Marcel Merchat

Electronic Engineer and Data Scientist

merchat77@gmail.com | ph: 773-852-1689 | www.linkedin.com/in/marcel-merchat-pe

Goals

I am seeking a position as a RF test and development engineer. I have worked in the two-way radio industry since 1997 as well as completing a Graduate Certificate in Communication Systems. I understand the tradeoffs of noise figure and gain in the chain of circuit blocks from the antenna to the output including the RF filters, low noise amplifier, analog-to-digital converter, and signal coding. I am currently working as a mentor teaching assistant for software engineering students learning Java for the Duke University program on Coursera. I recently finished a machine-leaning project to predict dry June weather in Illinois based on least-squares and principal components analysis. I completed the ten-course Certificate in Data Science including statistics and machine-learning from John Hopkins School of Public Health on Coursera as well as Python and Website-Database development from the University of Michigan. My Master’s Degree included probability and statistics courses including statistical signal processing for biased and unbiased predictions. I blog about my work at marcel-merchat.com where I built a model website and database where visitors can login and interact with a database directly with JSON requests and customize their own input data forms with JavaScript.

Employment History

2018-Present

Duke University Engineering Software Specialization by Coursera

Software Engineering Mentor

Mentor engineering students and help grade Java programs. I have completed Java programs that find and detect genes in strands of DNA, analyze log files for website visitors, and decrypt coded messages in any language.

  • Object-oriented programming
  • Finding genes in DNA
  • Web scraping

2016-Present

Independent Work

Engineer and Data Scientist

Completed machine-learning study for dry June conditions in Illinois based on regression that compares ordinary and partial least squares, pre-processing with principal components analysis, and LASSO methods using cross-validation and ANOVA analysis.

  • Completed certificates in Web Development with PHP, SQL database administration and modeling, and Python programming from the University of Michigan on Coursera.
  • Completed the machine learning study named 'Predicting a Dry June in Illinois.'
  • Built and installed website and database in cloud at http://www.marcel-merchat.com/crudBasic based on the final project for the University of Michigan Certificate. Website includes SQL database with separate pages for logging-in, adding records, editing records, and a summary report generated with a database JOIN command. JavaScript and JQuery run in the browser application to help edit records. JSON data packets are exchanged with the website and database to help the user fill in common items.
  • Made RF and mixed-signal engineering tools. I wrote a computer program to perform design calculations, create a netlist model, call a Spice circuit simulation program, and finally generate graphs and a report.
  • Completed data scientist certificate by John Hopkins University on Coursera in October 2016 to help complete project at Motorola. Following this, completed certificates in Web Development with PHP, SQL database administration and modeling, and Python programming from the University of Michigan on Coursera.

2015-2016

Motorola

Technician and Programmer

  • Analyzed raw data and wrote R program that parsed text reports and generated a clean data file and automated PDF report with tables, graphs, and the results of statistical hypothesis tests.
  • Wrote R program generating an interactive webpage report for phone battery data
  • I performed other duties related to the company’s wireless products including LTE radiation tests for new cellphone models and writing LabVIEW programs for new automated tests.
  • Completed data scientist certificate by John Hopkins University on Coursera to help complete project.
  • Wrote LabVIEW program for automated battery tests and Android communication
  • Wrote test procedures for radar sensitivity, calibration, ESD measurements.
  • Contact bounce tests with triggered oscilloscope
  • Micro-soldering to 0.3-mm pads, 0201 components
  • X-ray microscope inspection

1997-2014

Cobra Electronics Corporation; Chicago, IL

Reliability and Test Engineer

  • Measured transmitter power and modulation, receiver sensitivity, audio power, sound pressure level, distortion, and audio frequency response
  • Wrote engineering specifications for radio receivers and transmitters
  • Wrote test procedures for radar sensitivity, calibration, ESD measurements
  • Measured transmitter power and modulation, receiver sensitivity, audio power, sound pressure level, distortion, and audio frequency response
  • Evaluated components and parts
  • Responsible for government regulations and energy efficiency reports for battery chargers
  • Designed battery charging circuitry for energy efficiency regulations
  • US Department of Energy tests with t-distribution statistics
  • Setup California Consumer Products Laboratory for energy efficiency
  • Wrote object-orientated C++ program that analyzed logged energy efficiency data
  • Programmed environmental chambers
  • Supported RF and audio technicians in quality control
  • Failure analysis and corrective action

1987-1997

Ohmite Manufacturing Company; Skokie, Illinois

Senior Development Engineer

Senior Development Engineer for Resistors and Electrical Components from 1990–1997; Engineering Manager for Axial Resistor Business Unit 1988-1990

  • Developed power surge resistors
  • Calculated inductance, resonant frequencies, and microwave properties of resistors
  • Performed life-cycle tests and calculated failure rates using chi-square and Weibull distributions
  • Made AutoCAD drawings for tool and mold makers
  • Provided application engineering services for customers
  • Provided technical support for manufacturing
  • Worked on correction action committees that investigated problems and implemented solutions. After I described scrap rates for fine wire in a glass coating process, the coating was changed to silicone with a lower processing temperature which reduced scrap by more than half while the company continued to sell glass coatings for heavier wire.

Education

Illinois Institute of Technology

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering

Illinois Institute of Technology

Graduate Certificate in Communication Systems

Purdue University, Calumet Campus

BS in Physics with Minor in Industrial Management

Certificates

Web Development by University of Michigan on Coursera

Building Web Applications in PHP by University of Michigan on Coursera

Introduction to Structured Query Language (SQL) by University of Michigan on Coursera

Data Science by John Hopkins University on Coursera

Job Skills

Projects

Hobbies and Interests: 

Foreign Languages: French, Spanish; studying Mandarin

Computer Skills: Java, R, Python, SQL, PHP, JavaScript, JQuery, C++, Microsoft Project, Word, Excel, Visual Basic for Applications

Publication: Applications for Surface Mount Components, Hybrid Circuit Technology, January 1991, Marcel Merchat and Larry Gleason

Licenses: Licensed Professional Engineer in Illinois

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