PROPOSAL FOR
VISITING PROFESSOR
POSITION
6 February 2007
SUBMITTED TO:
Lewis & Clark College
Department of Physics
PREPARED AND SUBMITTED BY:
Michael Scipio, Ph.D.
11259 SW Airbus Drive
Beaverton, OR 97007
503-555-1212 (H)
503-852-9565 (M)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 3
Action Plan: ..................................................................................................................... 4
Visiting Physics Professor ......................................................................................... 4
Statement of Teaching Philosophy .................................................................................. 6
Resume .......................................................................................................................... 7
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ............................................................................... 7
TEACHING EXPERIENCE ........................................................................................ 8
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE....................................................................................... 9
EDUCATION ............................................................................................................. 9
PATENTS / PUBLICATIONS ..................................................................................... 9
Why This Proposal Makes Sense .................................................................................. 10
Professional References ............................................................................................... 11
Dear Michael,
I want to reiterate my excitement about the visiting professor position that we have been
discussing. This I hope is an opportunity for the physics department at Lewis & Clark to
benefit in several ways. I lay these out below.
I feel this appointment would be a great opportunity for myself as well, and I would be
honored to be working in your department. I enjoyed my interactions with the other
faculty members, both in one-on-one conversations and during the lunch we had
together. They would be a good group to work with and learn from.
My ambition is to make the most of the experience. This is why I am proposing to extend
the appointment to 12 months from the currently planned 9 month slot. The extra
development work over the summer plus the additional teaching and student mentoring
during the year would provide added value that would afford greater compensation.
I thought it would be helpful to put in writing these things we were discussing last week.
The enumeration of the benefits might be helpful to you in justifying the options for the
position that I was proposing.
Best Regards,
Larry Scipioni
Michael Scipio
2
Introduction
This proposal is based upon information I gathered from our several interactions, from
conversations I initiated with other faculty members during my recent visit to the
department, and interactions with the students during the day.
The intent of visiting faculty, as we discussed, is not simply to fill in for a teaching
vacancy. A fully committed visitor, as opposed to an adjunct, can bring new subject
matter knowledge with them and apply that to benefit the students of the department. He
can introduce students to new project opportunities, and can bring a fresh perspective to
the department. This last item is especially useful if there is some overlap between the
specialization of the visitor and current research interests of existing faculty. I believe
this to be the case, considering the biological physics activity in your department and the
use of microscopy techniques. Both light microscopy and biology have been
complemented and enhanced by nano-science and in particular charged particle optics.
I hope you find it beneficial that I am proposing to extend the nature of the role over what
was originally offered. I know the reality of funding, however, so it is my intent that this
document could lay out specifically what benefits I will bring to the department.
Michael Scipio
3
Action Plan:
Visiting Physics Professor
I WILL…
Teach the Physics 141 and 142 series.
I WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS BY…
Modeling a syllabus based on the already developed courses currently taught. I will
develop the homework assignments also, based upon historical assignment rosters. The
intent is to maintain an already successful course during the sabbatical year of the
regular instructor, although I may make minor modifications according to my background
and style.
THE RESULTS WILL BE…
The successful continuation of a fundamental course that benefits both majors and nonmajors.
---------I WILL…
Teach three sections of the Physics 171, 172 Laboratory
I WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS BY…
Getting involved with students one-on-one as they work their way through the
experiments. I will model the correct way of framing questions around the principles to
be discovered in the labs, and guide students through the proper execution and
interpretation of the experiments. I will pre-test each experiment myself to ascertain the
learning goals. (This is an ideal activity for Summer 2007 work.) Where I see
opportunities to improve the learning experience for the students through equipment or
procedure changes, I will make recommendations and implement them.
THE RESULTS WILL BE…
The successful continuation of an important and required laboratory experience for both
majors and non-majors. I also will be able to make improvements in areas where the
regular faculty’s schedules have not allowed them to focus.
---------I WILL…
Develop a course to round out the department’s offerings.
I WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS BY…
Considering where the best opportunity to fill an existing gap in the department’s
curriculum. (This would be ideal for Summer 2007 work.) Two strong possibilities are
optics and condensed matter physics. Current faculty advice and my own background
will be utilized in development of main goals. A textbook will be selected based on
Michael Scipio
4
evaluation of content, level, and the advice of other faculty who have taught the subject
at hand, including my own faculty contacts. I can also look to model programs such as
MIT’s OpenCourseWare.
THE RESULTS WILL BE…
A set of lectures and homework assignments that will expose undergraduates to a wider
range of physics disciplines and will help prepare them in making choices for either
career or graduate school.
---------I WILL…
Teach an additional course each semester
I WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS BY…
In part, this will be done by teaching the class that I develop. Another option is to teach a
class that may otherwise require an adjunct professor. Established classes will have a
text selected and a syllabus already, so the development task is minimal.
THE RESULTS WILL BE…
A greater number of course offerings with less expenditure on adjunct faculty. This
benefits the school twice.
---------I WILL…
Advise 1-2 students (according to demand) in a Senior Research project
I WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS BY…
Relying on my knowledge and background in experimental nanotechnology research to
help students pick projects that are interesting, accessible to undergraduates, relevant to
an important field both in academia and industry, and which could provide the possibility
for publishable research. Preliminary selection of projects can be done through literature
searches and through the examination of nano-scale objects with microscopy tools
existing on campus, e.g. in the biology department. For complete experiments we would
utilize Portland State University’s nano-characterization facility. It is open to outside use
at incredibly small rates, and I have the contacts and technology understanding to utilize
them properly – and of course to guide students as well.
THE RESULTS WILL BE…
An exposure for students to new experimental techniques, an exposure to doing
collaborative (offsite) research activities, an introduction to nanotechnology, the chance
to do work at a research university. There is also the possibility of publishable research
arising from this activity.
Michael Scipio
5
Statement of Teaching Philosophy
I have been a physicist all my life. From childhood I have probed at the world and
attempted to catch sight of the laws underpinning its dynamics. My first experiment with
relativity was in elementary school. Running through my yard and tossing a ball as
straight vertically as possible (using my best techniques), I wondered to myself why it
didn’t land behind me as I ran underneath it. I had the benefit of a mentor at that time, an
older brother at the university stage of his physics education. His explanation of
formalisms, combined with my curiosity and desire to experiment, created the foundation
of my love for physics and my understanding of how to learn it.
Building the foundation of the formalisms cemented together with the mortar of
what the hands have touched and the eyes have seen is the key goal of an
undergraduate physics education. Even for those who touch only one or two physics
courses, there is great value in the realization that the questions are answerable and the
discipline exists to tackle them. The first step with the student is to stimulate and
encourage their curiosity. It is here that the teacher is responsible to set the agenda,
exposing the learners to the right topics at the right time. This is the case both in the
classroom environment and with laboratory experiences and forms the basis for course
curricula and project topics. A clear outline of goals and responsibilities also reduces
student anxiety and improves their ability to focus on the topic at hand. The next stage is
where the teacher must learn: he must listen to the student’s reaction to the material,
observe how the student interacts with what is being presented, and probe interactively
with the student in what is rightly described as a Socratic fashion. This x-ray into the
student’s mind makes visible the platform that exists there for conceptualizing the world.
The final step – and the genius of teaching – is for the instructor to use his knowledge of
the established theories and formalisms, along with his own experiences and thought
experiments, to provide the next course of stones. Such stones interlock with and
augment, through hard work, the student’s mental construction – and correct it where
necessary (after all, we teach relativity but not relativism.) Thus the foundation rises
higher.
What is my teaching philosophy? The word itself means “love of wisdom”, and
this pursuit should drive the process. I love to explore the subject and to foster the same
in the student. I use empathy and insight gained through interacting with the student in a
structured way to compare in detail their mental blueprints of the topics with my own.
Then I know where and what to provide as additions and alterations. A good teacher
does not simply love the subject: he loves making the connection from mind to mind and
to make the imprint that replicates the beauty of physics.
Michael Scipio
6
Resume
MICHAEL SCIPIO
Self-motivated and results-driven executive with extensive research and development,
project management, technology management, and strategic development experience.
Creative thinker equally capable of focused analysis and broad synthesis for decision
making. Practical leader who guides by example, is highly organized, and effectively
communicates with people at all levels.
Areas of Expertise:

Research

Staff Development

Technology Management



Negotiation
Project Management
Strategic Development



Leadership
Budget Management
Product Development
”Larry is a strong technologist, capable of digesting, understanding and evaluating emerging
opportunities or setting the course for successful execution of difficult initiatives.”
David Narum, Chief Technology Officer, FEI Company
“Larry is one of the smartest people I know – he has shown an ability to learn the mechanics of
any job.”
Bill Ward, Founder, ALIS Corporation
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Member of proposal team that won $16M, 3.5-year research and development contract with
International Sematech, and was part of the ongoing project management team.
Principal investigator with instrumental role in winning $1.6M NIST grant for government
funded research program.
Successfully spearheaded joint development project with international university research
partner to assess alternate to a core technology, which led to new product development.
Introduced project portfolio management, aligning mix of development program to goals.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
FEI Company, (formerly Micrion Corporation), Hillsboro, OR; Peabody, MA 1996 – 2006
Director of Research and Technology
2006

Create and realize advanced technology and research strategy as part of the Chief
Technology Officer’s staff.

Leader of strategy and roadmap development for chemistry usage as chair of Beam
Chemistry Review Board.

Formulated core technology evaluation and recommendations for corporate strategic plan
and successfully presented them to the corporate management team.

Strategic technology management in concert with CTO, engineering management, and
marketing leadership to determine corporate product development plans.

Facilitate introduction of new technologies into company products.

Co-manage $5M advanced technology budget (with European counterpart).

Foster innovation such as new patents, negotiate development contracts, analyze patent
infringements.

Explore new technologies via outside research partnerships and translating them to product
development.
Michael Scipio
7
Director of Research and Development, Beam Technology Division
2004 – 2005

Oversaw efforts of research staff developing core components for use both in FEI products
and for sale to external OEM and end-use customers.

Managed $4M R&D budget.

Introduced strategic planning framework to the division.

Balanced needs among several customers against project constraints.

Negotiated for and allocated capital equipment resources to the division.

Ran monthly reviews of all NPI projects; approved engineering plans at project gates.

Drove staffing plans to realization within constraints of dynamic budget considerations.

Performed strategic technology management in concert with other divisional R&D managers.

Contributed to engineering process development that led to ISO 9001 certification for
company.

Coordinated efforts of three component development groups with 8 scientists and 12
engineering contributors.
Manager, Physical Sciences Group, Chip and Mask Division
2001 – 2004

Led research personnel in support of new product development as well as improvements in
existing products.

Assisted staff to define scope and deliverables of projects, make resources available, and
monitor progress while allowing self-direction.

Maintained communications with product managers to remain apprised of areas needing
focus, especially in the face of a dynamic market environment.

Summarized and presented results to others in the company as well as to customers, both in
form of oral presentations and written reports.

Drove component development across all divisions.

Hired five scientists and engineers who have become successful contributors.

Coordinated the activities of the scientific staff to keep R&D in step with product needs.
Senior Research Scientist
2000 – 2001

Conducted project planning and management.

Formed and maintained cooperative research with government labs and outside industrial
partners.

Updated management on technical issues and consulted on scientific and intellectual
property issues.
Scientist
1996 – 2000

Modeling and design of electrostatic optical elements for advanced ion optics.

Conducted research into new technologies.

Problem solving for released products under demanding customer timeframes.

Performed experimental testing of ion source properties for product improvement.

Developed prototype for improved ion column which became mainstay component.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Teaching Assistant, Department of Physics, New York University, New York, NY 1989 – 1996

Led laboratory and recitation sessions for several undergraduate physics courses.

Graded papers, proctored and graded examinations.

Received highest student evaluation of all teaching assistants in the department.

Selected to help with university-wide orientation and training of new graduate teaching
assistants.

Hundreds of accumulated hours of private tutoring in math and physics, both one-on-one and
small groups.
Teaching Fellow, Department of Physics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Michael Scipio
1987 – 1988
8
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Graduate Researcher, Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, New York University. 1990-1996

Discovered properties of ultra-thin films of metals and oxides through the synthesis of data
from multiple, complementary probes.

Designed and constructed ultra-high vacuum system for thin film growth and study.

Developed process for producing films of four different oxides on various substrates,
controlling film thickness, oxide species, purity and crystallinity.

Performed scanning tunneling microscopy and electron diffraction measurements of films to
gain understanding of their structure.

Carried out several spectroscopic analyses to cast light on electronic structure of films.

Developed magneto-optic Kerr effect measurement system to facilitate determination of
magnetic properties.

Presented results at several national conferences.
Master’s Research, The Ohio State University.
1988

Experimental study of chaotic stirring in laminar fluid flow and the correlation with numerical
simulations.
EDUCATION
MBA, Suffolk University, Boston, Massachusetts
Ph.D., Physics, New York University, New York City, New York
M.S., Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
B.S., Physics, cum laude, State University of New York at Stony Brook
PATENTS / PUBLICATIONS









System for imaging a cross-section of a substrate, US Patent 6,838,668
Fabrication of three dimensional structures, US Patent Application 20040099636
Dual Beam System, US Patent Application 20050035291
Determining end points during charged particle beam processing, US Patent Application
20050173631
Magnetically enhanced, inductively coupled plasma source for a focused ion beam system,
US Patent Application 20050183667
Characterization of Iron-Oxide Films Grown on Cu(001) and Ag(001). J. Appl. Phys. 79(8),
4976 (1996).
Performance of Multicusp Plasma Ion Source for Focused Ion Beam Applications. J. Vac.
Sci. Technol. B 18(6), Nov/Dec 2000, 3194-3197.
Easy Growth of Undoped and Doped Tungsten Oxide Nanowires with High Purity and
Orientation. Nanotechnology 16 (2005), 10-14.
Electrical Break-Through Effect For Endpointing In 90nm & 45nm nodes Circuit Edit.
submitted to Appl. Phys. Lett (2005).
Michael Scipio
9
Why This Proposal Makes Sense
This proposal offers several benefits to the physics department as well as to Lewis &
Clark in general. Besides maintaining current courses during two faculty sabbatical
years, I can expand your course offerings, strengthen the experimental program, and
increase the percentage of full-time, involved faculty over adjunct faculty. I also bring a
different perspective due to my industry background. The opportunity to offer greater
exposure to nano-science and technology for the students is, I hope, attractive as well.
I demonstrated in my talk that I bring energy and enthusiasm into my teaching and that I
know how to connect with the students at the proper level. I had fun with the group and
would do the same for the classes I would teach.
I also want to offer something new to the department that will improve the experience for
the students. You are seeing greater enrollment as of late, and a wider stable of course
offerings would help to continue to challenge them and strengthen the department. In
this way, I am not just offering a maintenance of what is existing but am assisting you in
what could be a growth opportunity for the department. There is an investment required
to make that happen, but the possible return is help toward increasing the school’s – and
the Northwest’s – strength and reputation in the natural sciences.
The exposure for students to nano-science is significant, as well. This is a huge field
now with many opportunities for small groups and institutions to make contributions
related to physics, biology, and materials science. Publication and funding opportunities
at the undergraduate level are greater here as well, as they were in semiconductor and
superconductor physics in earlier decades. In addition, so many students now are
looking to industry for future careers. I can provide them the exposure to this perspective
and experience.
Since I can take on more than just one course per semester, I can benefit the school
financially. The value to two classes during a school year, taught by an adjunct, is
$10,000. It is valuable to have these taught by someone who is a full-time resident in the
department.
I realize that Lewis & Clark is an academic institution, so certain goals and constraints
must be taken into consideration. I intend that this document will help to evaluate the
proposal against those factors.
Michael Scipio
10
Professional References
Boris Sinkovic
Professor of Physics
University of Connecticut at Storrs
University of Connecticut U-3046
2152 Hillside Road
Storrs, CT 06269-3046
(860) 486-6344 (W)
Bill Ward
Founder and Chief Technology Officer
ALIS Corporation
10 Technology Drive
Peabody, MA 01960
(978) 532-2547 (W)
(978) 994-0788 (M)
Daniel Rosenthal
Principal
3dB Consulting
59 Townsend Farms Road
Boxford, MA 01921
(978) 861-4333 (W)
Michael Scipio
11