For this project, I designed and fabricated a lab-scale experimental model of an industrial roll refiner for rheological experimentation, which required a high level of precision (critical dimensions on the order of ~40 microns) and the application of relatively high forces (on the order of ~30kN).

The apparatus has design considerations for video microscopy. A python based GUI is used for motor control and data aqcuisition from the torque, displacement, force, and temperature sensors, which monitor the reactions of the system. Fabrication involved CNC and manual mill work, manual lathe work, general welding and fabrication, and a small amount of cylindrical grinding.

This work is through the Benjamin Levich Institute for Physico-Chemical Hydrodynamics at The City College of New York, under P.I. and institute director Dr. Jeffrey Morris, with postdoctoral researcher Dr. Michel Orsi, and is funded by a major chocolate manufacturer.

This work is an extension of a project I began as an undergraduate student: the design and fabrication of an atmospheric sensing UAV platform, with the target of scalar (PM2.5, Ozone) observations in the atmospheric boundary layer. This research is under my graduate advisor, Dr. Prathap Ramamurthy.

In addition to my thesis project, we’re working on a number of ongoing air-quality remote sensing projects, and a short documentary on the urban heat island effect in Chennai, India.

My undergraduate work in Dr. Prathap Ramamurthy’s UFD (then titled “UFO”) lab focused on applications of fluid mechanics on large scale atmospheric flows.

My responsibilities included the rigging and data stream design of remote sensing devices, including eddy covariance systems, scintillometers, sonic anemometers, ceilometers, microwave radiometers, and radiosondes.

The largest experiment I was involved in was the CUBE-TRACER field campaign, a DOE and NSF funded experiment investigating the impact of the urban environment and aerosols on the coastal urban boundary layer in conjunction with NOAA’s ARM in Houston, Texas, 2022

You can read more about the experiment in a post I wrote about the field campaign here.

Throughout my undergrad education I’d occasionally freelance on short commercial jobs. The most fun projects were when a friend came up with a novel idea for a lighting rig, or an interesting concept that required some fabrication. Here’s a link to an article featuring a job I did with my friend, D.o.P. Jordan Parrott.

As my research work began to take up more of my time, I found I didn’t have much bandwith for these types of projects, but I still enjoy pitching weird ideas to cinematographer friends, and recently got to shoot a short documentary related to my research.

Before transitioning into science and engineering, I worked in the film industry, first as a production assistant, eventually finding myself a niche as an electrician in the lighting department.

Like most people in the industry, I cut my teeth on indie films, eventually working up to major films and TV shows under the jurisdiction of I.AT.S.E. Local 52.

My roles varied from set to set, but broadly speaking, I was part of a team, or sometimes in charge of a team, that was responsible for the management of lighting equipment and safe distribution of portable three-phase power on stages and on location around the tri-state area.

Select Elective Courses:

• Experimental Methods in Fluid Mechanics
• Mass Transport & Graduate Fluids Mechanics
• Advanced Heat Transfer
• Advanced Stress Analysis

Select Elective Courses:

• Advanced Fluid Mechanics
• Microfluidics
• Computational Fluid Mechanics

I have the most experience with Fusion 360, for modelling, FEA, and CAM. My coursework in University was based on Solidworks.

Photoshop, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve

My CNC experience is mainly 3 Axis, programming in Fusion360 or Solidworks, and operating with Haas machine controls.

I’m comfortable operating a manual lathe or knee mill, using basic manual metrology tools, and with the general upkeep and maintenence of machine tools.

I have the most experience mig welding, have been practicing my Tig. I’m not a certified welder by any means, but once a steamfitter looked at one of my projects and told me I was “doing pretty good kiddo,” which was a really great compliment to receive. / I’ve done my fair share of woodworking, have remodelled my house, and have volunteered for storm relief charity construction projects doing rough framing and roofing.

Most of my Python experience has data processing and plot generation using Python/Pandas/Matplotlib etc. I’ve built a few simple desktop user interfaces with Tkinter for data acquisition from sensors, to send signals to VFD’s, or to control microcontrollers.

I’ve built a few python based dashboards using Dash/Plotly. These were used as public facing platforms to show off some of the data being collected for air quality projects.

My C++ knowledge is from Arduino or ESP32 microcontroller projects.

My University coursework typically involved Matlab for numerical modelling projects.

Certified and comfortable operating boom lifts & scissor lifts.

Working under the CiPass Experiential Learning Department and Dr. Francesca Anselmi at The City College of New York, I developed the curriculum for, and taught a semester long rapid prototyping seminar series for undergraduate students. Students were exposed to a variety of hands on and machine fabrication methods, participated in Arduino workshops, introduced to CAD modeling software, and tasked to design electro-mechanical prototypes to solve various problems. At the same time, students participated in soft-skills training lessons, stressing personal development, design thinking philosophies and teamwork.

Working under the CiPass Experiential Learning Department and Dr. Francesca Anselmi at The City College of New York, I helped develop the curriculum for a seminar series geared towards undecided undergraduates at our university. The goal was to stress skill based learning, and expose them to a number of opportunities at the school, including Arduino workshops based on remote environmental sensing and other opportunities in the school’s Makerspace.

The NOAA Hires program is a summer long research internship organized by our university NOAA-Crest office. My role was to teach Python workshops on data analysis and time series plotting, and to and organize field data collection trips for the students to get hands on experience with remote sensing.

Volunteered with All Hands and Hearts doing electrical and construction work in areas still recovering from the 2017 Earthquake.

Volunteered as part of a student group repairing residential roofs in homes affected by Hurricane Maria.