Teaching and mentoring

Teaching

Instructor and curriculum developer, semiconductor fabrication and design

2024 to 2025

  1. Co-developed and taught two graduate-level courses covering semiconductor fabrication, device physics, and advanced logic circuit design.
  2. Designed one curriculum for out-of-field faculty and one for in-field faculty, to be narrated by an AI supported avatar.
  3. Delivered live question and answer sessions and lab sessions to approximately 40 professors and PhD students from Tecnológico de Monterrey, ranked second in Mexico.
  4. Collaborated with engineers across multiple disciplines on course design and delivery.

Lab instructor and graduate teaching assistant

Department of Physics, University of Arizona. 2017 to 2018 and 2021 to 2022.

  1. Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory (Physics 241): instructor for two sections of about 20 students each.
  2. Mechanics Laboratory (Physics 141): instructor for one section of about 20 students.
  3. Introductory Physics (Physics 102): led discussion sections for three classes of more than 30 students each.
  4. Graded exams and homework for three undergraduate physics courses.

Undergraduate physics and mathematics tutor

2011 to 2017

  1. Completed more than 400 hours of tutoring in physics and mathematics at the 101, 102, 201 and 202 levels.

Research mentoring

Fifteen students mentored to date, from high school through the doctoral level.

  1. Brecken Larsen2022 to 2024

    PhD student, Department of Physics, University of Arizona

    • Project Antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions for low-energy and high-frequency switching (NSF FuSe2).
    • Tasks Thin-film deposition by PVD, MTJ device fabrication, and process optimization.
    • Outcomes Fabrication and testing of antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions. Contributed to the group becoming the fourth worldwide to demonstrate AFMTJ operation.
  2. Mile Chen2025 to 2026

    Undergraduate, Department of Physics, University of Arizona

    • Project Magnon-assisted spin-transfer torque switching in NiO-based MTJs (NSF).
    • Tasks Magnetic field dependent measurements and data visualization.
    • Outcomes Contributed to a conference poster and a two-page abstract presented at TMRC.
  3. Thomas D. Bradstreet2025 to 2026

    Undergraduate, Department of Physics, University of Arizona

    • Project Mn3Ga-based antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions (NSF FuSe2).
    • Tasks Electrical testing and data analysis of spin-orbit torque switching.
    • Outcomes Wrote an article for his final project in the Physics program.
  4. Ruth M. Dierdorff2024 to 2025

    Undergraduate, Department of Physics, University of Arizona

    • Project Mn3Pt-based antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions (NSF FuSe2).
    • Tasks Electrical testing and data analysis of spin-orbit torque switching.
    • Outcomes Presented through the UROC program and at the APS March Meeting 2025.
  5. Roman Valle2024 to 2025

    Undergraduate, Department of Physics, University of Arizona

    • Project Investigation of the magnetic behavior of TaCrP.
    • Tasks Magnetic characterization and analysis.
    • Outcomes Completed an ASEMS STARS undergraduate research project.
  6. Kudzai Musarandega2023 to 2024

    Undergraduate, Department of Physics, University of Arizona

    • Project Bias dependence of PtMnx-based tunnel junctions (NSF).
    • Tasks Voltage-dependent transport measurements on junctions grown under varied conditions.
    • Outcomes Analyzed the voltage-driven enhancement of tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance.
  7. Kennedy Warrilow2022 to 2023

    Undergraduate, Department of Physics, University of Arizona

    • Project Magnon-assisted spin-transfer torque switching in NiO-based MTJs (NSF).
    • Tasks Electrical testing, data analysis, and optimization of MTJ performance.
    • Outcomes Achieved a record 26 percent tunneling magnetoresistance for NiO-based MTJs.
  8. Yash Chandak2021 to 2022

    Undergraduate, Department of Physics, University of Arizona

    • Project Boron-doped Heusler alloy Co2FeAl magnetic tunnel junctions (SRC).
    • Tasks Device testing, transport measurements, and data analysis.
    • Outcomes Contributed to a 50 percent increase in TMR and to a peer-reviewed journal publication.
  9. Carter Eckel2021 to 2022

    Undergraduate, Department of Physics, University of Arizona

    • Project Exchange-coupled magnetic tunnel junctions, in collaboration with Purdue University.
    • Tasks Multilayer thin-film fabrication using PVD and photolithography.
    • Outcomes Demonstrated controlled interlayer exchange coupling in MTJ devices.
  10. Christopher Mastrangelo2020 to 2021

    Undergraduate, Department of Physics, University of Arizona

    • Project Voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy using SrTiO3 barriers (SRC).
    • Tasks Development of a high-speed electrical measurement system.
    • Outcomes Increased measurement throughput by a factor of six.
  11. Kaan Ozbozduman2015 to 2017

    Undergraduate, Department of Physics, Bogazici University

    • Project Observation of magnetic skyrmions (radial vortices).
    • Tasks Setting up electrical measurement systems and programming their software in LabVIEW.
    • Outcomes Co-authored a publication confirming theoretically predicted radial vortex states.
  12. Jerrick Zhang2024 to 2026

    High school student

    • Project Magnon-assisted spin-transfer torque switching in NiO-based MTJs (NSF).
    • Tasks Low-temperature, room-temperature and high-temperature DC and RF TMR measurements, and data visualization.
    • Outcomes Contributed to an article and a TMRC conference presentation.
  13. Brady Hong2021 to 2023

    High school student

    • Project Boron-doped Heusler alloy MTJs.
    • Tasks Assisted with electrical measurements and data processing.
    • Outcomes Contributed to peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
  14. Makeen Shafer2021 to 2022

    High school student

    • Project Magnetic characterization of synthesized crystalline materials.
    • Tasks Magnetometry measurements and data interpretation.
    • Outcomes Hands-on training in experimental magnetic characterization.
  15. Tarik Baysal2021 to 2022

    High school student

    • Project Boron-doped Heusler alloy MTJs.
    • Tasks Assisted with electrical testing and data analysis.
    • Outcomes Supported experimental validation of enhanced TMR.