Jacob Maher

Experience

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  LabEscape

  Jan 2017 - Sept 2017

  Escape Room Facilitator

  Facilitated team-building in physics-themed escape room by monitoring and guiding participants to solve puzzles. Clearly explained scientific phenomena to various age groups and debriefed participants on strengths and weaknesses

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  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  Aug 2017 - May 2018

  Flash anneal metallic glass with capacitor discharge setup in order to study the formation kinetics with pyrometry. Generate temperature-time plots to identify glass transition temperature, heating rate, and cooling rate. Troubleshoot turbo-molecular and dry scroll vacuum pumps for uses in multiple experimental setups. Presented research during annual Illinois Scholars Undergraduate Research Poster Expo. Utilize total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRF) to analyze motion of motor proteins along microtubules during cellular organelle transport. Prepare microscope slides for applications of microtubules for cutting edge research on motor proteins. Write research proposal and work closely with graduate mentor to achieve specific research goals.

  • Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Jan 2018 - May 2018

  • Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Aug 2017 - Dec 2017
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  Sandia National Laboratories

  May 2018 - Jul 2018

  Materials Chemistry R&D Intern

  Co-author for a Sandia internal report titled: “Investigation of Radiation Effects on Physical, Chemical, Thermal, and Electrical Properties of Fluorinert”. Performed TGA-DSC, thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, dissipation factor, and dielectric constant measurements. Developed standard procedures for dielectric constant and dissipation factor measurements. Collected, analyzed and interpreted data for thermal aging study of dielectric fluids (Fluorinert). Completed literature review on Metalized Polypropylene Film Capacitors (MPPFC) for pulsed discharge applications of capacitors. Created poster on the aging of fluorinated polymers and presented significance of experimental findings to faculty and staff. Show less

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  Special Metals

  Aug 2018 - Dec 2018

  Metallurgy Research and Development Co-Op

  Modeled solidification process of Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) using the SOLAR model (Solidification during Arc Remelting). Used model to predict properties of VAR ingots such as dendrite spacing (primary and secondary) and chemical segregation. Validated the geometry of a melt pool predicted by SOLAR through observing large scale grain orientation of an etched VAR ingot. Chemical segregation and secondary dendrite arm spacing was also validated near the ingot head. Assisted with data analysis of over 5 years of mechanical lab testing for multiple superalloys. Organized data in order to assist my department in the search for a correlation between thermal treatments such as aging and annealing with mechanical properties such as impact strength and yield strength. Perform metallography and sample-prep such as cutting, mounting, grinding, polishing, etching, and dendrite arm measurements Show less

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  The Chemours Company

  Jun 2019 - Aug 2019

  Engineering Technology Intern

  Wrote ImageJ JavaScript code to instantly calculate phase percentages on hundreds of steel micrographs as per ASTM standards. Validated accuracy of ferritiscope measurements using the JavaScript code on Duplex stainless steel micrographs for the evaluation of weld conformance within company standards. Conducted failure analysis and sample prep on corroded metal and fluoropolymer samples with optical microscopy and XRF. Presented results to the engineering department as well as a company-wide presentation. Analyzed impact, tensile, corrosion, and ferrite percentages across two duplex stainless steels with varying heat treatments. Show less

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  Sandia National Laboratories

  Jan 2020 - Apr 2021

  Technologist
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  Electroninks Incorporated

  May 2021 - now

  • Production Manager

    Oct 2022 - now

  • Lab Manager

    May 2021 - Oct 2022