Biography

I received my Ph.D. in electrical engineering in December 2011 from the University of Texas at Dallas under the supervision of Prof. Eric Vogel. The main focus of my research was fabrication and simulation of novel low-temperature electronic devices for artificial neural systems, the first three years of which were funded by the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) fellowship. However, I also had the opportunity to work on a project centered around biological sensor FETs and circuits. I am currently working as a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UTD while engaged in an ongoing faculty position search. During this time I have continued to work on low-temperature materials, but for application in large-area neutron detectors.

My wide array of knowledge and broad skill set are two of my most important qualities. They are the result of a variety of experiences and exposure to many different topics in electrical and computer engineering, physics, materials science, and also neuroscience. Beginning with hands-on electronic circuit design and layout, I have also written sophisticated programs for FPGAs and microcontrollers. And although most of my knowledge relates to electronic device physics, I am skilled in modeling and simulation as well as fabrication and processing. Thus, I understand well the relationship between theoretical and practical considerations when creating designs and performing novel research. Specific details on my background and previous experience can be found in my curriculum vitae, along with personal references.

Before coming to UTD, I received my master's degree in electrical engineering in 2007 from Purdue University, where my advisor was Prof. Mark Lundstrom. The topic of my thesis was the simulation of III-V materials in nanoscale transistors to determine their performance potential compared to silicon. While at Purdue, I was involved with the Network for Computational Nanotechnology, and contributed to the deployment of simulation tools with graphical user interfaces on nanohub.org. The majority of my work was on a program called NanoMOS, which has experienced a surge in usage since my upgrades and now has over 94 tool citations in the literature.

Prior to Purdue, I was a student at Washington State University, graduating from the Honor's College in 2005 with my bachelor's in electrical engineering. I also obtained minors in math, physics, and music. For two summers while at WSU, I was in the National Security Internship Program (NSIP) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, near my home town of Kennewick, WA.

 

Contact Information

Kurtis Cantley

800 W. Campbell Rd. RL-10

Richardson, TX  75080

Work email: kurtis.cantley@utdallas.edu

Personal email: kurtis.cantley@gmail.com

 

Top Image: The Natural Science and Engineering Research Laboratory (NSERL) at UTD.