The diversity of projects, clever colleagues, technical rigor, and informal atmosphere at Creare are all reminiscent of the best of graduate school years. Creare has a wide variety of engineering projects and there is a fantastic depth of excellent people with whom to team, comparable to faculty with expertise in many different engineering fields. And just as I was able to pursue topics I was most interested in during my graduate studies, at Creare I control which projects I work on.

My background is in Aeronautics and Astronautics, and I received both my masters and doctorate from Stanford in Aero/Astro. For my dissertation project, I designed a superconducting position sensor to calibrate instruments for the Satellite Test of the Equivalence Principle (STEP). Later, I worked for an aviation applications firm in California, focusing on software development. In joining Creare, I was able to get back to the lab and pursue hardware-related projects. A hands-on research approach is very appealing to me and it is the essence of the Creare environment. My assignments develop by talking with colleagues and mentors. An engineer may ask if I want to be involved in a project, and I am able to consider, “Do I want to work on this technology? Do I have time? Is there other more appropriate work?” Or, if I am keen to work with a colleague or in a particular technology, I can easily learn about related projects and join a particular project or team.

Currently, I am working on an acoustics project, exploring ways to reduce the transmission of sound through the bones in the human head. This work is relevant to protecting the health of individuals who work in very high noise environments. In another project I’m designing a pressure sensor for the eye, small enough to be surgically implanted in the eye and able to measure ocular pressure over a period of time for glaucoma patients. I’ve also worked on low-cost inhalers for delivering measles vaccines. My interest in biomedical engineering is one of the reasons I came to Creare. I enjoy using my expertise in advanced instrumentation and precision controls—and, in the case of the inhaler project, expanding that knowledge into a biomedical application.

I am also using my astronautics background in novel ways. I had experience in my dissertation project with extremely low temperatures using liquid helium. I’m now working on a project to analyze cryocooler vibration. Creare’s cryocoolers are typically used to cool spaceborne sensors. I am researching possible causes of vibration in the dynamically rotating parts. Diverse, interesting, and always challenging are accurate descriptors of my workload.

A great balance between work and personal life can also be a reality at Creare. While I work hard, my hours are not excessive, and I enjoy what I am doing. My career is developing, and I also have a quality family life. I was attracted to the location in Hanover for personal as well as professional reasons. The entire Upper Valley area contributes to raising a family in a peaceful manner. The cost of living is affordable, and the quality of life is high. At Creare I’ve found a workplace where I’m excited by the challenges, choices, and potential in a location that suits my entire family.

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