Process & Materials Engineer · Research Scientist · AI Founder
Mesut Yurukcu,Ph.D., MBA, MPM
Engineer with deep research expertise, bridging thin-film process development, nanostructured materials and computational modeling with modern artificial intelligence — turning rigorous physics into practical, data-driven engineering outcomes.
- 12+
- Years of research
- 12+
- Peer-reviewed papers
- 15+
- Book chapters
- 15+
- Conference talks
About
An engineer with research expertise
I hold a Ph.D. in Applied Physics and more than twelve years of experience across thin-film deposition process development, nanostructured materials and computational materials modeling. My work spans physical and chemical vapor deposition (PVD, PECVD, ALD, sputtering, evaporation, PLD, MBE, GLAD), wet and dry fabrication, and multi-technique characterization.
Alongside the laboratory work, I model what happens inside these systems — Monte Carlo, COMSOL and DFT simulations written in Python and C++ and run on high-performance computing resources including TACC. Today I apply the same rigor to artificial intelligence, training and evaluating models on scientific reasoning as Co-Founder and CEO of Mina AI Labs.
An MBA and a Master of Project Management round out the technical foundation, letting me lead cross-functional programs, manage risk and budget, and carry ideas from first principles through to commercialization and the classroom.
Capabilities
Core technical expertise
Thin-Film Deposition & Fabrication
PVD · PECVD · ALD · Sputtering · Evaporation · PLD · MBE · GLAD/SAD · Lithography · Spray & Spin Coating · Electroplating · Electrodeposition · Wet and oblique-angle etching · Microfabrication
Materials Characterization
SEM · TEM · XRD · AFM · Raman · FTIR · EDS/EDAX · Cyclic Voltammetry · Accelerated Aging · Gas Chromatography · LabView · PEM fuel cell and battery test setups
Computation, Data & AI
Python · C++ · Monte Carlo Simulation · COMSOL · DFT · OpenMP / MPI · HPC (TACC) · Machine Learning · Data Science & Statistics · LLM evaluation and prompt engineering
Leadership & Management
Technology roadmapping · Project & risk management · Budget forecasting · Cross-functional stakeholder management · Grant writing · Teaching and mentorship
Career
Professional experience
2025 — Present
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Mina AI Labs
- Lead company vision, strategy and product roadmap for an early-stage DeepTech startup building AI solutions for scientific and engineering applications.
- Design scalable AI architectures and proof-of-concept applications with technical advisors and prospective customers.
2024 — Present
Physics Subject Matter Expert (AI Training)
Outlier AI
- Train generative AI models in the physics domain; evaluate and rank responses for factuality, relevance and reasoning quality.
2024 — 2026
Data Annotator — STEM
Snorkel AI
- AI model evaluation, theoretical reasoning validation and logical-error detection.
- Developed training data and LLM prompts for graduate-level reasoning tasks.
2023 — 2026
Physics Instructor
BASIS Charter Schools
- Teach Honors and AP Physics with inquiry-based, hands-on curriculum grounded in real engineering applications.
- Mentor students in science fairs, Physics Club and Science Olympiad (state championship, 2024), guiding student research to peer-reviewed publication.
2020 — 2023
Postdoctoral Researcher & Adjunct Faculty, Engineering
University of Texas Permian Basin
- Built 3D Monte Carlo and COMSOL models on TACC high-performance computing resources to study particle-scale transport and fractal-theoretic correlations.
- Taught Process Control & Dynamics, Introduction to Materials Science, and Engineering Projects Planning & Control.
- Coordinated the XTO/UTPB Summer Engineering Camp (75 students, 10 faculty) and FIRST TECH Robotics competitions.
2019 — 2020
Research Fellow
Incendium Technologies
- Developed next-generation surface and interface materials via electroplating, electroless and vapor deposition.
- Commercialized advanced Thermal Interface Materials for microprocessors, mobile devices and energy storage.
2018 — 2019
Visiting Postdoctoral Researcher
Texas A&M University — National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing
- Developed nanoporous WO₃ thin films for medical diagnostic sensing and nanocomposite-based biosensors.
- Advanced material and process development in the Pharmaceutical 3D Printing Laboratory.
2012 — 2018
Graduate Research Assistant, Applied Physics
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- Investigated conformality of PVD shell layers on GLAD nanorod arrays through 3D Monte Carlo simulation.
- Developed Pt-Ni and Pt-Ni/WC core-shell nanorod electrocatalysts for PEM fuel cells with enhanced oxygen reduction performance.
- Contributed to a $300K NSF program on nanostructured fuel cell catalysts; Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant, 2016 and 2017.
Scholarship
Selected publications
- 01
Yurukcu, M., Yurtsever, F. M., Demirel, S., & Karabacak, T. (2020). Conformality of PVD shell layers on GLAD-nanorods investigated by Monte Carlo simulations. MRS Advances, 5(43), 2241–2248.
- 02
Kariuki, N. N., Cansizoglu, M. F., Begum, M., Yurukcu, M., Yurtsever, F. M., Karabacak, T., & Myers, D. J. (2016). SAD–GLAD Pt–Ni@Ni nanorods as highly active oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysts. ACS Catalysis, 6(6), 3478–3485.
- 03
Yurtsever, F. M., Yurukcu, M., Begum, M., Watanabe, F., & Karabacak, T. (2018). Stacked and core-shell Pt:Ni/WC nanorod array electrocatalyst for enhanced oxygen reduction reaction in PEM fuel cells. ACS Applied Energy Materials, 1(11), 6115–6122.
- 04
Cansizoglu, H., Yurukcu, M., Cansizoglu, M. F., & Karabacak, T. (2015). Investigation of physical vapor deposition techniques of conformal shell coating for core/shell structures by Monte Carlo simulations. Thin Solid Films, 583, 122–128.
- 05
Demirkan, M. T., Yurukcu, M., Dursun, B., Demir-Cakan, R., & Karabacak, T. (2017). Evaluation of double-layer density modulated Si thin films as Li-ion battery anodes. Materials Research Express, 4(10), 106405.
- 06
Cansizoglu, M. F., Yurukcu, M., & Karabacak, T. (2019). Ripple formation during oblique angle etching. Coatings, 9(4), 272.
- 07
Saldaña, J., Yurukcu, M., Boppana, N., Arbabi, S., Henry, J., & Ziyanak, S. (2025). Energy Transition in the Oil and Gas Industry (multiple chapters). CRC Press.
Also 15+ book chapters (CRC Press, AGU Publications, Gulf Professional Publishing) and 15+ conference presentations at MRS, ACS, ECS and SPE. Full list on Google Scholar and ORCID.
Training
Education & recognition
- 2018
Ph.D., Applied Physics
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- 2017
M.S., Applied Physics
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- 2023
Post-Graduate Program, Data Science & Machine Learning
MIT IDSS
- 2021
Post-Graduate Program, AI & Machine Learning for Business
UT Austin
- 2008
Master of Project Management
DeVry University
- 2007
Master of Business Administration
DeVry University
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Osmangazi University, Turkey
- Grant experience: $65K–$85K (Henry Corporation, Level Theory), $112.5K Co-PI (Texas Reskilling Support Fund), contributor to a $300K NSF fuel cell catalyst program.
- Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant, UALR (2016, 2017); Student Research & Creative Expo Award; Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.
- MDPI Journal Reviewer (2019–present); Remote Sensing Journal Reviewer Board (2020–2023).
- Member, Materials Research Society and Sigma Xi. Science Olympiad sponsor and regional robotics coordinator.
Contact
Let's work together
Open to research collaborations, consulting on thin-film and materials process development, AI and machine learning projects, and speaking engagements.