Nicholas Smith

Nicholas Smith began their professional career in 2005 as a Customer Service Representative at Sitel, where they were quickly promoted to level three in nine months. From 2007 to 2011, they worked as a Class 100 Clean Room Technician at the University of New Mexico, providing hands-on training to graduate students, professors, and new personnel. In 2011, they worked as a Research Assistant for Dr. Roger Angel at the University of Arizona, assisting on the Triple Junction Photo-voltaic Solar concentration array. From 2010 to 2015, they were a Physics Lab Assistant at Pima Community College, troubleshooting, providing preventive maintenance, and making custom alterations to keep older Physics Lab equipment working. In 2015, they became an Optical Mechanical Test Engineer at DigiLens, Inc., where they planned and designed mechanical parts using Solidworks, 3D printed prototypes, worked with Machine shops to finalize prototyped parts, setup and executed holographic wave-guide mastering optical tables, verified, created, and troubleshot volume holographic wave-guides, and designed, setup, and implemented measurement experiments. Additionally, they were a Research Assistant for Dr. Robert Norwood at the University of Arizona, advising College of Optical Science graduate students on their Micro-Optical-Electrical-Mechanical-Systems (MOEMs) fabrication process.

Nicholas Smith completed their Associate's Degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician with a concentration in MEMs and SMT from Central New Mexico Community College in 2010. Nicholas then went on to complete the University of Arizona Optics Transfer Program at Pima Community College in 2013. Finally, they obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Optics/Optical Sciences with a minor in Mechanical Engineering and Math from the University of Arizona in 2015.