Blog

Engineering, Science, Technology, Business Development

Multi-Disciplinary, Cross-Cultural Success

I've helped many teams and organizations through my professional career and across multiple disciplines and cultures throughout the world.

Chemistry

Synthetic organic chemistry for biomedical research and opto-electronics applications

Materials Characterization & Failure Analysis

Examples of chemical structure, purity, contamination, manufacturing defects, corrosion, solderability, and more

Marketing for University Lab

Promoting services offered by Materials Characterization Laboratory in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at the University of Utah

Marketing for Commercial Lab & Navy Electronics Manufacturing Center

Promoting laboratory services offered by ACI Technologies, formerly known as the American Competitiveness Institute, and manages the US Navy's Center of Excellence in Electronics Manufacturing

Questions on These or Other Topics? Let's Talk

Chemistry

Synthetic Organic Chemistry as Molecular Engineering

Here are examples of materials that I synthesized to meet the specific needs of my group’s collaborators, teammates, program managers, and clients. The molecules related to medical research were performed at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville with input and feedback from staff at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. The other light-emitting and charge storage materials were performed at the University of Southern California and the Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake, CA. The Parylene and related polymers are in my recent professional career.

Medicinal Molecules

Synthesis of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) monomers for later solid-phase sequences used in anti-gene (DNA-binding) and anti-sense (RNA-binding) research by molecular biology collaborators

Opto-Electronic Materials

Synthesis of para-only and para-meta polyphenylenes and their photo-physical properties for later energy transfer studies.

Heterocycles foor Improved Charge Storage

Thiophene-trimer monomer for electropolymerization and charge storage research.

Barrier Thin Films

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of Parylene, poly(para-xylylene), serving as a barrier to most chemicals, corrosion, and water.

Summary of applied chemistry and materials efforts

Link to a summary of my research and professional experience with examples of their applications.

Common Laboratory Methods

Link to descriptions of some common laboratory methods that are sometimes referenced in articles, but may not have been easily understood.

Organic Chemistry Study Guide

Link to tips on studying for organic chemistry courses.

Thin layer chromatography (TLC) stains

Link to stain recipes that were helpful in visualizing the progress of reactions on TLC plates, when performing synthetic organic chemistry for medicinal and materials applications.

Materials Characterization & Root Cause Failure Analysis

Properties and Performance Towards Perfection

I’ve used scientific instruments and test methods to determine fundamental properties of materials, such as chemical structure and purity, and later how well those materials perform in their targeted applications. These same test methods are used to learn how materials have behaved and why they do or don’t work for a specific end use. Here are a few examples of methods the I’ve employed for academic, government, and industrial teams and customers.

Chemical Identity

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to confirm structure and purity of a terpyridine ligand 

Optical Properties

Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy of the polymer-lanthanide-ligand complexes 

Contamination from Various Sources

Methods of cleanliness testing and residue analysis using: resistivity of solvent extract (ROSE), ion chromatography, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.

Non-Destructive Testing using X-Ray Imaging

Transmission X-ray imaging for evaluation of solder joints, copper traces, and wire bonds, as well as screening for counterfeit components.

Marketing for Academic Laboratory Facility

Outreach for Lab, Department, and University

I managed the Materials Characterization Lab (MCL) in the Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) department at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. I promoted the lab at multiple conferences, meetings with various departments within the university, the College of Engineering, industrial clients, and foreign government dignitaries.

Brochure

I created a tri-fold brochure for the Materials Characterization Lab (MCL) in the Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) department. 

Presentations

I updated the MCL with various educational posters and capabilities and created a slideshow on rotation showcasing the lab and staff’s capabilities to aid current and future clients. 

Marketing for Commercial Lab & Navy Electronics Manufacturing Center

Business Development for an Electronics Failure Analysis Laboratory and US Navy Center of Excellence in Electronics Manufacturing

Below are examples of different marketing and advertising efforts that I created with the help of the graphics and communications professional,
Donna Heath, while we were both at ACI Technologies in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Business Cards

Images produced to showcase the capability and analyses available in the analytical services group were collected and arranged to fit on the back of my business cards. 

Post Cards

Lab pack post cards were sent to the company’s mailing list, as well as hard copy reports, and returned customer samples. 

Full page advertisement

This advertisement promoted lab services, training courses, and the failure analysis book that I wrote for ACI.

Ebook Production

I initiated, developed a process, and trained others on eBook production and editing; delivering ePub (.epub for Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble Nook, and others) and Mobipocket (.mobi for Amazon Kindle) versions of six books published by ACI that existed previously as print and PDF editions.