What is your current job?
I'm a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a U.S. Dept. of Commerce lab in Boulder, CO. I work on the development of cryogenic sensors for the measurement application of X-ray spectroscopy.
Why did you choose this profession?
I've always loved science. I chose physics over chemistry because in my freshman year at Haverford, organic chemistry met at 8:30am, and the intro physics class met at 11:00am. I'm a night owl. This is a true story!
What more do you wish to accomplish in your professional career?
If all goes well, I may have an opportunity to develop instrumentation that is launched on a satellite. It would be really cool to get to work on something that was then launched into space.
Tell us about a decision or change you made that turned out to be a positive career move.
I've spent my entire post-graduate career in a town, Boulder, where exercise and work-life balance are valued. I try to get out on my road bike at lunch whenever possible. I love working at NIST, but I also value my time away from the lab.
How has Haverford influenced your professional career?
I received lots of individual attention as a Haverford undergrad, including from my freshman astrophysics professor who steered me into a summer job at the observatory (mainly re-aligning the large refractor telescope) even though I didn't necessarily know what I wanted to do. From there, working on a real telescope, I was hooked.