I’m a graduate student at Texas A&M University with interests in integrated photonics and CMOS-compatible fabrication technologies for sensing and communications applications. My dissertation work is focused on the development of visible and mid-IR integrated photonic circuit devices for chip-scale spectroscopy tools, label-free biomedical sensors, and point-of-care diagnostic devices. You can view a complete list of my written publications, as well as other talks and presentations.
Education
I’m currently in the throes of a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, working primarily under the departments of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, and the Center for Remote Health Technologies & Systems. I received a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering with a certificate in Semiconductor Materials in 2018 from the University of Florida.
Work
At present, what pays the bills is my work as a graduate research assistant in the MiPRoS Lab and graduate research fellow as part of the NSF Precise Advanced Technologies and Health Systems for Underserved Populations (PATHS-UP) Engineering Research Center. In addition, I do some fabrication and development as a process engineer for GenXComm, a wireless communications technology start-up based out of Austin, TX. Previously, I’ve interned at Sandia National Laboratories working in the hydrogen compatibility of materials, as a product yield engineer at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and in sales and product testing at SpinCore Technologies.
Service
Along with education and gainful employment, I’ve dedicated time to other service and leadership work. Currently, I serve as an alumnae advisor to the Texas Eta chapter of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women, the president of the TAMU student chapter of Materials Research Society, and a senator in Graduate and Professional Student Government. I also mentor undergraduate students and participate in K-12 community outreach. See some more details from my teaching and service experiences.
if you need me…
- meganmakela[at]icloud[dot]com
- DM on the bird site @MeganMakela