Juan M. Merlo-Ramirez is Assistant Professor of Physics at Vassar College. He has a Ph. D. in Optics from the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics, and Electronics, in Puebla, Mexico. His research is focused on two big areas: 1) light-matter interactions at the nanoscale, in particular, interactions between surface plasmons polaritons and excitons in 2D materials; and 2) topological phases of matter in classical systems, particularly in photonic and mechanical systems. At Vassar College, he teaches Modern Physics, Experimental Physics, and Microscopy Techniques.