Dr. Jesse Adams joins HIL as VP, North America

Dr. Adams joined HIL following the acquisition of NanoLabz, where he was Co-Founder and Vice President; there he led the development and fabrication of smart nano-engineered targets for the short-pulse laser R&D sector. Under his leadership NanoLabz created IP and developed laser physics targets and alignment system technology with the aim to help create a next-generation, compact, high-performance and reduced-cost proton sources for research and cancer therapy.

Prior to NanoLabz Dr. Adams founded – and still serves as CTO of – Nevada Nano, where he has spent a decade integrating multiple complementary chemical sensors on a single silicon chip. Incorporating a patented array of microcantilevers with integrated piezoelectric sensing elements, and exploiting the many inherent advantages of MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) – these chips are currently being developed for an array of real-world applications including explosives and chemical vapor detection, and water quality sensing.

Before launching his entrepreneurial career Jesse spent several years as an assistant professor of nanotechnology at the University of Nevada, Reno. He co-authored a first-of-its-kind textbook on nanotechnology and published more than 20 technical papers. Dr. Adams won a national speaking award, a national design award, a university innovation award, and the 2004 Scientific American 50 award in the defense category. He holds multiple patents and patent applications.

Jesse earned a bachelor’s degree Summa Cum Laude in mechanical engineering and business from the University of Nevada, Reno, a Masters of Science in mechatronics from Stanford University, and a PhD in nanotechnology, also from Stanford. During the course of his training he had the privilege of earning an NFS graduate fellowship and working under co-inventor of the Atomic Force Microscope Calvin Quate, Director of the Stanford Learning Laboratory Larry Leifer, and Stanford provost Condoleezza Rice.