Spencer Brady
Oceanside,CA
Summary
Experienced with optical system design, from conceptualization to implementation. Utilizes advanced techniques in optical simulation and lens design to enhance system performance. Knowledge of interdisciplinary collaboration and precision engineering, ensuring robust and reliable optical solutions.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Optical Engineer
IDEX Health and Science, LLC - Melles Griot
10.2022 - Current
- Aid in design/build of semiconductor laser illumination and beam shaping systems for customers with biotechnology applications in the visible wavelength region.
- Prototype and production design verification by design, build and alignment of optical bench setups for testing. Used Zemax to model experimental setups to show agreement between lab and model results. Provided and presented detailed reports along with developing alignment procedures.
- Design and build of optical bench setups include working with optical fibers to optimize system for highest coupling, working with speckle reducing optics to process gaussian beam profiles and analyze uniformity, qualification of coated optics while considering polarization orientation, and verification of flattop beam shaping optics using image analysis.
- Created automated test stations for the production environment, providing quality assurance for incoming supplier parts and our illumination and beam shaping systems. This included tasks such as optical alignment, beam characterization, Gage R&R studies, and creating Python software to automate the process.
Applications Engineer
Advanced Spectral Technology
01.2022 - 09.2022
- Assist in development of specialized systems for motion control, defect inspection, metrology, and optical design.
- Use machine learning techniques to develop convolutional neural networks (CNN) for defect inspection. Create a competing image classification algorithm in Python to compare with Matrox Vision tools.
- Interpret customers need to create procedures for optimization of microscope systems and certain measurement techniques. Automate processes in Python for customer's needs.
- Develop image stitching techniques based on stage position files, rather than image file names, optimizing the algorithm for runtime and stitching errors.
- Compare multiple interferometer systems to measure pitch and roll static attitude of customer parts, only a couple microns in length, while determining repeatability scores. This includes manipulation of large Z-height datasets in Excel and Python to create a plane of best fit and determine its angle.
- Optimize image capture and processing techniques for customer parts such as background subtraction, intensity thresholding, RGB and gamma camera settings, white balance, pixel and camera angle calibration, and Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT). Many of these techniques were analyzed using Java-based software ImageJ.
Materials Science Intern
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
05.2021 - 09.2021
- Worked with Dr. Anna Hiszpanski and contributed to research on machine learning methods used in polymer informatics and identification of packing motifs.
- Used large amounts of image processing techniques to determine the best input data for multiple different machine learning techniques. This involved becoming fluent in software ImageJ and gaining knowledge in Python’s OpenCV package.
- Determined that a local variable approach, such as Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT), would not yield strong image prediction results which lead to a global variable principal component analysis (PCA) technique on the RGB images to use the vectors and create a Kmeans clustering algorithm.
- Developed a convolutional neural network (CNN) for image classification prediction using Python’s Keras and Pytorch library to achieve strongest prediction results.
- Presented the findings of my research to the Materials Science Division at LLNL.
Materials Science Researcher
Cal Poly Pomona, CA
02.2019 - 09.2021
- Contributed to Dr. Bohdan Schatschneider’s research conducting high-throughput investigation of organic molecular crystal energy frameworks to enable the optimization of the electronic properties in atoms of type: C, H, O, N, X’s (Halogens) to help uncover physicochemical trends.
- Managed three research students, helping them navigate and allocate data in Materials Studio, ORCA, and the CSD.
- Designed a script in Excel to sort and create 3D-graphs examining the number of structures with a certain band gap value versus a desired electronic property (atom presence, group, energy per molecule, density).
- Received summer research grant from School of Computational Science, XSEDE EMPOWER program.
- Presented and wrote a thesis on this research for my senior project requirement at Cal Poly Pomona, CA.
Optical Engineering Intern
Augmntr Inc.
08.2020 - 02.2021
- Used augmented and virtual reality to solve U.S. government Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects.
- Developed Python programs to find limitations of current and future optical systems. This was done by creating Python scripts to analyze theoretical values for an optical system: ground sampling distance, instantaneous field of view (IFOV), field of view (FOV), circular aperture modulation transfer function (MTF) curves, Cassegrain MTF curves, and FOV when a rotation is applied to the optical system using Euler and Quaternion matrices.
- Contributed to optical hardware assembly techniques by creating assembly instructions.
Optical Engineering Intern
Diverse Optics
12.2017 - 05.2018
- Learned manufacturing techniques such as injection modeling, diamond turning, and CNC machining used for polymer materials.
- Variety of tasks including calibration of diamond turning and interferometer machines, machining of specific tools/parts, problem-solving for defective parts, heat treatment (annealing) tests on new materials, quality control, and data analysis.
- References available upon request
Education
Certificate - Optical System Design
University of Arizona
11.2025
Bachelor of Science - Physics, Optics
California State Polytechnic University Pomona
01.2021
Skills
- Proficient in working with optical components for assembly, alignment, and troubleshooting of defective parts Including interferometers, spectrometers, CMOS and CCD sensors, oscilloscopes, photodetectors, and thermopiles for beam and part characterization
- Ability to work cross-functionally, solving problems using relevant software and mechanical methods
- Strong communication skills gained from four years of sales experience and technical research presentations, including ability to succinctly illustrate technical problems
- Experience and knowledge in the following software and coding languages: Zemax OpticStudio, Python, Keras (machine learning package), Pytorch, Matrox Vision tools, ImageJ, Excel and all Microsoft Office programs, Mathematica, Solidworks, and various AI tools
- Fiber optics
- Optical testing
- Optoelectronics
- Optical software
Timeline
Optical Engineer
IDEX Health and Science, LLC - Melles Griot
10.2022 - Current
Applications Engineer
Advanced Spectral Technology
01.2022 - 09.2022
Materials Science Intern
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
05.2021 - 09.2021
Optical Engineering Intern
Augmntr Inc.
08.2020 - 02.2021
Materials Science Researcher
Cal Poly Pomona, CA
02.2019 - 09.2021
Optical Engineering Intern
Diverse Optics
12.2017 - 05.2018
Bachelor of Science - Physics, Optics
California State Polytechnic University Pomona
Certificate - Optical System Design
University of Arizona
Publication
- Bohdan, Schatschneider, Brady, Spencer, et al.
- “Electronic Property Trends of Single-Component Organic Molecular Crystals Containing C, N, O, and H.” Computational Materials Science, Elsevier, 16 May 2021.