Mark Gitin
Executive Vice President and General Manager, Photonics Solutions Division (PSD), MKS Instruments
B.S. Electrical Engineering, '88
Dr. Mark Gitin has served as Senior Vice President and General Manager, Photonics Solutions Division of MKS Instruments, Inc. since January 2019. Mark joined MKS in September 2017 as Vice President and General Manager of the Photonics Business Unit and in 2018, also assumed responsibility for the Instruments and Motion Business Unit. Prior to joining MKS, from March 1995 to September 2017, Gitin held various management positions covering a wide range of technologies at Coherent, Inc., including Vice President of Strategic Marketing, Vice President of Business Development, and Vice President and General Manager of the Diodes, Fibers and Systems Business Unit. Dr. Gitin holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of California, Davis and an M.Eng. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University.
We took a moment to chat with Mark to learn more about what technology excites him, and also to reflect on his biggest influences when he was a UC Davis student.
What research or technology are you most excited about right now, and why?
I am excited about technologies that we are developing at MKS to enable Advanced Electronics for the next generation of consumer devices with increased computing power and density. Our teams create new components and systems, such as high-performance optics for lithography, metrology and inspection for the manufacture of semiconductor chips. We also make ultrashort pulse lasers, laser systems and chemistry that optimize the interconnects that package these chips. It’s exciting to be working at the forefront of all of these enabling technologies and I am constantly learning new science and engineering.
One specific area that is very interesting to me is ultrashort pulse lasers. At Cornell, I was developing femtosecond lasers for my Ph.D. research for fundamental research of devices and materials. And now at MKS, we are developing nano-, pico-, and femto-second lasers to micromachine finer features, enabling denser interconnects in new materials for increasing chip density.
How did your time at UC Davis impact you and/or prepare you for your career?
My time at UC Davis was a fantastic preparation for a career in technology. While I graduated with an EE degree, the UC Davis engineering program provided me a broad core background across additional engineering disciplines, such as mechanical, chemical, materials science, and computer science. That background in all these disciplines has been invaluable for me, since I am managing large programs that include aspects from all of the engineering disciplines. Having this undergraduate background helps me understand how all the disparate technology aspects fit together. And that broad undergraduate background also served me very well in completing my research for my Ph.D. - developing ultrashort pulse lasers and measurement systems to characterize high frequency electronic devices.
Overall, the ECE program at UC Davis gave me a strong foundation. The broad core engineering background and cooperative learning environment prepared me very well for my further academic studies and industry roles.
Did you have a favorite course or instructor at UC Davis?
My favorite courses were in optics, lasers and electricity and magnetism (E&M). Favorite instructors included, Professor Andrew Dienes and Professor André Knoesen.
What advice would you give to young people who are currently seeking a degree in electrical and computer engineering?
Start to develop your abilities to work in groups/teams while you are completing your studies. Find classmates to study with – not only will that keep you motivated through some of the very difficult courses, but the ability to work in teams is one of the most important skills to be successful in industry. UC Davis encouraged this teamwork, and I am grateful to have that background.