In her talk, Dr. Emily Heckman, the Photonics Technical Area Lead for the Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate, will present a high-level overview of several photonics technologies that are a priority for Air Force applications. Additionally, after spending the previous ten years establishing the Printed Electronics laboratory at the Sensors Directorate before the role as Photonics TAL, Dr. Heckman will provide an overview of several flexible hybrid electronics research applications. In other words, this talk will be a smorgasbord of several very cool technologies related to photonics and printed electronics from an Air Force perspective.
Emily Heckman is the Photonics Technical Area Lead at the AFRL Sensors Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. She serves as the team lead and principal directorate authority for the Photonics technology area portfolio. In this role, Dr. Heckman is responsible and accountable for planning and execution oversight of a basic and applied research portfolio pursuing high-priority photonics research aligned to the Sensors Directorate strategic direction.
Dr. Heckman joined the Sensors Directorate in 2009 as the RY lead for the Biotronics program, a multi-directorate strategic technology thrust focused on integrating biomaterials into photonic devices. During this time, Dr. Heckman established several biomaterial processing protocols and demonstrated an improved performance using biomaterials in electro-optic devices compared to the inorganic industry standard. In 2012, she led the transition of the Biotronics program to the Printronics program, shifting focus to the fabrication and testing of electronic and photonic devices using additive manufacturing techniques to provide rapid prototyping, agile response, and conformal electronic devices to our Nation’s warfighters.
Dr. Heckman obtained a B.S. in mathematics and physics from the University of Dayton in 2001. In 2002 she completed her M.S. in physics from the University of Michigan and in 2006 she received her Ph.D. in electro-optical engineering from the University of Dayton. Upon completion of her Ph.D., she worked as a senior engineer for a defense contractor at Wright-Patterson AFB and performed research in infrared materials and device characterization. Dr. Heckman has authored over 70 publications including two book chapters and holds four patents.