Michael Finnegan, Ph.D.

Michael Finnegan, Ph.D. began their career as a Teacher at Space Exploration Academy in 2006. In 2007, they joined Pacific Rim International School as a Curriculum Designer, where they launched the first Montessori high school in the Bay Area, promoted a novel education methodology, designed and implemented grade 6-12 science and math programs, and led a school-wide effort to obtain International Baccalaureate (IB) accreditation. From 2001 to 2009, they worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at UC Berkeley, where they conducted oxide nanoparticle synthesis and characterization, studied the effect of solution condition on nanoparticle surface energy and overall phase stability, morphology, and coarsening kinetics, and identified phase stability crossovers among polymorphs of titanium dioxide with modest modification of solution condition. In 2009, they became the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of QuantumCamp, where they build DIY curriculum for schools, micro schools, and homeschoolers.

Michael Finnegan, Ph.D. began their educational journey at Penn State University, where they earned a B.S. in Materials Science from 1993 to 1997. Michael then went on to earn an M.S. in Materials Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1997 to 1999. Finally, they completed their education with a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which they earned from 2001 to 2006.