Education

Work Experience

July 2010 - present, Freelance Research Engineer / Technical Specialist, Portland, OR, U.S.

June 2009 - July 2010, Mechanical Engineer / Technical Specialist, CH2M Hill, Portland, OR, U.S.

  • CFD analysis of power plant ducts for mercury sorbent injection optimization.
  • Investigated mercury sorbent break-up issues and quickly developed solutions.
  • External flow analysis for manufacturing facility exhaust transport and dispersion.
  • Developed testing protocols for high-tech data centers.
  • Responsible for bringing current simulation team up-to-date with the latest fluid flow simulation procedures and software.

Winter 2010, Instructor - Manufacturing Processes, Portland Community College, Portland, OR, U.S.

  • Responsible for course curriculum development and teaching of course material.
  • Developed and graded tests and homeworks.
  • Arranged five class tours of local manufacturing facilities.

Jan 2007 - Jul 2008, Principal Scientist / Engineer, Physical Sciences, Inc., Andover, MA, U.S.

  • Engineered flow-control systems for gas sensors and bio-aerosol particle instrumentation.
  • Developed a bio-aerosol trigger for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) using spark-induced breakdown spectroscopy (SIBS).
  • Designed aerosol generators and characterized aerosol particle concentrators and sampling inlets.
  • Performed simulations using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD, FLUENT) for multiphase flow, gas sensors, supersonic nozzles, thrusters, and pharmaceutical applications.
  • Designed instrumentation using heat transfer Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software (ALGOR).

Jan 2005 - Dec 2006, Post-doctoral Research Fellow, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, U.S.

  • Designed and built a new instrument to detect phase change reversibility of nanometer-sized airborne particles using an on-line technique.
  • Supervised the design and development of an environmental chamber for studies of aerosol particle chemistry and physics.
  • Developed software for instrument automation and data analysis.

Sep 2005 - Sep 2006, Principal Engineer, Acillix, Inc., Somerville, MA, U.S.

  • Designed and constructed a pilot-scale test facility for a new microbial-based technology.
  • Conducted tests of an environment-friendly patent-pending method which uses microorganisms to demineralize water.

2001-2004, Ph.D. Student, Paul Scherrer Institute, Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Villigen-PSI, Switzerland

  • Developed and characterized an environmental chamber to simulate atmospheric smog chemistry.
  • Designed and built an instrument to measure the volatility of polymerizing nanometer-sized aerosol particles.
  • Promoted to project manager (2003) with subsequent findings published in Science (2004).
  • Designed an automated instrument flow system which has been adopted by internationally recognized projects.
  • Wrote software programs for human-machine interface, process control, data management and storage, and data analysis.
  • Trained and advised graduate students.

1999-2001, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Minnesota, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Power and Propulsion Division, Minneapolis, MN, U.S.

  • Designed particulate sampling systems for diesel and spark ignition after-treatment device testing.
  • Developed passive and active dilution systems for sensitive instrumentation.
  • Conducted field studies of heavy-duty truck and passenger car emissions.
  • Assisted in the design and construction of the University of Minnesota Mobile Emissions Lab (MEL) for on-road combustion aerosol particle sampling and diesel particulate filter testing.

1996-1999, Undergraduate Research Assistant, University of Minnesota, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Power and Propulsion Division, Minneapolis, MN, U.S.

  • Individually designed, built, and calibrated a nanoparticle-sizing spectrometer.
  • Calibrated and maintained gas analyzers, particle instruments, and engine/dynamometer controls.
  • Assisted in development, testing, and data analysis of engine exhaust dilution tunnels.
  • Carried out engine breakdown and rebuild.

Licensure

  • 1998 - Engineer in training (EIT), passed Fundamentals of Engineering Examination

Professional Societies

  • Amercian Association of Aerosol Research (AAAR)
  • Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), Columbia River Chapter (Oregon)
  • Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
  • Tau Beta Pi, The National Engineering Honor Society

Honors

  • 2000 Recipient, Murphy-Robertson Research Fellowship in Power and Propulsion
  • 1998 Recipient, G. Bjorge Civil Engineering Scholarship

Skills

  • Aerosol Particle Generation / Characterization
  • Air Conditioning Engineering
  • Automation / Controls
  • Documentation / Reports
  • Electrical Design
  • Flow Sensor / Instrument Design
  • Fluid Flow Analysis / CFD
  • Heat Transfer Analysis
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • PIC / PID Controllers
  • Process Control / Optimization
  • Pump / Blower Selection
  • Simulation / Modeling
  • Spectrometry – Light / Mass

Computer Skills

  • Operating Systems/Programming Languages: Linux, Unix, Windows, C#, Fortran, Matlab, Mathematica, National Instruments Labview, Visual Basic
  • Selected Software: ALGOR (FEA), Engineering Equation Solver (EES), Igor Pro, ANSYS FLUENT (CFD), GAMBIT (MESHING), Latex Typesetting, Microsoft Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Microsoft Visio, Origin, Solidworks

Publications

2009

Rosenoern, T., D. Paulsen, and S. T. Martin. The 1-by-3 tandem differential mobility analyzer for measurement of the irreversibility of the hygroscopic growth factor. Aerosol Science & Technology., 43, (7), 641-652.

2008

Davis, S. J., S. Lee, D. B Oakes, J. Haney, J. C. Magill, D. A. Paulsen, P. Cataldi, K. L. Galbally-Kinney, D. Vu, and J. Polex, EOIL power scaling in a 1-5 kW supersonic discharge-flow reactor. Proceedings of SPIE, 6874, 68740D.

2006

Alfarra, M. R., D. Paulsen, M. Gysel, A. A. Garforth, H. Coe, J. Dommen, A. S. H. Prévôt, and U. Baltensperger, A mass spectrometric study of secondary organic aerosols formed from the photooxidation of anthropogenic and biogenic precursors in a reaction chamber. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions, 6, 7747-7789.
Biskos, G., D. Paulsen, L.M. Russell, P.R. Buseck, and S.T. Martin, Prompt Deliquescence and Efflorescence of Aerosol Nanoparticles. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2006, 6, 4633.
Paulsen, D., E. Weingartner, M. R. Alfarra, and U. Baltensperger. Volatility measurements of photochemically and nebulizer-generated organic aerosol particles. Journal of Aerosol Science, 37(9), 1025-1051.

2005

Baltensperger, U., M. Kalberer, J. Dommen, D. Paulsen, M. R. Alfarra, H. Coe, R. Fisseha, A. Gascho, M. Gysel, S. Nyeki, M. Sax, M. Steinbacher, A. S. H. Prévôt, S. Sjören, E. Weingartner, and R. Zenobi. Secondary organic aerosols from anthropogenic and biogenic precursors. Faraday Discussions, 130, 265-278.
Paulsen, D., J. Dommen, M. Kalberer, A. S. H. Prévôt, R. Richter, M. Sax, M. Steinbacher, E. Weingartner, and U. Baltensperger. Secondary organic aerosol formation by irradiation of 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene-NOx-H2O in a new reaction chamber for atmospheric chemistry and physics. Environmental Science and Technology, 39(8), 2668-2678.
Ramachandran, G., D. Paulsen, W. Watts, and D. Kittelson. Mass, surface area and number metrics in diesel occupational exposure assessment. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 7(7), 728-735.

2004

Fisseha, R., J. Dommen, M. Sax, D. Paulsen, M. Kalberer, R. Maurer, F. Höfler, and U. Baltensperger, Identification of organic acids in secondary organic aerosol and the corresponding gas phase from chamber experiments, Analytical Chemistry, 76(22), 6535-6540.
Gysel, M., E. Weingartner, S. Nyeki, D. Paulsen, U. Baltensperger, I. Galambos, and G. Kiss, Hygroscopic properties of water-soluble matter and humic-like organics in atmospheric fine aerosol, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 4, 35-50.
Kalberer, M., D. Paulsen, M. Sax, M. Steinbacher, J. Dommen, A. S. H. Prévôt, R. Fisseha, E. Weingartner, V. Frankevich, R. Zenobi, and U. Baltensperger, Identification of polymers as major components of atmospheric organic aerosols, Science, 303(5664), 1659-1662.

2002

Contributing author, HEI, Research directions to improve estimates of human exposure and risk from diesel exhaust, Health Effects Institute, Cambridge, MA.

2000

Kittelson, D.B., J. Johnson, W. Watts, Q. Wei, M. Drayton, D. Paulsen, and N. Bukowiecki, Diesel aerosol sampling in the atmosphere, Society of Automotive Engineering, (2000-01-2212).