Bio

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHER, EDUCATOR, AND TEAM LEADER: My expertise is nanophotonics, the interaction of light with nanostructured materials. My work has pioneered applications of nanophotonics to optomechanics, optical trapping, and nanostructured solar cells. I have invented materials that regulate their own temperature and developed novel infrared emitters and detectors. At USC, I lead an advanced research laboratory where I supervise postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate interns, and lead several collaborative, multi-investigator and multi-university projects. To date, I have published 100+ refereed journal articles, graduated 10 PhD students, and attracted and managed >$6M in funded grants from federal agencies, companies, and foundations. I am a Fellow of Optica and SPIE and a recipient of the NSF CAREER and PECASE Awards. My teaching is in the area of applied physics, electromagnetics, optics, and photonics at the undergraduate and graduate level. I currently serve as Associate Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering - Electrophysics, where I have oversight over graduate curriculum, graduate teaching, and student affairs. INTERESTS IN NATIONAL SECURITY: I have a strong interest in Science & Technology issues in national security and US strategic competitiveness. I am an alumna of the Defense Science Study Group, sponsored by DARPA. I currently serve as Director of the Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence at USC, a program sponsored by ODNI to introduce a diverse range of students to opportunities in national security and intelligence. Our multi-university, cross-disciplinary program brings together experts in international relations, public policy, science, and technology to engage in conversations around key issues facing US national security and foreign policy. Currently, I am working to develop a new Graduate Certificate in National Security Technologies at USC. OTHER PASSIONS: I have strong interests in organizational health and management; diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM (with a focus on gender issues); foreign languages; and the Afro-Brazilian martial art of capoeira.