Proficiency with Instruments in the Lab

Project Mentor: Dr. Jon Shu

Project Description: Experience a summer in the CCMR Shared Instrument Facility as a research support scientist/technician. Our research support staff play multiple roles: they are teachers who train researchers how to best analyze their samples and how to get the best results from instrumentation; they are research scientists, analyzing samples for researchers and interpreting data; and they are technicians, using their expertise to keep instruments in peak condition, troubleshooting and repairing any issues that arise. You will work with our expert and diverse group of research scientists in the CCMR Shared Instrument Facility, learning what goes into maintaining research instruments, troubleshooting instrument problems, running tests, and more. This will be a hands-on experience and an opportunity to get behind the scenes of scientific research. It will be an experience that can help you to manage and maintain your own instrumentation in graduate school or in a future career. We never know what problems will present themselves in a given week, but with over $34M in instrumentation you will inevitably get exposure to electron microscopes, vacuum instrumentation, spectrometers, and more. All you need when you arrive is an open mind and a willingness to learn. If applying for this project, please tell us in your personal statement why you might be a good fit for this project.