Alumni Profiles

PLEASE MEET SOME OF OUR ALUMNI

Siddha Pimputkar, Ph.D. 2012

Siddha recently completed his first semester as an Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Lehigh University after spending the past decade at UCSB as a graduate student and postdoctoral researcher. With the knowledge and experience he accrued at UCSB, he is foraging a new path at Lehigh as a professor and researcher. Please read more about Siddha. (Written February 2017)

Craig Hillman, Ph.D. 1996

Craig founded DfR Solutions, a company providing software and consulting services to the electronics community, eleven years ago when, he noticed there were numerous industry standards in place to ensure quality manufacturing, while there was nothing that helped technology companies guarantee a reliable design. He decided to change that. Please read more about Craig. (Written July 2016)

Bob Lansdorp, Ph.D. 2015
Bob is Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Milo Sensors, Inc., a startup whose first product is a wearable, non-invasive alcohol sensor. Milo Sensors recently won $100K in a Wearable Alcohol Biosensor Challenge, which was judged on device accuracy and reliability. Only five months prior, Bob graduated with his Ph.D. in Materials. Please read more about Bob. (Written May 2016)

John Nychka, Ph.D. 2004
John is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta. He bridges structural materials engineering with other fields, like textiles and cryobiology. John is also an avid photographer.  His interests in art and engineering led to a TEDx talk in Edmonton in June 2014. Please read more about John. (Written May 2016)

Eric Toberer, Ph.D. 2006

Eric is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at the Colorado School of Mines and has a co-appointment at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. He seeks to design materials for energy conservation and he is currently the Principal Investigator on two National Science Foundation awards to develop thermoelectric materials from radically different angles. Please read more about Eric. (Written April 2016)

Michael McGehee, Ph.D. 1999

Michael is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University. He studies the path to an efficient, cost-effective solar cell, harvesting high- and low-energy photons in tandem. During his career, Michael helped launch the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and found ten startup companies with his students. Please read more about Michael. (Written January 2016)

Mari Lou Balmer-Millar, Ph.D. 1993

Lou takes special pride in her contribution to the cross-functional teams that implemented the emissions technologies to meet stringent EPA emissions legislation for diesel engines, including the introduction of diesel particulate filter and regeneration technologies that were new to the off-road environment. Please read more about Lou. (Written November 2015)

James Rogers, Ph.D. 2012

At Apeel Sciences, where he is CEO, James and his team create products from natural plant extracts that protect fruits and vegetables from bacteria, fungi, and insects, as well as from oxidation, water loss, and bruising. By reducing spoilage, James’ company can reduce water use, lower energy costs, increase produce quality and crop yield, and help preserve natural ecosystems. Please read more about James. (Written October 2015)

Michael Titus, Ph.D. 2015

While living and attending graduate school in Santa Barbara, Michael took advantage of the opportunities he discovered in a place where, as he says, anything is possible. Scientifically, he found the opportunities to make, model, test, and characterize materials, a grand slam combination that is a hallmark of UCSB. Please read more about Michael. (Written October 2015)