Jon Ellis receives STTR grant and is named associate editor

Jonathan Ellis, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and of Optics, is co-PI on a just-funded Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I grant from the National Science Foundation.

Jon will work with Shane Woody of InSituTec, Inc., to develop a novel laser interferometer to provide fast, portable, nanometer-level calibrations for ultra-precise motion control devices. This could be a "game changer" in chip manufacturing, large-scale measuring machines, precision robotics and other manufacturing processes that require routine calibrations to verify that process equipment meets exacting inspection and manufacturing specifications.
STTR grants are designed to help startups and small businesses undertake R&D with high technical risk but also with the potential for high commercial reward. Unlike similar Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, STTRs require a researcher at a university or other nonprofit research institution to play a significant role in the project. 

Jon, by the way, has also been named as an Associate Editor for the journal Precision Engineering -- Journal of the International Societies for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology, which is devoted to the multidisciplinary study and practice of high accuracy engineering, metrology, and manufacturing.