Chad Mitchell

Chad Mitchell is a seasoned opto-mechanical engineer with extensive experience in developing advanced laser systems and opto-mechanical assemblies. Currently serving as a Staff Opto-Mech Engineer at Aurora since January 2020, Chad focuses on FirstLight LiDAR systems for autonomous trucking. Prior roles include Senior Opto-Mechanical Engineer at NUBURU® Inc. working on high-power blue lasers, and Electro-Optical Engineering Manager at Foro Energy, where Chad led a team in high-power laser tool development for oil well casing cutting. Additional experience spans leadership positions at TeraDiode, Inc., where Chad managed the mechanical engineering team, and roles at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and L3 KEO, focusing on national defense and submarine technologies. Chad holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, respectively.