Education

Graduate Studies

2008 - Present     University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana          Urbana, IL

 

- Passed Qualifying Exam on arrival

- X-ray scattering studies (adviser Prof. Peter Abbamonte)

- Gaining experience with beamline science in UHV at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven

- Trained in machining (lathe, mill, band saw, etc.)

 

B.S. Physics cum laude

2004 - 2007     University of Washington          Seattle, WA

 

- 2 summer REUs with NASA Space Grant

- 2 years of laboratory research, including a week at the Advanced Light Source at Berkeley

- Physics Diversity Committee Member

- Society of Physics Students Treasurer

 

2002 - 2004     Cascadia Comm. College         Bothell, WA

 

- Running Start program: college classes during junior and senior years of high school

- College GPA of 3.95 with over 90 credits

- Physics TA: lectured and assisted with tutorials and labs

 

Work Experience

 

2007 - 2008     U. of Washington          Profs. M. Olmstead & S. Fain

 

- Transition-metal doped chalcogenide semiconductors

- Experience: AFM, STM, UHV, LEED, sample prep, tip etch, sample deposition, As termination

- Abstract for AVS 54th International Symposium Seattle, WA (#479)

 

2006 Summer REU      U. of Washington          Prof. E. Agol

 

- Binary star photometry

- Experience: Linux, IDL programming, automated data handling, numerical techniques

 

2005 Summer REU      Jet Propulsion Laboratory         Dr. M. Larson

 

- 3He-4He tricritical point measurements

- Experience: SQUID magnetometer, He and N2 cryogens, low-T thermometry, cryostat, LabVIEW

 

Additional Research     

 

2005 - 2006     U. of Washington          Prof. O. Vilches

 

- Xe adsorption on carbon nanotube bundles

- Experience: isotherms, calorimetry, gas dosing system, LabVIEW

 

Software

 

Proficient in: Maple, Mathematica, Matlab, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, introductory programming

 

Honors

UIUC

2008 - 2012 SURGE Fellowship

UW

Member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Pi Sigma Honor Societies

2006 - 2007 Treasurer for Society of Physics Students Distinguished Chapter

2006 UW Physics Department Andersen Award

2005 Mary Gates Research Scholar

2005 - 2007 Hispanic College Fund Scholarship

2004 - 2006 Xerox Minority Scholarship

2004 - 2005 American Physical Society Scholar

2004 - 2005 Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar

 

Interests

Chess, skiing, golf, whitewater rafting, movies