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
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Research Scientist
MetroLaser, Inc.
08.2023 - 06.2024
- 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, CA01.2023
Master of Science - Chemistry
California State Polytechnic University
Pomona, CA01.2018
Bachelor of Science - Chemistry / Chemical Engineering
Isfahan University
01.2008
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
- Phenol as a Tethering Group to Gold Surfaces: Stark Response and Comparison to Benzenethiol, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2023
- Inductive Effect Alone Cannot Explain Lewis Adduct Formation and Dissociation at Electrode Interfaces, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2023
- Investigating Photochemical Effects of Micro-XRF Analysis on Common Geochemical Compounds, Advances in X-ray Analysis, Proceedings of the DXC Conference, 2018
Timeline
Research Scientist
MetroLaser, Inc.
08.2023 - 06.2024
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
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
Similar Profiles
Sevan MenachekanianSevan Menachekanian
Research Scientist at MetroLaser, Inc.Research Scientist at MetroLaser, Inc.
Alina KunurovaAlina Kunurova
Esthetician at MetroLaserEsthetician at MetroLaser
ANNA LINDANNA LIND
Wine Manager at Mr Pants Wine BarWine Manager at Mr Pants Wine Bar