After 21 years, and as the first hire in the nanoFAB, Stephanie has announced her retirement. Her official last day will be June 30th.
Wishing you the very best in retirement!
Stephanie has been one of the foundational members of the nanoFAB staff, helping to build the nanoFAB into what it is today. When Stephanie first started in the nanoFAB, there were a few wet decks and a single ABM mask aligner. With these modest initial tools, Stephanie developed the training processes that have touched over 3,400 people as they worked towards their Masters, PhDs, or started working in companies. Stephanie has long been the first face new cleanroom users would see for our orientations, and with practically every project and student working in the cleanroom needing lithography and wet processing, she leaves behind a long training legacy. Stephanie acted as our first ambassador to a community of users, who have gone on to start their own companies, become professors, or work locally and internationally. As we’ve grown, taken on more users and responsibilities, and shifted things online, Stephanie has consistently been the engaging face of the nanoFAB, happily training eager new students. I’m sure though when she first transitioned from industry to the nanoFAB, Stephanie was a bit nervous about what she was getting involved in. In the first month of operation of the nanoFAB in the ECERF building, she got stuck in the cleanroom with the nanoFAB’s first ever co-op student due to an air handling unit failing. The pressure was so great that they couldn’t open the door to get out until the walls fractured. As Stephanie recently mentioned to me reflecting on her story, working in a cleanroom with such amazing students and colleagues, on such extraordinary projects, is a far cry from her humble childhood without power, cooking with a wood stove. Life takes people on many journeys, and we are thankful of Stephanie’s journey with the nanoFAB over the last 20 years, and wish her the very best in the next phase of her journey.
Stephanie will now be trading in the training of 20-year-olds in lithography and wet etching, to helping raise her grandchild, so not much of a change. 😉 Stephanie‘s dedication and commitment to helping grow the nanoFAB to what it is today has been tremendous. Stephanie has always been humble in her approach to work, but I’m sure she will appreciate any well-wishes and messages people may want to send.
