Dr. Sivalingam Sivananthan
FOUNDER, CEO & CHAIRMAN
Dr. Siva Sivananthan founded EPIR in 1997 to develop specialized infrared materials and provide cutting-edge research for the U.S. defense industry based on the infrared technology he pioneered at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Siva also founded Sivananthan Laboratories, Inc., a high-tech business incubator, and a number of technology companies including Episolar, Inc. and Episensors, Inc. Additionally, he co-founded a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, InSPIRE (the Institute for Solar Photovoltaic Innovation, Research, and Edu-training).
Dr. Siva is a Distinguished Professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Director of the Microphysics Laboratory at UIC. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Honors College Faculty. He has more than 30 years of experience in MBE semiconductor growth kinematics and characterization, and he is recognized as a leading authority in the field of II-VI based optoelectronic devices.
Dr. Siva was named a “Champion of Change” by the White House in 2013 for his efforts as an immigrant innovator and entrepreneur to create American jobs, grow the economy and make our nation competitive in the world. Among his many honors, he received the “Friend of the Night” award from the U.S. Army Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate in 2005. He was named an “Outstanding American by Choice” by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2013 and recognized by Crain’s as among Chicago’s top “50 people in technology you should know.” He is an SPIE Fellow and an APS Fellow.
Leadership
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DR. FIKRI AQARIDEN
Vice President of Operations and Business Development
Dr. Aqariden is the Vice President of Operations and Business Development. He has been with EPIR since 2008, and he has led the development and manufacturing of advanced infrared material and device processing. He has over 20 years of compound semiconductor growth experience. Dr. Aqariden was the Focal Plane Array Development Manager at DRS in Dallas, TX and was also the Lead Scientist for advanced material growth by molecular beam epitaxy. He received his PhD in Physics at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
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Dr. Silviu Velicu
Director of R&D
Dr. Velicu is the Vice President of Research and Development. He has worked with EPIR since 1999, and he has led more than 40 R&D programs in the areas of infrared material and devices. Dr. Velicu developed processes to improve infrared hybrid and monolithic detector performance, and to integrate thermoelectric elements with infrared detectors. He has received a NASA Innovation Award and a NASA Illinois Commercialization Award. He received his PhD in Physics from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2002.
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DR. PAUL BOIERIU
Director of Operations
Dr. Boieriu serves as Director of Operations, and is involved in all aspects of heteroepitaxy. He has greatly contributed to the development and improvement of HgCdTe on CdTe/Si materials. He has been the principal investigator for numerous research and development programs, through which he made significant advancements in the areas of infrared materials, sensors and tandem solar cells. He received his PhD in Physics from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2002.
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Dr. Chelva Kumar
Executive Fellow and Board Member, Secretary of the Board
Dr. Kumar serves as Executive Fellow, Board Member, and Secretary of the Board. He has been a Member of the Board since 2001, and served as President of the company from 2010 to 2015. He received his PhD in Engineering from the California Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of California, Irvine. Prior to joining EPIR he served for more than ten years as a hospital administrator with the Daughters of Charity Health System in California.
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Ms. Cynthia Deters
Director of Administration, Program Coordinator and Executive Assistant to the CEO
Mrs. Deters serves as Director of Administration, Program Coordinator and Executive Assistant to the CEO. She liaises with government and commercial partners, and also coordinates and monitors programs. Additionally, she manages all administrative activities, scheduling and travel for the company. She received her BAA in Business Administration/Management from St. Leo University in 2003, and she has worked with EPIR since 2005.