Sevan Menachekanian
Aliso Viejo,CA
Summary
Physical Chemist with over 9 years of experience in materials science, chemistry, optics, and data analysis. Solid foundation in Physical Chemistry with an ability to grasp new concepts quickly in a team-based environment. Collaborated on cutting-edge projects funded by the Department of Energy, Air Force, and NASA.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
Research Scientist
MetroLaser, Inc.
8 2023 - 6 2024
- Contributed to a project aimed at designing and developing laser-based optical sensors tailored for harsh environments, funded by the Department of Energy
- Designed and built multipass cavity Raman sensors for the detection of CO2 and CH4 gases down to 400 ppm
- Investigated the effects of heat treatment and machining on the surface chemistry of carbon-carbon composites
- Measured residual stresses at the fiber/matrix and SiC coat/carbon substrate interfaces using Raman microscopy.
Ph.D. Candidate
University of Southern California
08.2018 - 06.2023
- Studied potential-dependent formation and dissociation of Lewis acid-base adducts on a gold surface with applications in battery design and biosensors
- Designed and built a spectroelectrochemical cell to monitor the potential-induced adsorption and desorption of phenols and alcohols on a gold surface
- Measured interfacial electric fields between metal-electrolyte junctions using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and sum frequency generation (SFG)
- Designed, built, and optimized a triple laser Raman system (532, 633, and 785 nm) for use in the Chemistry lab.
Adjunct Faculty of Chemistry
Glendale Community College
01.2020 - 01.2023
- Instructed General Chemistry and Introductory Organic and Biochemistry courses.
Graduate Student
California State Polytechnic University
01.2017 - 05.2018
- Built and optimized a low frequency near-infrared Raman microscope for liquid and solid-state sample analysis.
Graduate Research Intern
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
01.2017 - 01.2018
- Investigated using spatial heterodyne Raman spectrometer (SHRS) in deep UV for planetary applications
- Installed CCD detectors to measure the diffraction efficiency of the gratings for interferometry purposes.
Undergraduate Research Intern
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
01.2016 - 01.2017
- Conducted research on PIXL, one of seven instruments used in the Mars 2020 rover mission
- Investigated photo-chemical reactions resulting from X-ray irradiation on organics using GC-MS and Raman
- Published the findings as the first author in Advances in X-ray Analysis, Proceedings of the DXC Conference.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy - Physical Chemistry
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CAMaster of Science - Chemistry
California State Polytechnic University
Pomona, CABachelor of Science - Chemistry / Chemical Engineering
Isfahan University
Skills
Surface chemistry and surface spectroscopy
Chemical characterization using infrared, visible, and X-ray spectroscopy
Geometric optics, lasers, optical fibers, and optical design and alignment
Confocal Raman microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR)
Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, impedance spectroscopy, and spectroelectrochemistry
HNMR, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, mass spectrometry, UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy
Instruments and electronic devices: potentiostat, lock-in amplifier, and oscilloscope
Visible and near-infrared (NIR) detectors, including CCD, photomultiplier tube, and avalanche photodiode
Machining, drilling, taping, and soldering
Data analysis and programming: MATLAB, Python, and basic machine learning
Publications
- S. Menachekanian, Mora Perez, C., Pennathur, A. K., Voegtle, M. J., Blauth, D., Prezhdo, O. V., & Dawlaty, J. M, Phenol as a Tethering Group to Gold Surfaces: Stark Response and Comparison to Benzenethiol. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2023.
- S. Menachekanian, M. J. Voegtle, R. E. Warburton, S. H. Schiffer, and J. M. Dawlaty, Inductive Effect Alone Cannot Explain Lewis Adduct Formation and Dissociation at Electrode Interfaces, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2023.
- S. Menachekanian, D. T. Flannery, M.L. Tuite. M. Heirwegh, C. S. Jamieson, R. Hodyss, K. Williford, Investigating Photochemical Effects of Micro-XRF Analysis on Common Geochemical Compounds, Advances in X-ray Analysis, Proceedings of the DXC Conference, 2018.
Timeline
Adjunct Faculty of Chemistry
Glendale Community College
01.2020 - 01.2023
Ph.D. Candidate
University of Southern California
08.2018 - 06.2023
Graduate Student
California State Polytechnic University
01.2017 - 05.2018
Graduate Research Intern
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
01.2017 - 01.2018
Undergraduate Research Intern
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
01.2016 - 01.2017
Research Scientist
MetroLaser, Inc.
8 2023 - 6 2024
Doctor of Philosophy - Physical Chemistry
University of Southern California
Master of Science - Chemistry
California State Polytechnic University
Bachelor of Science - Chemistry / Chemical Engineering
Isfahan University
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