An Open Mind Led Him to the Semiconductor Industry

Name: Joseph (Joey) Vella (he/him)

PhD: Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, 2017

What was your main area of research?

I used molecular dynamics simulations to study the properties of liquid metals for their use as plasma-facing materials in fusion energy reactors. Molecular dynamics simulations is a computational modeling technique where the movement of atoms are modeled and physical properties can be calculated.

Fusion energy reactors are currently an active area of research that aims to utilize nuclear fusion for clean sustainable energy. However, many problems (including plasma-facing materials) still need to be solved.

What is your current job?

I am a Senior Research Scientist for Tokyo Electron (TEL) Technology Center America in Albany, New York.

I work on the computational chemistry of plasma-assisted etching for the semiconductor industry.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I find the research topics very interesting.

What is the most important skill you developed or experience you had during your PhD that now helps you in your current position?

Formulating and tackling research problems

How did you build the skills necessary for your current role?

I learned computational molecular dynamics and computational chemistry during my undergraduate and graduate career.

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

Attending a conference (AVS)

PhD graduate ➡️ Research Engineer ExxonMobil ➡️ Postdoc at PPPL ➡️ Senior Scientist at TEL Technology Center America

If someone is interested in a similar role, what would you recommend they start doing now to prepare?

Start looking at industrial research roles and try to find internship positions if your graduate program allows for them.

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

After graduate school, I felt I wasn't competitive enough to get an academic position.

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

Keep an open mind! I didn't know anything about TEL or the semiconductor space after graduate school, but an open mind helped me find this position.