Trained as a PhD mechanical engineer, I’ve spent my career executing complex technical projects across space systems, government R&D, artificial intelligence, and fusion energy, while balancing real constraints: schedule, cost, talent, and risk.
Professional Experience
Terra Fusion Energy Corporation, 2025 - Present
Co-founded this venture-backed startup, working to bring fusion energy to the grid.
MORSE Corporation, Washington D.C. 2023 - 2025
Member of engineering leadership team on flagship AI project
Software deployed worldwide to address critical national security challenges
Embedded with end customers, learning their problems and helping to bridge the gap between what was possible technically and what the customer wanted
The United States Navy, NSWC-IHD, Indian Head, MD. 2011 - 2023
Technical leader of multidisciplinary teams spanning physics, chemistry, engineering, and artificial intelligence
Led DARPA-funded project soup-to-nuts: BD; project execution, including recruiting industry, government and academic partner institutions to join project team; dissemination of results to other government agencies and the public
Initiated and led work in novel areas such as nuclear radioisotope powered batteries (betavoltaics)
The University of Maryland, College Park, MD. 2013 - 2017
PhD Graduate Student, Mechanical Engineering Department, MEMS and Microfluidics Lab, Advisor: Don L. DeVoe
Dissertation: Microfabricated Bulk Piezoelectric Transformers
Graduate work supported by competitive fellowship (5% acceptance rate): DoD Science, Math, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Fellowship
The United States Army, ARDEC, Fuze Division, Adelphi, MD. 2009 - 2011
Mechanical Engineer, MEMS Team
Focus of work was mechanical design, analysis, and testing of MEMS sensors and hardware
Work resulted in multiple granted patents
Harris Corporation, Melbourne, FL. 2007 - 2009
Mechanical Design Engineer 2, Space Structures
Focus of work was design and analysis relating to unfurlable mesh space reflectors
Designed, analyzed, and tested tooling and flight parts for mesh space antennae
Optimized motor driven boom hinge (4-bar linkage) mechanism, projected to save future reflector programs $150k to $450k
Received Certificate of Recognition honoring a 22-hour workday supporting critical program milestone
Research & Development
Invited Talks
OM Barham, “Terra Fusion: Scalable Fusion Energy,” CERAWeek 2026, Houston TX, 25 Mar 2026.
OM Barham, “Opportunities in Alternative [Fusion] Approaches,” FusionXInvest Global 2025, Mountain View CA, 12 Feb 2025.
OM Barham, “A Rising Scientific Tide Will Lift All Boats,” ICCF-24 Solid State Energy Summit, Mountain View CA, 25 Jul 2022.
OM Barham, “Co-Deposition Research led by NSWC-IHD,” Ron Liston Seminar Series, US Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover NH, 06 Apr 2022.
OM Barham, “HIVER Electrochemistry Energy Project Update”, Keynote Presentation, 2021 DOE ARPA-E Inaugural LENR Workshop, virtual, 22 Oct 2021.
News Articles and Press
UMBC News, “Is Fusion the Future?” 18 Feb 2026
Fusion Industry Association News, “News Update Friday 2nd Apr 2021”
The Drive Magazine, “Navy Labs To Reopen The Once Taboo Case On Nuclear Cold Fusion” 09 Apr 2021
American Nuclear Society Newswire, “U.S. Navy researchers dive into cold fusion debate,” 24 Mar 2021
IEEE Spectrum Magazine, “Whether Cold Fusion or Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions, U.S. Navy Researchers Reopen Case,” 22 Mar 2021
Patents
US 8,887,640 “Electro-mechanical fuze for hand grenades,” awarded 2014.
US 8,640,620 “Non-inertial safe and arm device,” awarded 2014.
Journal Articles and Reports
C Gotzmer, LF DeChiaro, K Conley, M Litz, M Millett, J Ewing, … & OM Barham, "Li–Pd–Rh-D2O electrochemistry experiments at elevated voltage,” APL Energy 1, no. 3, 2023.
FG VanGessel, E Perry, S Mohan, OM Barham, M Cavolowsky, “Natural language processing for knowledge discovery and information extraction from energetics corpora,” Prop., Explos., Pyrotech., 2023.
OM Barham, et al. (Government-distribution report), Jun 2021.
OM Barham et al., “Indian Head Technical Report #3827: Soldier-Wearable, Long-Life, Low-Power Blast Sensing System Development FY15-FY19: Final Report (Distro-A)”, Navy NAVSEA NSWC IHD, August 2019.
OM Barham, M Mirzaeimoghri, DL DeVoe, “Piezoelectric Disc Transformer Modeling Utilizing Extended Hamilton's Principle,” IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, v34 i7, July 2019.
OM Barham, et al. (Government-distribution report), Jan 2019.
OM Barham, “Microfabricated Bulk Piezoelectric Transformers,” PhD Dissertation, University of Maryland, College Park MD, 2017.
OM Barham, (Government-distribution report), Jun 2013.
MK Ramasubramanian, OM Barham, V Swaminathan, “Mechanics of a Mosquito Bite with Applications to Microneedle Design,” Institute of Physics: Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, v3 n4, 8 Sep 2008.
OM Barham, “A Mathematical Model for the Mechanics of a Mosquito Bite with Applications to Microneedle Design,” MS Thesis, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC, 2007.
Conference Presentations and Publications
OM Barham, “Nuclear Batteries Enable Decades of Uninterrupted Life for Microelectronic Systems,” (Oral Presentation and Conference Paper), ASME 2022 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences: 16th International Conference on Micro- and Nanosystems, St Louis MO, 15-17 Aug 2022.
OM Barham, “US Navy HIVER Project: Nuclear, Thermal and RF Results,“ ICCF-24 Solid State Energy Summit, Mountain View CA, 25 Jul 2022.
OM Barham, “Comparing Nuclear and Chemical Power Sources for MEMS/NEMS Applications” (Oral Presentation and Conference Paper), ASME 2021 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences: 15th International Conference on Micro- and Nanosystems, Online, Virtual, 17-20 Aug 2021.
OM Barham, “Explosive Testing of SOI-DRIE MEMS Pressure Sensing System for Traumatic Brain Injury Applications” (Oral Presentation), ASME 2019 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences: 13th International Conference on Micro- and Nanosystems: Dynamics of MEMS and NEMS, Anaheim, CA, 19-21 Aug 2019.
VT Fondjo (Langston University), FF Fotou (Langston University), OM Barham, MR Khan, SG Rauscher, DL Jean, “Modeling and Testing of a Minimally Powered SOI-DRIE MEMS Pressure Sensor for Discrete Blast Detection” (Oral Presentation and Conference Paper), ASME 2018 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences: 12th International Conference on Micro- and Nanosystems: Dynamics of MEMS and NEMS, Quebec City, CA, 26-29 Aug 2018.
OM Barham, DL DeVoe (UMD), “Modeling and Analysis of Microfabricated Bulk Piezoelectric Disc Transformers” (Oral Presentation and Conference Paper), ASME 2017 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences: 11th International Conference on Micro- and Nanosystems: Dynamics of MEMS and NEMS, Cleveland OH, 6-9 Aug 2017.
OM Barham, M Mirzaeimoghri (UMD), DL DeVoe (UMD), “Bulk PZT Transformers Fabricated by Micro-Powder Blasting” (Oral Presentation), Piezo2017: Electroceramics for End Users IX, Madrid ESP, 19-23 Feb 2017.
OM Barham, T Caruso, T Huang, R Knight (ARL WMRD), “Energy Harvesting and Efficient Storage in Harsh Environments” (Oral Presentation), Energy Harvesting and Storage USA 2012, Washington DC, 7-8 Nov 2012.
OM Barham, “Energy Harvesting and Efficient Storage for Small-, Medium-Caliber and Mortars” (Oral Presentation), DoD Joint Fuze Technology Program Spring Review, Washington DC, 19 Jun 2012.
OM Barham, T Caruso, “Energy Harvesting and Efficient Storage in Harsh Environments” (Oral Presentation), Sensors Expo and Conference, Rosemont Il, 5-7 Jun 2012.
OM Barham, “Technology Trends in Fuze and Munitions Power Sources” (Oral Presentation), Joint Armaments Conference, Exhibition & Firing Demonstration, Dallas TX, 17-20 May 2010.
Professional Memberships and Service
Senior Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2024-Present.
Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2017-Present.
Treasurer, Mid-Atlantic Micro/Nano Alliance (MAMNA), 2020-Present.
Journal Paper Reviewer, Springer Nature Nonlinear Dynamics, 2018-present.
Proposal Reviewer, energy-related funding opportunity announcements, DOE ARPA-E, 2021-2022.
Conference Paper Reviewer, ASME IDETC Conference, 2018-2022.
Overall Conference Chair, ASME 2022 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences: 16th International Conference on Micro- and Nanosystems, St. Louis, MO, 14-17 Aug 2022.
Conference Program Co-Chair, ASME 2021 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences: 15th International Conference on Micro- and Nanosystems, Virtual, 17-19 Aug 2021.
Co-organizer, Mid Atlantic Micro/Nano Alliance virtual seminar series on YouTube, summer 2020.
Lead Symposium Organizer, MEMS Sensors and Actuators Symposium, ASME 2020 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences: 14th International Conference on Micro- and Nanosystems, St. Louis, MO, 16-19 Aug 2020.
Journal Paper Reviewer, IEEE Trans. on Power Electronics, 2020.
Lead Symposium Organizer, MEMS Sensors and Actuators Symposium, ASME 2019 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences: 13th International Conference on Micro- and Nanosystems, Anaheim, CA, 18-21 Aug 2019.
Symposium Co-Organizer, Sensors and Actuators Symposium, ASME 2018 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences: 12th International Conference on Micro- and Nanosystems, Quebec City, CA, 26-29 Aug 2018.
Proposal Reviewer, Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program microtechnology grants, US Army, 2017-2018.
Education
Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, The University of Maryland, College Park, MD (2017)
M.S. Mechanical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (2007)
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (2005)
Personal
Administrator, Brookland DC neighborhood email list, 3,000 members.
Volunteer, Building Bridges Across the River, nonprofit association.
Co-organizer, Whisk(e)y Wednesday, social organization, 200 members.
Runner, half-marathon distance, 2:15:00 nominal pace.
Husband, 2 children.