point of BaZrS3, never before done (unpublished measurements)
    • I prepared the samples and worked with another lab that had equipment that could melt ceramics (extremely high temperatures) and measure the melting points
    • I learned to work work with another lab with different priorities. Eventually I could not keep their interest in the project and they decided to not dedicate any more resources to it.
20. Cold Sintering
    • Apply cold sintering techniques to chalcogenide materials.
    • I developed this final research project when I was inspired by a random talk that I saw at a ceramics conference. I developed the tools and processes for experimenting with cold sintering and applied it to chalcogenide materials
    • I learned to take inspiration of other areas and apply it to my projects. I learned to lead and manage a project completely on my own since this area was new to my advisor (in fairness, cold sintering is itself a new area, developed in 2016).

Non-Science Projects

1. Trash bin feedback (AI)
2. Designing the First-Year Experience