Obituary: David Eason, technical leader of UB’s Shared Instrumentation Laboratories

Eason was a well-respected colleague and technical leader of the SEAS Shared Instrumentation Laboratories and the flagship Davis Hall Cleanroom. He also held a volunteer appointment as a research assistant professor in the Department of Materials Design and Innovation, and served as adjunct faculty in the Department of Electrical Engineering, where he taught courses on circuit analysis and microelectronic fabrication techniques.

He led the technical development of UB’s seven-bay, 5,000 sq. ft. Cleanroom, collaborating with SEAS faculty on facility design, equipment acquisition and installation, and all use and safety protocols. Because of Eason’s knowledge and leadership, the facility is the most advanced cleanroom in the Buffalo Niagara region supporting faculty from across UB, other institutions, and industry partners. 

Eason also contributed to the development of the Furnas Hall Materials Characterization Laboratory, the Bonner Hall Digital Manufacturing Laboratory, and the Bonner Hall BioDesign Core Facility.  He enjoyed providing guidance to students on technical and scientific matters involving their research. 

Eason was an experienced semiconductor and materials scientist, and held a PhD in physics from North Carolina State University. He joined UB in 2008 and previously worked at Greatbatch (now Integer) and Eaglepicher Technologies.

He is survived by his wife Saori and children Julia, Ryan and Sean. His daily presence and contributions to the Shared Instrumentation Laboratories and UB will be sadly missed.