Ky merrill received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in 2010 and 2012, respectively. He received a Ph.D. from Arizona State University in 2020. His research has focused on the realization of atomistic simulation methods and the application of Monte Carlo methods to the modeling, design, and optimization of both charge and heat transport in electron devices. His current research interests are focused in the electrothermal characterization of novel power devices realized with wide bandgap and ultra-wide bandgap materials such as diamond and nitride-based materials. A particular emphasis of Dr. Merrill's work is in the optimizaiton of the device layout aiming to 1) the improvement of reliability and performance through the mitigation and/or management of detrimental thermal effects, and 2) the study of the importance of thermal effects in high-frequency operation.