Stephen Horowitz

Stephen Horowitz, PhD Technical Executive | Elec. Engineer | PM | Writer EXECUTIVE AND TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT CORE COMPETENCIES -1285 Murphy Hill Rd North Bennington, VT 05257 Technical leader with 20 years of engineering and R&D experience in sensors and arrays, algorithm development, firmware, embedded systems, acoustic measurement, MEMS, physical modeling, transduction, fabrication, characterization/test, and consulting and 10 years of technical management/executive experience in operations, product development, R&D, business development, marketing and technical sales. Track record of success as CTO/CEO in startup and medium-sized growth organizations, leading product development efforts from initial concept through R&D and commercialization to market introduction and growth. Experienced in developing new business, managing products, projects and people, and leading internal strategic and resource planning to grow revenues and control costs. • • • • • • • PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE - Sensors Algorithm Development Firmware Transducer Design and Integration R&D / Prototyping Modeling/Design Project Management • • • • • Embedded Systems Electronics and Sensor Product Development Organizational leadership Fostering teamwork & open communication Strategic Planning FOUNDER/CEO Satori Scientific Inc, Gainesville, FL/Bennington, VT • • • • • • • Business Development Product Marketing & Management Budgeting & Sales Forecasting Partnership Development May 2020-Present Launched the company to provide sensor development services, SBIR/STTR proposal writing and general engineering/R&D consulting services as well as targeted internal product development efforts SBIR/STTR proposal services include: strategy development, content writing, procedural review, editing/proofreading, budget development, commercialization plans R&D consulting services include: Product Development, Sensors, Instrumentation & IOT, Acoustics & Transducers, Electronics, Signal Conditioning & Processing, Data Acquisition & Analysis, Multi-Physics Modeling & Simulation, MEMS/Microfabrication, Test and Characterization Lead a team of proposal writers (10) to provide SBIR proposal writing services Lead a team of engineers (electrical, firmware, software (IoT, webapps), mechanical/industrial design) to develop prototype instrumentation systems CTO Switching Battery Inc, Bennington, VT • • • Jun 2021-Present Head of product development and technological innovation Lead a team of engineers and scientists developing next generation energy storage and transformation products. PRESIDENT/CEO Aug 2014-Apr 2020 Interdisciplinary Consulting Corporation (IC2), Gainesville, FL • Spearheaded corporate growth as chief executive officer and general manager of IC2 – a developer and manufacturer of scientific-grade precision MEMS sensors and instrumentation targeting aerodynamics and aerospace research markets • Led government-funded technical programs (SBIR/STTR and others) to develop microphones and acoustic array systems (hardware and algorithms) as lead scientist and project manager, including technical project management, MEMS sensor design and modeling, algorithm development, microfabrication process flow development, sensor packaging, and test/characterization • Developed the vision and strategy to grow the company, transition to a product focus, and leverage external funding for development • Developed the research and engineering teams with a focus on innovation, teamwork, and transparency • Championed efforts to commercialize and transition prototype microsensors into research-grade instruments and array systems – microphones, shear stress sensors, and pressure sensors based on capacitive, piezoelectric and optical transduction, • Directed all business development efforts - Identified, developed, and secured new business opportunities through R&D funding proposals, partnerships, trade shows, and technical sales Achievements • Led steady company growth from $450k to $1.5M in annual revenue (growing from 4 to 14 employees) from 2014 to 2020, resulting in over $9M in total contracts and sales • Personally captured $3.5M in NASA/DOD SBIR contracts, serving as proposal lead and project PI and led team in securing an additional $5M in SBIR contracts • Transitioned company from a small, lifestyle business into a productfocused development house undergoing exponential growth • Supervised technical and leadership team that brought industry-first shear stress sensor to market and is now bringing game-changing microphone and pressure sensors to the aerospace market PROGRAM MANAGER/LEAD ENGINEER Aug 2008-Aug 2014 Ducommun Miltec – Emerging Technologies Group, Huntsville, AL • Directed growth of emerging technologies via new business development and internal R&D • Led internally and externally funded research programs in micro and nano technologies including nanocomposite acoustic sensors, microphone arrays, vibration sensors, and vibrational and solar energy harvesting systems • Performed project and engineering/resource management, maintaining multiple project schedules, and balancing staffing resources • Led the commercialization and development of ranging and Doppler radarbased sensing systems RESEARCH SCIENTIST Aug 2004-Aug 2008 Taitech, Inc., Dayton, OH (in conjunction with U. of Florida) • Led research programs to develop novel optical sensors • Pursued and won research grants from government funding agencies Achievements • Developed a wireless, optical pressure sensor for on-blade, rotorcraft measurement applications • Developed a micromachined, color, optical Moiré-based floating element shear-stress sensor for aeroacoustic applications • Designed a fiber-optic, Michelson interferometry-based, floating element shear stress sensor • Led Navy, Test and Evaluation/Science & Technology (T&E/S&T), Phase II Grant as Principal Investigator –Dec. 2007- Aug. 2008 ADJUNCT ASST SCIENTIST/FELLOW/GRAD ASST Jan 2000-Aug 2008 U. of Florida – Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group, Gainesville, FL • Developed MEMS-based acoustic sensors, energy harvesting systems, and aircraft acoustic liner technology • Taught undergraduate classes in electrical engineering • Mentored graduate students in microsensor development, technical publication and good research practices • Presented results in technical conferences and publishing in refereed technical journals as appropriate Achievements • Developed, fabricated, and characterized MEMS piezoelectric microphones • Designed and fabricated an electromechanical acoustic resonator for reclamation of energy using MEMS technology and sol-gel deposition of Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) • Championed the design, fabrication, and characterization of a micromachined optical Moiré-based shear-stress sensor • Designed, modeled and developed a process flow for a single fiber optical lever microphone using MEMS technology for acoustic measurement applications in electrically harsh environments • Developed a tunable electromechanical Helmholtz resonator utilizing a piezoelectric composite plate for a novel electromechanical acoustic liner • UF Lead Investigator – Air Force, STTR, Phase I Contract, Sept. 2007 - Aug. 2008 EDUCATION PhD in Electrical Engineering Dec 2005 University of Florida, Gainesville, FL Dissertation: “MEMS-Based Electromechanical Acoustic Energy Harvester” MS in Electrical Engineering Aug 2001 University of Florida, Gainesville, FL Thesis: “Design and Characterization of Compliant Backplate Helmholtz Resonators” - For acoustic noise reduction / suppression BS in Electrical Engineering Dec 1999 University of Florida, Gainesville, FL Highest Honors Thesis: “A MEMS-Based Single Fiber Optical Lever Microphone” Relevant Coursework: Electromagnetic Fields, Optics, Photonics, Laser Electronics, Electromagnetic Fields, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), Acoustics, VLSI, Analog IC Design, Digital Design, Microelectronics, Microprocessors, Solid State Physics Awards & Honors: Sandia National Laboratories MESA Fellow, NASA GSRP Fellow, Florida Academic Scholar, National Merit Scholar, IBM/Estridge Scholar SELECTED EXECUTIVE SKILLS • • • Comfortable and experienced working in both a fast-changing startup environment and in a large stable organization Fluent in financial forecasting, modeling, budgeting, cost and managerial accounting Experienced in leading a diverse team of engineers, scientists and operations staff, fostering teamwork and collaboration, while developing a compelling and cohesive team vision and strategy • • SELECTED TECHNICAL SKILLS • • • • SERVICE LEADERSHIP • • • • • • • PATENTS • • • PUBLICATIONS: BOOK CHAPTERS PUBLICATIONS: JOURNALS Champion of business development efforts through strategic initiatives, RFI/RFP identification, proposal writing, and contracts negotiations – Landed over $3.5M in R&D contracts from the federal government in the past 5 years Experienced in product development, roadmapping, strategy, project management, resource management, and organizational design Extensive experience (15+ years) in multi-disciplinary physical modeling via MATLAB (mechanical, electrical, acoustical, fluidic systems) for MEMS sensors and aerospace applications Piezoelectric, optical, and capacitive transduction, lumped element modeling, sensor optimization, photolithography mask layout, microfabrication (wet, dry and patterning processes, surface and bulk), acoustic, mechanical and electrical test and characterization COMSOL, MATLAB, Mathcad, Coventor, AutoCAD, ABAQUS, PSPICE, LTspice, L-Edit, Labview, Quickbooks Python, C++, Pascal, Basic, Assembly, Embedded programming Reviewer - Optics and Lasers in Engineering, Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, AIAA Journal, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Sensors and Actuators, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Research Park Toastmasters – VP – Membership Acoustical Society of America – Engineering Acoustics Tech Committee AIAA – Senior Member, Sensors Tech Committee Project Management Institute (PMI) – Member Eta Kappa Nu Electrical Engineering Honor Society – UF Chapter - VP Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society - Florida – Corr. Sec. Horowitz, S., Sheplak, M., Nishida, T., and Cattafesta, L., “Floating Element ShearStress Sensor”, United States Patent Number 8,879,052, Filed 6/19/2009 Sheplak, M., Cattafesta, L., Nishida, T., and Horowitz, S., “Electromechanical Acoustic Liner (Part 2)”, United States Patent Number: 7,212,641, Filed 8/16/2004 Sheplak, M., Cattafesta, L., Nishida, T., and Horowitz, S., “Electromechanical Acoustic Liner (Part 1)”, United States Patent Number: 6,782,109, Filed 4/3/2001 • Horowitz, S., Sheplak, M., "Chapter 13: Micromachined Acoustic Energy Harvesters", in Micro Energy Harvesting, Advanced Micro and Nanosystems: Volume 12, Wiley-VCH, April 2015, pg. 271-296. • Horowitz, S., Mathias, D., Fox, J., Cortes, J., Sanghadasa, M., Ashley, P., “Effects of Scaling and Geometry on the Performance of Piezoelectric Microphones,” Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, Vol. 185, pg. 24-32, 2012. Liu, F., Phipps, A., Horowitz, S., Ngo K., Cattafesta III, L., Nishida, T., and Sheplak, M., "Acoustic Energy Harvesting using an Electromechanical Helmholtz Resonator," Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 23(4),-, April 2008. Horowitz, S., Nishida, T., Cattafesta, L., and Sheplak, M., “Development of a Micromachined Piezoelectric Microphone for Aeroacoustics Applications,”Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 122(6), pg-, 2007. Liu, F., Horowitz, S., Nishida, T., Cattafesta, L., and Sheplak, M., "A Multiple Degree of Freedom Electromechanical Helmholtz Resonator," Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 122(1), pg. 291-301, 2007. Prasad, S., Gallas, Q., Horowitz, S., Homeijer, B. Sankar, B., Cattafesta, L., and Sheplak, M., "An Analytical Electroacoustic Model of a Piezoelectric Composite Circular Plate," AIAA Journal, 44(10), pg-, 2006. Horowitz, S., Sheplak, M., Cattafesta, L., and Nishida, T., “A MEMS Acoustic Energy Harvester,” Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering. Vol. 16, pg S174S181, 2006. • • • • • PUBLICATIONS: INVITED TALKS • Horowitz, S., Nishida, T., Cattafesta, L., and Sheplak, M., “Characterization of a Compliant-Backplate Helmholtz Resonator for an Electromechanical Acoustic Liner, International Journal of Aeroacoustics, 1(2), pg 183-205, 2002. • Marotta, S., Horowitz, S., “A Low Frequency MEMS Vibration Sensor for Low Power Missile Health Monitoring,” presented at RAM 5 Workshop, Huntsville, AL, Oct. 1617, 2012. Horowitz, S., “Diamond-Based Microsystems In Extreme Environments”, presented at Sensors Expo 2009, Rosemont, IL, June 8-10, 2009 Horowitz, S., Callahan, J., Hernandez, C., Mathias, D., Sanghadasa, M., Ashley, P., “Scaling Limits of Acoustic Sensors, “ presented at AIAA Infotech @ • • Aerospace, Seattle, WA, Apr. 5-9, 2009. PUBLICATIONS: CONFERENCE PAPERS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Mills, D., Chen, T., Horowitz, S., Patterson, W., and Sheplak, M., “A Novel, HighFrequency, Reciprocal Calibration Method for Dynamic Pressure Sensors Used in High-Speed Flows”, AIAA Scitech 2020 Forum. January Mills, D., Chen, T., Horowitz, S., and Sheplak, M., Development of a Differential Optical Wall Shear Stress Sensor for High-Temperature Applications. In AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum, 2019 Mills, D., Barnard, C., Horowitz, S., and Sheplak, M. "Hydraulically-Smooth Wall Shear Stress Sensors for Direct Measurement of Mean and Fluctuating Skin Friction", 2017 ITEA Test Technology Review, Huntsville, AL, Nov 15, 2017. Mills, D., Horowitz, S., Chen, T. and Sheplak, M., “Sapphire Micromachined Wall Shear Stress Sensors for High-Temperature Skin-Friction Measurements”, presented at 20th Test Instrumentation Workshop (ITEA), Las Vegas, NV, May 1012, 2016. Chen, T., Barnard, C., Mills, D., Horowitz, S., and Sheplak, M, "Instrumentation-Grade Shear Stress Sensors for Direct Measurement of Mean and Fluctuating Skin Friction", presented at 20th Test Instrumentation Workshop (ITEA), Las Vegas, NV, May 10-12, 2016. Horowitz, S., Allen, M., Fox, J., Cortes, J., Barkett, L., Mathias, D., Hernandez, C., Martin, A., Sanghadasa, M, Marotta, S., “A Low Frequency MEMS Vibration Sensor for Low Power Missile Health Monitoring,” presented at IEEE Aerospace Conference 2013, Big Sky, MT, Mar. 2-9, 2013. Fox, J., Horowitz, S., Cortes, J., Allen, M., Mathias, D., Barkett, L., Sanghadasa, M, “Fabrication and Testing of Suspended Piezoelectric Nanocomposite Membranes,” presented at AVS 59th International Symposium and Exhibition, Tampa, FL, Oct. 28-Nov. 2, 2012. Fox, J., Mathias, D., Cortes, J., Allen, M., Horowitz, S., Temmen, M., Sanghadasa, M., “Fabrication and Characterization of Ultra-Fast Electrostatically- Actuated Surface Micro-Machined Aluminum Mirrors,” presented at AVS 59th International Symposium and Exhibition, Tampa, FL, Oct. 28-Nov. 2, 2012. Horowitz, S., Fox, J., Mathias, D., Cortes, J., Allen, M., Barkett, L., Sanghadasa, M, “Miniaturized Nanocomposite Piezoelectric Microphones for UAS Applications,” presented at SENSIAC – 2012 Joint Meeting of the Military Sensing Symposia (MSS) Specialty Groups on Battlespace Acoustic, Seismic, Magnetic, and ElectricField Sensing and Signatures (BAMS), Washington, DC, Oct. 22-25, 2012. Mathias, D., Fox, J., Cortes, J., Horowitz, S., Sanghadasa, M., Ashley, P., “Recent progress toward a nanostructured piezoelectric microphone,” presented at 162nd Meeting of the Acoustic Society of America, San Diego, CA, Nov. 2011, abstract published in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 130(4), pg. 2427, 2011 Mathias, D., Fox, J., Horowitz, S., Temmen, M., “A High Speed Electrostatically Actuated Al-MEMS Micromirror Array,” presented at AIAA Infotech@Aerospace, St. Louis, MO, Mar. 29-31, 2011. Horowitz, S., Mathias, D., Cortes, J., Trimm, R., Sanghadasa, M., Ashley, P., “Miniaturized Piezoelectric Sensors for Battlefield Awareness,” presented at SENSIAC – Military Sensing Symposium, July 2010. Horowitz, S., Mathias, D., Hernandez, C., Sanghadasa, M., Ashley, P., “Miniaturization of Piezoelectric Microphones, “presented at AIAA Infotech @ Aerospace, Atlanta, GA, Apr. 20-22, 2010. Horowitz, S., Nishida, T., Cattafesta, L., and Sheplak, M., “A Micromachined Piezoelectric Microphone for Aeroacoustics Applications”, presented at the Solid- • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • State Sensor, Actuator and Microsystems Workshop, Hilton Head Island, SC, June 4-8, 2006. Kadirvel, S., Liu, F., Horowitz, S., Nishida, T., Ngo, K., Cattafesta, L., and Sheplak, M., "A Self-Powered Wireless Active Acoustic Liner," presented at the 12th AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics Conference, Cambridge, MA, May 2006. Liu, F., Horowitz, S., Cattafesta, L., and Sheplak, M., "Optimization of an Electromechanical Helmholtz Resonator," presented at the 12th AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics Conference,, Cambridge, MA, May 2006. Horowitz, S., Sheplak, M., Cattafesta, L., Nishida, T., “MEMS Acoustic Energy Harvester”, presented at the 5th International Workshop on Micro Nanotechnology for Power Generation and Energy Conversion Applications (PowerMEMS 05), Tokyo, Japan, November 2005. Horowitz, S., Nishida, T., Cattafesta, L., and Sheplak, M., “Development of an Acoustical Energy Harvester”, presented at the 150th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, Minneapolis, MN, October 2005. Liu, F., Horowitz, S., Nishida, T., Cattafesta, L., and Sheplak, M., "A Transfer Matrix Formulation of an Electromechanical Helmholtz Resonator," presented at the 150th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, Minneapolis, MN, October 2005. Horowitz, S., Nishida, T., Cattafesta, L., and Sheplak, M ., “Design and Characterization of a Micromachined Piezoelectric Microphone”, presented at the 11th AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics Conference, Monterey, CA, May 2005. Taylor, R, Liu, F., Horowitz, S., Ngo, K., Nishida, T., Cattafesta, L., and Sheplak, M., "Technology Development for Electromechanical Acoustic Liners," Paper #A04093, presented at Active 04, Williamsburg, VA, September 2004. Horowitz, S., Chen, T., Cattafesta, L., Sheplak, M., Nishida, T., Chandrasekaran, V., “Optical Flow Sensor Using Geometric Moiré Interferometry,” presented at the 34th International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES), Colorado Springs, CO, July 19-22, 2004. Horowitz, S., Chen, T., Chandrasekaran, V., Tedjojuwono, K., Cattafesta, L., Nishida, T., Sheplak, M., “A Wafer-Bonded, Floating Element Shear-Stress Sensor Using a Geometrical Moiré Optical Transduction Technique ,” presented at the Solid-State Sensor, Actuator and Microsystems Workshop, Hilton Head Island, SC, pg. 13-18, June 6 – 10, 2004. Horowitz, S., Chen, T., Chandrasekaran, V., Tedjojuwono, K., Nishida, T., Cattafesta, L., and Sheplak, M., “A Micromachined Geometric Moiré Interferometric FloatingElement Shear Stress Sensor,” AIAA Paper-, presented at the 42nd Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV, January 2004. (Best Paper, AIAA Aerodynamic Measurement Technical Committee, 2004) Kadirvel, K., Taylor, R., Horowitz, S., Hunt, L., Sheplak, M., and Nishida, T., “Design and Characterization of a MEMS Optical Microphone,” AIAA Paper-, presented at the 42nd Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV, January 2004. Liu, F., Horowitz, S., Wang, G., Nishida, T., Cattafesta, L.N., and Sheplak, M., “Characterization of a Tunable Electromechanical Helmholtz Resonator, “ AIAA Paper-, presented at the 9th AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics Conference, Hilton Head, SC, May 2003. Kasyap, A., Horowitz, S., Lim, J-S., Ngo, K, Kurdila, A., Nishida, T., Sheplak, M., and Cattafesta, L., "Energy Reclamation from a Vibrating Piezoceramic Composite Beam," presented at the 9th International Congress on Sound and Vibration (ICSV9), Orlando, FL, July 2002. Horowitz, S., Kasyap, A., Liu, F., Johnson, D., Nishida, T., Ngo, K, Sheplak, M., and Cattafesta, L., “Technology Development for Self-Powered Sensors,” AIAA Paper-, presented at the 1st AIAA Flow Control Conference, St. Louis, MO, June 2002. Prasad, S.A.N., Sankar, B.V., Cattafesta, L.N., Horowitz, S., Gallas, Q., and Sheplak, M., “Two-Port Electroacoustic Model of an Axisymmetric Piezoelectric Composite Plate,” AIAA Paper-, presented at the 43rd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Denver, CO, April 2002. Horowitz, S., Nishida, T., Cattafesta, L., and Sheplak, M., "Characterization of Compliant-Backplate Helmholtz Resonators for an Electromechanical Acoustic Liner”, AIAA Paper-, presented at the 40th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Reno, NV, January 2002. • • Horowitz, S., Nishida, T., Cattafesta, L.N., and Sheplak, M., “Impedance tuning of an electromechanical acoustic liner”, presented at the 142nd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, November 2001, Volume 110, Issue 5, p. 2773. Horowitz, S., Nishida, T., Cattafesta, L., and Sheplak, M., "Compliant-Backplate Helmholtz Resonators for Active Noise Control Applications", AIAA Paper-, presented at the 39th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Reno, NV, January 2001.