In a few words or less, how would you describe what you do?
I'm a research scientist.
What do you like about your job and/or about working at the Lab?
The people are amazing, and the scope of work is always interesting.
What do your day-to-day work activities include?
Simulations, theory, and design.
What is one project you’re really proud to have worked on?
I have done a lot of statistical inference work studying material model behavior where I analyze measurements from pulsed power platforms.
What is your educational/career background?
I did my BS (2013) at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and then pursued a PhD at Caltech (2020).
What inspired you to go into science/your field of work?
I'm naturally pretty interested in science and have been passionate about national security for a long time; a career at the Labs allows me to impact both fields.
What advice would you give to a new employee at the Lab?
Think critically about what impact you want to create; it almost seems trivial but it’s one of the most important things to consider when planning and prioritizing a career.
What are your hobbies/what do you do in your free time?
I spend my free time with my wife and children.
How many years have you worked at the Lab?
5
Where are you from?
Merced, Ca
Do you support disciplines or programs outside PLS?
Weapons and Complex Integration (WCI)
Learn more about William:
Biography
In a few words or less, how would you describe what you do?
I work on radiation detectors and laser materials.
What do you like about your job and/or about working at the Lab?
I enjoy inventing materials that enable improved function in devices.
What do your day-to-day work activities include?
I write physics models for the performance of materials in devices, develop new research directions, and work with staff on their experiments.
What is one project you’re really proud to have worked on?
I discovered a new gain medium that enabled the construction of a $50M laser system.
What is your educational/career background?
Ph.D. in two-photon spectroscopy, post-doc on short-pulse lasers, and long career at LLNL.
What inspired you to go into science/your field of work?
Discovery of new practical materials that are deployed and commercialized.
What advice would you give to a new employee at the Lab?
Develop new ideas in chemistry and physics—it may take hours, days, months or even years - don't give up!
What are your hobbies/what do you do in your free time?
Some exercise every day.
How many years have you worked at the Lab?
38
Learn more about Stephen:
Biography
March 29, 2024
What do you like about working at the Lab?
My favorite thing about working at LLNL is getting to work with really smart and passionate people and getting to discuss interesting and challenging problems with them. Beyond that, having access to some of the best scientific resources in the world (e.g., NIF and HPC), getting to constantly learn and participate in cutting-edge science, and being able to directly contribute to national security and real-world applications is hard to beat!
What do your day-to-day work activities include?
My job requires a variety of different tasks, therefore, my day-to-day work varies. This might include several meetings trying to coordinate and execute the large-scale/team science that we carry out at LLNL, reading material and/or asking our SMEs about whatever topic/question I'm trying to track down at the moment, or carrying out simulations and/or developing analyses for my different projects.
What is one project you’re really proud to have worked on?
I'm still relatively new at the Lab so I don't have a large list of projects that I "have" worked on so much as I have several projects that I am excited to currently "be" working on. At the top of the list is my neutron survivability work and the PROACTIVE arms control venture that has just begun.
What is your educational or career background?
I started out at a small liberal arts college with a double major in physics and business administration and then pivoted (somewhat) to getting a PhD in nuclear engineering with a focus on radiation detection for nonproliferation applications. From there I spent a year doing the NNSA Graduate Fellowship in NNSA's Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development before starting at LLNL in August 2021.
What inspired you to go into science?
My interest in science really bloomed in high school thanks to my AP chemistry and physics courses. I love learning in general, but in particular trying to understand our universe/nature is not only fascinating but I think one of the most inspiring things about humanity. I knew I wanted to study chemistry or physics, and the chemistry course was full my freshman year so voila, I became a physics major! When considering grad school, I was really interested in particle physics, but I wasn't sure I wanted to commit to six more years of school and also wanted something more applied to facilitate staying in research/science outside of academia. I then had a dream about becoming a nuclear engineer, woke up and looked into it, and then proceeded to stumble into the field of radiation detection for nonproliferation, which more or less landed me where I am now!
What advice would you give to a new employee at the Lab?
Take advantage of opportunities to learn about all the awesome work going on at the Lab and its history, people here like talking about their work and helping others so don't be afraid to reach out and ask questions/for help. Lastly, appreciate how unique and rewarding working at LLNL is.
What do you do in your free time?
In my free time I enjoy exercising (weightlifting, basketball, running), reading (trying to find the balance between reading to learn vs reading for fun), am currently learning Russian, and have just started using my scuba diving certification!
March 15, 2024
What do you like about working at the Lab?
I love the freedom and creativity that I have here. I feel like any time I get a project, I am able to be creative with it and really just run with my ideas. I consider myself to be a "translator of the sciences," and I love breaking tough science topics down into easier to understand articles that even non-scientific folks, like myself, can understand.
What do your day-to-day work activities include?
I am usually bouncing between several projects—working on an ongoing article, interviewing people across PLS, putting together a presentation, updating website content, working with other creative staff members like our graphic designers or videographers, writing the weekly PLS Notable Newsletter, etc.
What is one project you’re really proud to have worked on?
I work on a lot of projects, but writing is my favorite thing to do, so I would have to say my favorite project is the article I wrote on a ROTC summer intern for the Energetic Materials Center.
What is your educational or career background?
I have a bachelor's in communications, a minor in art history, and am working on finishing my master's in English.
What inspired you to go into your field of work?
I have always had a knack for writing essays but never really imagined writing about science as a career until I came to the Lab. Now, there is no place I'd rather be.
What advice would you give to a new employee at the Lab?
Don't pretend like you know what something (like an acronym) means!! If you have a question, ask it! It is always better to ask in the moment then to later regret not having asked.
What do you do in your free time?
I love going to San Francisco, visiting art museums, going on runs/to the gym, and cuddling with my cat Tommy T. I'm a member of the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory Women's Association (LLLWA) employee resource group.
Learn more about Shelby:
Biography
