I was born in the Soviet Union in the city of Leningrad. Came to USA as a political refugee in 1978. I have received my training in the former Soviet Union as well as in the US. I Hold Ph.D. in Solid State Physics, M.S. in Physics of Semiconductors, M.S. in Materials Science/Engineering. I have been teaching full time at CA colleges and universities since 2011. Prior to teaching I worked as a scientist, engineer and manager in the semiconductor industry. In 2008 I founded a solar cell start up. My professional interests cover semiconductor processing, quantum computing, Data Science. I enjoy reading books on history, politics and economics. I also love traveling, especially to Greece, Scotland and Italy. Sometimes I can be found in a martial arts dojo. I have an adult son. The best way to contact me is at lfila@haierso.com