MERCYMA DEEBA BALACHANDRAN
211, West Arizona Ave., Apt. 4
Ruston, LA  71270
Ph: (318) 243 9876
Email: mdbalachandran@gmail.com
 

OBJECTIVE

To seek a full-time research and development position in Antenna/RF/RFID fabrication, testing,
and optimization.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Sept. 2004 - Present Research Assistant, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana

* UHF Antenna design using Ansoft Designer and HFSS simulation tools.
* Semiconductor/RF device testing and characterization using Keithley probe station,
and Network/Spectrum analyzer.
* Developing and presenting prototypes of passive RFID sensor tags.
* Fabrication of Micro/Nano devices including transistor, capacitor, and resistor in a
Class 100 clean room environment.
* Research experience in Micro/Nano sensor design and fabrication using Layer-by-Layer nanoassembly, Photolithography, and L-Edit.
* Design and testing of microstrip transmission line.
* Hands-on experience in Tencor Profilometer, SEM, Microsputter, and AFM.
* Research experience in testing MEMS comb drive structures.
* Excellent oral/written communication skills (demonstrated through presentation awards,
7 publications, presentations, and patent).
* Strong technical knowledge and trouble shooting skills in the field of UHF microstrip Antennas,
RFID Tags, semiconductor devices, and micro/nano sensor devices.
* Proven ability to work as a team and independently to successfully complete and deliver research
projects under strict deadlines.

Aug. 2003 – Jul. 2004 Engineering & Mathematics Instructor, El Paso Community College, Texas

* Teaching basic and advanced concepts of electrical engineering (electrical circuits and systems,
transient and steady state analysis, three-phase power systems).
* Training students in analog and digital integrated circuits (amplifiers, logic gates, filters).
* Preparing class and laboratory assignments.
* Supervising laboratory projects and evaluating student performance.

Jan. 2001 – Jan. 2003 Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Texas at El Paso, Texas

* Teaching students to work with BJTs and Op-Amps and trained them to use oscilloscopes,
function generators, and curve tracers.
* Training students on Monorail’s Labview, constructing multiplexers, adders, and EPROM.
* Trouble shooting electrical circuits and digital electronics circuits.
* Conducting laboratory sessions on addressing modes, external ports, and turbo assembler
for Intel 8088.

EDUCATION

Ph.D. candidate in Engineering - Micro/Nano Systems, Louisiana Tech University,
(Graduating in August, 2008)
Dissertation Title: Tin dioxide nanoparticle based sensor integrated with microstrip antenna for
passive wireless ethylene sensing.

M.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, January 2001- May 2003
Project Title: Analyzing, modeling, and testing of MEMS comb drive.

B.E. in Electrical & Electronics Engineering, University of Madras, India, Aug 95- May 99

SELECTED GRADUATE COURSE WORK

Microsystems Principles, Microfabrication Principles, Advanced Digital System Design
Advanced Opto Electronic Devices, MEMS, Compound Semiconductor Materials
Wireless Communications, VLSI, Advanced Microelectronic Devices with CAD


SIMULATION TOOLS (At least 3 years experience in each tool)

* EM Simulator - Ansoft Designer, Ansoft HFSS
* EDA Tools - TSUPREM-4, Medici, L-Edit, Orcad-PSpice, Cadence-virtuoso
* Measurement and Automation Tool - LABVIEW
* Technical Computing Software - MATLAB

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

[1] S. Shrestha, M. D. Balachandran, M. Agarwal, L. H. Zou, and K. Varahramyan, “A method to
measure radar cross section parameters of microstrip antennas”, IEEE Transaction on Antenna
and Propagation, (Accepted for publication).
[2] M. D. Balachandran, S. Shrestha, M. Agarwal, Y. Lvov, and K. Varahramyan, “SnO2 capacitive
sensor integrated with microstrip patch antenna for passive wireless detection of ethylene gas,”
IEE Electronics Letters, vol. 44, no. 7, pp. 464-466, March 2008.
[3] S. Shrestha, M. D. Balachandran, M. Agarwal, V. V. Phoha, and K. Varahramyan, “A chipless
RFID sensor system for cyber centric monitoring applications”, IEEE Transactions on Microwave
Theory and Techniques, (submitted on January 2008).
[4] J. Vemagiri, M. D. Balachandran, M. Agarwal, and K. Varahramyan, “Development of compact
half-Sierpinski fractal antenna for RFID applications,” Electronics Letters, vol. 43, no. 22,
October 2007.


CONFERENCES

[1] S. Shrestha, M. D. Balachandran, M. Agarwal, V. V. Phoha, and K. Varahramyan, “Chipless RFID
sensor system for cyber centric monitoring applications,” Cyberspace Research Workshop, Shreveport,
Louisiana, November 2007.
[2] M. D. Balachandran, M. Agarwal, Y. Lvov, and K. Varahramyan, “Layer-by-Layer Nanoassembled
Ethylene Sensors for RFID Applications,” Louisiana Materials and Emerging Technologies Conference,
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, October 2006.

PATENT

[1] “Transmission delay based RFID tag,” US Patent filed September 28, 2007,
Patent Application # 11/864,159. (Co-inventor.)

AWARDS & SYNERGETIC ACTIVITIES

* Awarded second prize in “Microsystem/Nanosystem/Devices” category; Poster Competition,
Louisiana Materials & Emerging Technologies Conference, Baton Rouge, LA, 2006.
* Student Member, IEEE

REFERENCES

References available on request.