Please join me in giving a warm welcome to our new Outreach Coordinator, Dr. David Nippa!

David will assisting the Institute for Optical Science with governance documents, procedures for awarding funds, expanding our audience both within and outside of OSU, and developing relationships with industry partners.

Getting to Know You: David

JESSI:    Hi David, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?

DAVID:    I earned my doctoral degree from The Ohio State University (OSU) in 2001, focusing on optical fiber sensing. After graduation, I embarked on a 20-year career as a research scientist at Battelle, a local non-profit research and development firm. I specialized in integrated photonics and millimeter-wave communications. Then, later, I joined Optimer Photonics, Inc., a Battelle spin-off, where I served as the lead photonics engineer for about six years. I also spent three years as a software engineer at Pillar Technologies, LLC, a local consulting firm.

JESSI:    What do you enjoy about your work at OSU?

DAVID:    Since 2019, I have been a Research Scientist at the ElectroScience Laboratory (ESL) within OSU’s College of Engineering. In this role, I collaborate with graduate students and fellow researchers on projects involving microwave photonics, computational electromagnetics, radar, and global navigation satellite systems. The diverse projects and talented colleagues have made my career fulfilling and provided continuous learning opportunities.

JESSI:    What are your interests/hobbies in your free time?

DAVID:    In my free time, I enjoy playing acoustic guitar, snow skiing, and working on home projects.

JESSI:    What are you most looking forward to in your new role with IOS?

DAVID:    In my new role with iOS, I look forward to expanding my knowledge of optics research and connecting with researchers at OSU and beyond.