Micah Folsom

Engineer, programmer, and physicist with over a decade of research experience developing advanced radiation sensors that take advantage of cutting-edge techniques and algorithms. Adaptive, quick to learn, and eager to employ the latest and most advanced technologies to solve challenging problems. Strong communicator who excels in team environments pursuing creative solutions.

[micahfolsom.com] . [LinkedIn] . [GitHub]

Experience

Senior Scientific Engineering Associate, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Applied Nuclear Physics (Jan 2021-current)

• Software and hardware development for radiation detector systems that combine sophisticated radiation imaging algorithms with 2/3D spatial data (RGBD, LiDAR, RaDAR, etc) to produce 3D models with quantitative radiation activity and dose information.
• I’m involved in virtually every aspect of development, across multiple projects: overall system design, sensor readout and data processing software development, electronics testing, firmware debugging, calibration, performing benchmark experiments, analyzing the results, and reporting it in publications and at conferences.
• Application spaces (primarily) include nuclear safeguards/security and emergency response.

Lecturer, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Dept. of Nuc. Eng. (Aug 2021-Dec 2021)

• Taught NE-697: Introduction to Geant4
• Geant4 is an open-source, C++, radiation transport modeling library commonly used by physicists and developers of radiation detectors
• My course materials can be found here

Graduate Research Assistant, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Aug 2014-Nov 2020)

• Developed an electronic signal generation model using C++ and ANSYS Maxwell for semiconductor radiation sensors, then validated the model with experimental measurements.
• Created a statistical radiation transport simulation that employed open source C++ libraries (Geant4) to model an instrument on the Curiosity rover used to detect subsurface water on Mars.
• Designed a novel, compact, fast neutron camera by creating three designs, selecting the best performer based on simulations, then optimizing the sensor geometry.
• Developed a set of multithreaded analysis tools and data pipelines to parse, clean, sort, filter, analyze, and visualize ~10s of TB of both simulated and experimental data.
• Built a lab prototype of the neutron camera, wrote Qt-based C++ software to automate the characterization measurements, and experimentally demonstrated the neutron imaging capability of the instrument.
• Collaborated with scientists from across the country who were developing different designs of the same type of sensor and who were performing detailed characterization measurements of the anticipated sensor components.

Intern, Pacific Northwest National Lab, Richland, WA (May-Aug 2016)

• Created data acquisition software (C++/Qt) to read, store, and visualize data in real time from a prototype radiation counting system used for nuclear safeguards and treaty verification.
• Developed digital signal processing algorithms suitable for high radiation rates (>1 MHz), which were implemented on an FPGA.

Intern, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria (Jun-Aug 2014)

• Used MATLAB Simulink to develop and test an FPGA digital signal processing algorithm for high dose rate radiation sensor applications.
• Developed statistical radiation transport software (C++) to model a portable radiation sensor being considered for use by international inspectors.

Research Assistant, University of California, Berkeley, CA (Mar 2010-Jun 2014)

• Constructed an instrument to rapidly perform detailed characterization of large semiconductor radiation sensors.
• Assisted with the fabrication and quality control of radiation sensors deployed for experiments by NASA.

Skills

Programming: C, C++, Visual Basic, Python, pybind11
Tools: Git, docker, RobotOS (ROS), doxygen, sphinx, MATLAB, Qt
Communication & Teamwork: Technical writing, public speaking, international collaboration, small team management
Advanced Skills: Digital signal processing, sensors & instrumentation, statistical modeling, experimental research and design, data analysis

Education

Ph.D., Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (May 2020)
M.Sc., Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (May 2017)
B.Sc., Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley (May 2012)

Open-source Packages

Author, maintainer: h3d_tools, a python package for communicating with commercial radiation detector systems made by H3D, Inc.

Awards & Activities

• NEA NEST Fellow, Nov 2018
• Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation, Delegate (2017), Vice Co-chair (2018)
• GEM Fellow, May 2016-May 2020
• UTK Health Physics Society, President (2014-2017), Vice President (2018)
• Alpha Nu Sigma Honor Society, August 2015
• Nuclear Science and Security Consortium Scholarship, Jun 2011-Jun 2014