“Dr. Beechem was everything I could have asked for in a post-doctoral advisor. He rolled up his sleeves and attacked scientific and technical problems right beside me. He had a clear vision for his research and provided a unifying direction, but gave me latitude and expected me to explore problems from my own angle and to make my own mistakes. His energy and enthusiasm in the lab was only outshone by the genuine warmth and invaluable mentoring I received from him on career decisions and life outside of work. The time I spent with him and the network he helped me build has had a profound impact on the rest of my career.”

— Colin Landon, Specere Post-Doc 2014-2015, Nanoscale Modeling Engineer

The Specere lab combines basic science and practical engineering approaches to solve big problems on the scale of tiny things (from atomic bonds to micrometer length-scale devices). To carry out this vision requires technical, organizational, and team skills. Prof. Beechem targets each of these aspects in training mentees and, through this approach, produces well-rounded and skilled scientists capable of leading their own team to craft a scientific impact.

— Zak Piontkowski, Specere Post-Doc 2020-2021, Senior Member of Technical Staff

Thomas … as a mentor is equivalent to having pocket aces. The first ace is obvious: he is an amazing technical mentor; he taught me how to … pitch successful proposals. The second ace … I think is even more important: he is an amazing personal mentor; he taught me how to navigate the professional ecosystem, how to properly mentor students, how to achieve work-life balance, and how to personally grow and achieve the goals I had set out for myself.

— Elbara Ziade, Specere Mentee 2017-2021, Thermal Engineer

“Many professors focus on developing your technical abilities. However, Prof. Beechem invests in each facet of your development (e.g., technical, communication and professional skills) in order to mature you into a well rounded researcher that will be competitive in any environment. These intangibles developed under his guidance, will help you stand out of the crowd as you pursue post educational aspirations.”

— Chris Saltonstall, Specere Post-Doc 2016-2018, Senior Member of Technical Staff