Michael Santiago, PhD

Michael Santiago, PhD has a diverse work experience, beginning in 2006 with a research internship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where they developed an HPLC method to quantify radiolabeling in a solution. In 2007, they interned at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where they collected data on fluid flow through a reactor that modeled landfill composition and measured the water retention curves of various soil samples. In 2008, they interned at MIT, where they analyzed and characterized samples of used diesel particulate filters (DPFs) using SEM, thermogravimetry, and intuition to find patterns of soot deposition. In 2009, they worked for the US Forest Service, where they were responsible for fire forecast modeling and programming. In 2010, they began their PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University, where they helped design and develop the first fully-functional MEMS tensiometer, modeled water flow in plants, and measured the thermodynamic properties of water at negative pressure. In 2014, they founded and became CEO of FloraPulse, where they developed a microchip breakthrough from their PhD into a fully-fledged product. During this work, they designed and microfabricated a novel water-sensing MEMS microchip, set up manufacture of said chip into robust sensor probes for long-term field use, and invented a method for customers to consistently install the sensor into woody tissue. Theirteam further developed a tree-to-cloud IoT system to upload and analyze sensor data for customers. In 2016, they worked as a Customer Development Entrepreneurial Lead at the National Science Foundation (NSF). In 2022, they became a Consultant at Santiago Inc, where they provide advice on their areas of expertise, including mechanical engineering, microfabrication, Internet of Things, farming, non-dilutive fundraising (SBIRs), outsourcing, manufacturing, and getting a PhD.

Michael Santiago, PhD obtained a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Universidad de Puerto Rico in 2010, followed by a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University in 2016.