Curriculum Vitae |

Tanya C. Mikulas, Ph.D.

Doctor of Philosophy, Physical Chemistry, May 2015
The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL

Master of Science, Physical Chemistry, August 2012
The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL

Bachelor of Science, Physics, minor in Mathematics, May 2008
Augusta State University (now Augusta University), Augusta, GA

Automotive Technology, August 1994-December 1995, Madison Area Technical College, Madison, WI

Predicted physical properties of target molecules using computational modelling approaches.
Conducted quantum chemical calculations using high-performance computing resources.
Collected, organized, analyzed, and interpreted data sets.
Investigated electronic structures of lanthanide+OF₂ and lanthanide+H₂O reaction products using theoretical methods, calculated binding energies, and validated results with experimental values.
Evaluated theoretical hybrid organic/inorganic benzene-like materials for chemical hydrogen fuel storage by performing high accuracy thermodynamic calculations.
My dissertation

MS research:

Fabricated thin films using chemical vapor deposition and Langmuir-Blodgett techniques.
Characterized thin films using conductivity and cyclic voltammetry measurements, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
Verified molecular structures using nuclear magnetic resonance.
Imaged gold nanoparticles using transmission electron microscopy.
Prototyped a novel boron nitride contact mask.
Deciphered crystal structures using X-ray diffraction and SHELX.

Properties of Lanthanide Oxyfluorides, OLnF and OLnF₂, Poster, American Chemical Society National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 2013.
transform, Full Moon Emerging Artist exhibition, Clarke Gallery, Kentuck Arts Center, Northport, Alabama, August 2012.
Experiments in Unimolecular Rectification, Poster and talk, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, International Conference on Synthetic Metals Symposium, Nara, Japan, June 2010.
Computational Model of a Leaky Pendulum, Presentation, Phi Kappa Phi Honors Day, Augusta State University, Augusta GA, April 2007.

Video of me building the giant leaky pendulum:

Building the leaky pendulum in the Science Building over spring break 2007

The Leaky Pendulum, from below

The Leaky Pendulum from the top

Tanya Mikulas built a leaky pendulum and matched data gathered from the experiment with predictions from her computational results

The Leaky Pendulum at Augusta State University

The Leaky Pendulum Experiment, Tanya Mikulas, Physics, class of 2008

Fellowship, UI Graduate College, Sept 2015-February 2016.
Full Moon Emerging Artist, Kentuck Art Center, Northport, AL, 2012, and featured by the Alabama Art Department on April 27, 2016 for the 5 year anniversary tornado remembrance
Operations Management International Scholarship, CH2M, Augusta, GA, 2005

The University of Alabama Teaching/Research Assistant
August 2008 – May 2015

Teach freshman general chemistry and advanced physical chemistry labs. Meet with students in lab weekly for hands-on chemistry instruction.
Grading, proctoring. Keep accurate attendance and grading records.

City of Augusta Department of Information Technology
Help Desk Technical Support
March 2008 – July 2008

Communicate effectively with a broad diversity of personnel at all levels of city government in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Provide expert technical assistance with all applications and hardware associated with various aspects of city administration, from typical desktop applications to an array of specialized applications for specific departments.
Prioritize customer service in compliance with City Administration standards and expectations for 911 dispatch, sheriff, and courthouse operations; police and fire; GIS; city services; executive management; coroner; etc.

Augusta State University
Lab Assistant
August 2005 – May 2008

Assist with teaching undergraduate physics, chemistry, and physical science labs.
Prepare and maintain equipment for chemistry and physics laboratories.

Wheelchairs Plus Mobility Solutions Director of Technology
May 2006 – February 2008

Develop and implement small business solution for integration of Paypal records and multiple eCommerce shopping cart sites with UPS, USPS, and Quickbooks for error-free accounting, processing, shipping, and inventory management to increase capability from 50 to 300+ orders per day with no increase in staff.
Create processes to handle returns and warranty fulfillments for universal satisfaction, in full compliance with eBay Powerseller policies.
Maintain all security, networking, hardware, software, and phone systems.
Generate executive reports on request.
Respond in a timely fashion with utmost professionalism to incoming billing and customer service inquiries via multi-line phone system and email communications from multiple websites, individuals, and enterprise accounts.

Sitel Corporation
Workforce Management Administrator
December 2000 – July 2005

Ensure adequate staffing for coverage of projected call volume based on client-specified KPI.
Complete executive reports accurately and on time as requested by clients and management.
Center of communication for crisis situations.
Maintain excellent communication with management and client representatives.
Provide telephone technical support for Palm, AOL,Cox/Roadrunner high speed internet, cable TV, phone; Cypress Semiconductor.
Promoted from within, also performed as Team Lead.

Union Cab of Madison
Assistant Director of Information Services
August 1994 – July 2000

Design, install, maintain, diagnose, and repair all electronic and networking hardware/software for integrated computerized dispatch system.
Provide excellent help desk technical support.
Create training/instructional documentation.
Fleet Mechanic for cars, busses, and wheelchair lift-equipped vans, 1994 – 1998.
Perform paratransit fleet safety inspections and yearly taximeter calibration for state inspection.
Refurbish retired police vehicles and school busses for fresh new lives in transit service.
Decommission retired fleet vehicles.

I believe in using my artistic and creative nature to teach scientific principles to non-scientists, that’s why I wrote oxidation.