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Work Experience

Academic Research Experience

Graduate Researcher, Stanford University, Apr 2007 – present
Advisor: Mark Z. Jacobson, Atmosphere/Energy Program, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
Thesis topic: Measuring and modeling the physicochemical properties of organic matter in atmospheric aerosols and their effects on Earth's climate.

Milestones

  • Built a high vacuum apparatus to measure water activity over bulk solutions as a function of temperature and solute concentration. Achieved a leak rate of less than 0.007 torr/min.
  • Developed a method to calculate the hygroscopic growth of an aerosol particle from the water vapor pressure measurements over a bulk solution of the same composition. This bulk method can obtain particle growth up to higher relative humidities than traditional direct particle methods, such as the tandem differential mobility analyzer (TDMA) and the electrodynamic balance (EDB).
  • Measured and parameterized the water activity curve of over 10 pure compounds and 9 organic mixtures using a bulk method. Bulk water activity data had not been previously reported in the literature for most of these systems.
  • Investigated the effect of pH and temperature on the hygroscopic growth of three organic solutes of atmospheric relevance. Data spanned the 2 – 12 pH and 0 – 30°C temperature ranges.
  • Used a tensiometer to measure the surface tension of bulk mixtures representing organic and biomass burning aerosols. Obtained Köhler activation curves and critical supersaturations as a function of dry particle diameter for these mixtures from surface tension and water activity data.
  • Built an indoor smog chamber to generate and collect secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from the photo-oxidation of terpenes in the presence of nitrogen oxides.

Research in progress

  • Generating SOA from precursor d-limonene and quantifying its yield by gravimetric analysis
  • Studying the water uptake and surface tension behavior of pure and mixed d-limonene SOA aerosol

Undergraduate Researcher, University of Puerto Rico, Aug 2002 – Dec 2003
Advisor: Madeline Torres-Lugo, Chemical Engineering Department
Synthesized, characterized and optimized novel polymers for the creation of hydrogels to function as pH sensitive biosensors. Evaluated hydrogel encapsulation of Hydrogen Sulfide with a protein‐polymer complex.

Industry Research Experience

Vicks Engineering Intern, Procter & Gamble, Health Care Research & Development, May – Aug 2006
Within the respiratory group, led investigation team for improved active (phenylephrine) stability in Nyquil reformulation and was a key part of the reformulation team for Dayquil.

PUR Engineering Intern, Procter & Gamble, Health Care Research & Development, Jan – Aug 2005
Worked as product development liaison to an interdisciplinary team comprised of marketing, design, consumer market knowledge, safety, and regulatory groups for a new Nyquil initiative.

Vicks Engineering Intern, Procter & Gamble, Health Care Research & Development, Jan – Aug 2004
Worked as product development liaison to an interdisciplinary team comprised of marketing, design, consumer market knowledge, safety, and regulatory groups for a new Nyquil initiative.

Crest Engineering Intern, Procter & Gamble, Oral Care Research & Development, May – Aug 2003
Investigated and recommended approach to enhance chemical stability of sodium fluoride in new Crest toothpaste line. Project involved experiment design and process optimization.

Fixodent Engineering Intern, Procter & Gamble, Oral Care Research & Development, May – Aug 2002
Worked with regulatory and safety groups to develop and validate an improved quality control method for testing Fixodent denture cream main adhesives at manufacturing plant.

ThermaCare Engineering Intern, Procter & Gamble, Health Care Research & Development, May – Aug 2001
Developed a comprehensive fit model for the ThermaCare back heat wrap. Responsibilities included material characterization, prototype design, and consumer testing.

Teaching and Volunteer Work

Science Mentor, Stanford NASA Global Climate Change Education Project, Fall 2010 – Summer 2012
Each year, partnered with a teacher implementing a climate change curriculum designed at Stanford. Provided support via strategy meetings, technical advice and in-classroom presentations about climate science. Topics included climate change impacts, renewable energy and personal actions to help mitigate climate change.

Recruiter, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) National Conference, 2008
Recruited for the Stanford Graduate Schools of Engineering and Earth Sciences at the SHPE National Conference in Phoenix, AZ

Science Advisor, LEGO Robotics League, 2008
Advised LEGO Robotics League named “The Four Penguineers” on climatology project for the San Jose Quixsilver competition

Presenter, Minority Youth Outreach Seminar hosted by the Stanford School of Engineering, June 2008
Gave presentation titled Hot Topics in Green Energy at seminar designed to introduce minority students to science and engineering. Talk attended by over 80 Latino and African American middle school students.

Science Fair Judge, Latino College Preparatory Academy, 2008

Mentor, Graduate and Professional Peer Advising Program (GP2A) , Stanford University, Winter 2006 – Spring 2007
Counseled two undergraduate engineering students on academics, work experience, graduate school and student life issues.

Course Assistant, Accelerated Calculus for Engineers (ACE) , Stanford University, Winter 2006 – Winter 2007
As part of a School of Engineering program, designed and led weekly review sessions for underclassmen taking an advanced sequence of math courses. Most quarters, taught both courses simultaneously. Courses: Integral Calculus of Several Variables and Ordinary Differential Equations with Linear Algebra

Chemistry and Math Tutor, Stanford University, Winter – Summer 2006
Helped Stanford freshman improve her academic performance in Chemistry and Calculus I.

Teaching Assistant, Stanford University, Fall 2005
MATSCI 31: Solid State Chemistry with Application to Materials Technology; taught by Professor Paul McIntyre.
Led office hours and specials sessions for tutoring, prepared and presented review sessions and graded homework and exams. Attended all lectures.

Last modified Tuesday, 02-Oct-2012 22:55:20 PDT