Beechem researches thermal physics, semiconductors, spectroscopy, nanophotonics, and 2D materials. His Specere Lab is based at Birck Nanotechnology Center.

Beechem joined the faculty of Purdue University’s School of Mechanical Engineering in August 2021. Beforehand, he was a scientist at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM, for 12 years where he held an affiliate appointment with the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT). He has authored more than 95 archival publications, holds 5 patents, and had his work selected as the featured “cover article” on 5 separate occasions by 6 different periodicals. He received a 2015 Defense Program Award of Excellence and was named one of Sandia’s “Up and Coming Innovators” in 2016. In 2017, he was named an associate editor for the Journal of Heat Transfer, a role that he remains in today.

The ASME Committee of Past Presidents confers the Fellow grade of membership on worthy candidates to recognize their outstanding engineering achievements. Nominated by ASME Members and Fellows, an ASME Member has to have 10 or more years of active practice and at least 10 years of active corporate membership. Over 3,000 members have attained the grade of Fellow.