July 15, 2025
Maria Huffman has stepped as director of the Washington Nanofabrication Facility (WNF) down to direct the Swedish Chips Competence Center (SCCC). Darick Baker, who has served as the engineering and business development manager, has been named acting director.
Huffman joined the WNF in 2019. Since then, she navigated a series of challenges, from major facility construction to the COVID-19 pandemic. She also grew the staff team and cultivated relationships with industry partners, which led to significant equipment donations.
University of Washington (UW) Vice Provost for Research Mari Ostendorf said that Huffman played a critical role in strengthening and expanding resources in a core research facility, benefiting numerous researchers from a range of science and engineering disciplines.
“Maria Huffman has done a world of good for the UW: supporting research growth through expanding the WNF, contributing to student success in the lab and with workforce development programs, connecting to local industry, and representing UW in statewide initiatives,” Ostendorf said. “A dedicated community builder, Maria has been a respected and beloved leader. She will be sorely missed.”
WNF is the largest publicly accessible nanofabrication facility in the Pacific Northwest, featuring 15,000 square feet of cleanroom, laboratory and user space. The facility supports researchers and engineers in fabricating nanoscale materials, structures, and devices for aerospace, IT and medical applications.
Karl Böhringer, director of the Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems (NanoES), credited Huffman with keeping the facility running smoothly during her tenure while also expanding WNF’s reach through short courses for community college students and veterans.
“Maria’s leadership and vision have been instrumental in building a strong foundation for many of our key initiatives—from program development and workforce training to new tools and resources,” Böhringer said.
Huffman also served on advisory committees at both the college and university levels, raising the WNF’s visibility regionally and nationally, particularly through the National Science Foundation’s National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure network. Before joining the UW, she spent more than 30 years working in the semiconductor and solar industries in various research, development and manufacturing roles.
Baker joined the WNF in 2012 as a research engineer and was named manager of engineering and business development in 2021. He has a Ph.D. in applied physics from the Colorado School of Mines, where he was a research associate until 2012.
“We’re committed to maintaining smooth operations and building on the progress Maria made in workforce development activities and acquiring new tools,” he said. “My goal is to keep the lab running as smoothly as possible, provide users the best experience we can, and to grow our knowledge and equipment to keep the WNF on the cutting edge of development.”