VU PHYSICS GRADUATES WEHRE ARE THEY NOW?

1
VU AlumniHow has the study of physics at VU
helped to shape your career?

• What is your current Job?
• By whom are you employed?
• What are you Doing in this present position?

• What is your educational and employment History
  since VU?
• What Comments can you share with current
  students?

2
The goal(s)Why is this interesting?How can
this help?

• What is your future Job?
• By whom will you be employed?
• What might you be Doing in this employment
  position?

• How might you proceed with education/employment
  after VU?
• What can you learn from those who have done it
  already?

3
The goal(s)Why is this interesting?How can
this help?

• Lets see if we can detect some lessons as we
  hear from our alumni...
• Keep some notes of what you find interesting,
  helpful, and new?

• How might you suggest this information could be
  used?
• Would you be interested in communicating with
  some of these alumni?

4
The methodHow were these data gathered?

• An e-mail went out to some of our alumni whose
  e-mail addresses were current.
• In four days, over 40 alumni replied!

• I collated the replies - and Paul Nord helped set
  up this presentation.
• Hang on lets have some fun!

5
After Graduation from VU

• 50 go to graduate school immediately
• -- Then what?
• 50 go to employment immediately
• -- Doing what?

6
Jay Dittmann - 1992

• Job - Leon M. Lederman Fellow post-doc
• Employer - Fermilab
• Doing - post-doctoral research associate,
  working on upgrade to the CDF instrument,
  educating the public about the science we do at
  Fermilab and why it is important

• HISTORY
• Attended graduate school at Duke
• Ph.D. 1998 in physics
• 1998 appointment to Leon M. Lederman Fellow at
  Fermilab

7
Steve Eckardt - 1978

• Job - optical engineer
• Employer - 3M corporation
• Doing - designing overhead projectors and LCD
  projectors

• HISTORY
• MS in optics from University of Arizona
• Started Ph.D. program but ran out of money
• Worked for 3 years
• Returned to school and finished Ph.D.
• Worked for 3M ever since

8
Dave Baran - 1983

• Job - program manager of the Highly Enriched
  Uranium Transparency project
• Employer - DOE Washington DC and Argonne National
  Lab
• Doing - Monitoring the dismantling of the Russian
  nuclear weapons

• HISTORY
• Graduate School at Northwestern
• Ph.D. in nuclear physics 1989
• Aerospace Corporation 1989-1991, El Segundo, CA
• DOE New Brunswick Laboratory 1991 to present,
  Argonne, IL

9
Sandra Kleinschmidt - 1959

• Job - Professor of Physics
• Employer -University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
• Doing - teaching physics and research

• HISTORY
• Graduate t U of Pittsburgh.
• Ph.D. in solid state EPR and NMR
• 1966 professorship at Oshkosh

10
Norm Kolb - 1983

• Job - Professor of Physics
• Employer - University of Saskatchewan
• Doing - teaching physics, research in
  proto-nuclear physics, supervise two graduate
  students

• HISTORY
• Summer work at Los Alamos (thanks to Don Koetke)
• Graduate school at U. of IL
• M.Sc. (physics) in 1984, Ph.D. (Experimental
  Nuclear Physics) in 1989
• Post-doc at University of Alberta.
• 1993 professorship at University of Saskatchewan

11
Dale Koetke - 1986

• Job - Software Analyst
• Employer - Microsoft Corp.
• Doing - Analysis of software to improve software
  efficiency - specifically for the Exchange
  product.

• HISTORY
• Ph.D. Stanford University 92
• Center for European Nuclear Research (postdoc)
  92-98
• Microsoft Corporation

12
Elwyn Dolecek- 1964

• Job - Health Physicist
• Employer - Argonne National Laboratory
• Doing - Managing and developing personnel
  radiation monitoring program at DOE laboratories
  -- Research in radiation detection and monitoring

• HISTORY - Ph.D. Rutgers University in Health
  Physics -
• - Health physicist at ANL

13
John Giles - 1966

• Job - Physicist
• Employer - Johns Hopkins University Applied
  Physics Laboratory
• Doing - have worked with submarine security in
  the Submarine Technology Department

• HISTORY
• 1966-1969 Engineer at Boeing, Wichita, KS
• MS physics 1969, Wichita State
• 1969-1974 Graduate student at Johns Hopkins
  University
• 1974 Ph.D.
• 1974-present physicist at Johns Hopkins

14
David Kohlstedt - 1965

• Job - Professor of Geology and Geophysics
  Institute of Technology Distinguished Professor
• Employer - Department of Geology and Geophysics,
  University of Minnesota
• Doing - teaching and research in geophysics

• HISTORY

15
Tom Horst - 1965

• Job - Head, Surface Sensing Group
• Employer - Atmospheric Technology Division,
  National Center for Atmospheric Research
• Doing - Research in atmospheric turbulence and
  atmosphere-surface turbulent exchange fluxes.

• HISTORY
• MS in physics U. of Illinois 1967
• Ph.D. in atmospheric science at U. of Washington,
  1977
• Atmospheric Science Department, Pacific Northwest
  Lab 1976-1989
• Atmospheric Technology Division National Center
  for Atmospheric Research 1989 -

16
David Christiansen - 1983

• Job - Asst. Professor, basic and applied
  biophysics
• Employer -University of Medicine and Dentistry of
  New Jersey
• Doing - Research on collagen self-assembly,
  tissue structure and function, and extracellular
  matrix mineralization

• HISTORY
• Rutgers Materials Science Graduate program 1.5
  years then transferred to Biomedical Engineering
• Ph.D. 1992
• NIH postdoctoral fellowship Univ. of Penn.
  Department of Orthopedic Surgery

17
Paul Sieving - 1970

• Job - Professor of Ophthalmology
• Employer - University of Michigan medical school
• Doing - see patients with eye diseases one-day
  each week, conduct research in electrical
  phenomenon of retinal cells.

• HISTORY
• Graduate school at Yale 1970-1974 in nuclear
  physics
• Switched to biology to study molecular genetics
• Became interested in medical career and left Yale
  to attend U. of Illinois medical school.
• Completed a joint MD-Ph.D. in bio-engineering

18
Cindy Thompson - 1996

• Third year law Student
• Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
• Doing - Studying for the Law Degree --
  Intellectual Property Law (patents, trademarks,
  ...)

19
Paul Kolb - 1986

• Job - Ph.D. Candidate and Research Assistant,
  Physics
• Employer - University of Maryland
• Doing - Research for Ph.D.

• HISTORY
• Summer t Los Alamos (thanks to Prof. Koetke)
• Travel foreign countries, learning Spanish
• 3 years teaching Valpo HS
• 4 years teaching Colegio Internacional de Caracas
• Returned to graduate school at U. of MD

20
Bob Scherpelz - 1970

• HISTORY
• H.S. teacher, math science
• 2 years working grocery stores, Ft. Collins, CO
• 2 years Peace Corps teaching math and physics in
  British West Indies
• Grad school Oregon State
• MS in Nuclear Engineering 1978
• PNNL to present

• Job - Staff Scientist, health physicist in a
  research group
• Employer - Dosimetry Research Technology,
  Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• Doing - radiation dose modeling, radiation
  transport modeling, neutron detectors for damaged
  Chernobyl reactor

21
Bob Witte - 1982

• Job - Engineering Manager
• Employer - CTS Corporation
• Doing - Leading teams of engineers in development
  of new products

• HISTORY
• Started with Motorola as component design
  engineer
• Now work for CTS
• MS in Engineering Management

22
Ron Kneusel - 1983

• Job - data analysis
• Employer - Medical College of Wisconsin
• Doing - data management and statistical analysis,
  functional MRI (a blend of physics, computer
  programming, biology physiology and chemistry)

• HISTORY
• Michigan State 1989 to 1991
• Completed theses 1993

23
Alan Buswell - 1984

• Job - Senior Scientist
• Employer - Spectral Technology Group with Ball
  Aerospace
• Doing - Developing algorithms, techniques and
  tools for extracting information from remote
  sensing data, primarily hyperspectral data.

• HISTORY
• MS degree from University of Dayton, in
  electro-optics

24
Lisa Foye - 1983

• Job - Medical Physicist
• Employer - Owner of a consulting firm in medical
  physics, Phoenix, AZ
• Doing - accepting and commissioning linear
  accelerators and other radiation emitting
  devices, responsible for the correct dose
  distribution and delivery of radiation treatments
  to patients and patient and personal safety.

• HISTORY
• MS in Medical Physics from The University of
  Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School, 1985
• Worked for a hospital radiation therapy center
  for 3.5 years

25
Danielle Boyd - 1996

• Job - Peace Corps
• East Africa
• Doing - teaching physics

• HISTORY
• Graduate school, Stanford University, CA
• MS in geophysics
• Teaching assistant University of Arizona, Physics
  Department

26
Carl Keller - 1963

• Job - Principal Scientist
• Employer - Owner of Flexible Underground Liner
  Technologies
• Doing - Applied science ranging from heat
  transfer to hydraulics, porous flow processes in
  the earth, pneumatics, mechanics, etc.

• HISTORY
• 1965 MS degree at RPI in Engineering Science/
  Nuclear Science
• 1966-1974 Los Alamos National Lab containment
  systems for underground nuclear testing
• 1974-1985 Head of containment research and design
  for all DOD underground nuclear tests.
• 1985-present Work in private sector
• 1996 Started my own company

27
Michael Goerhing - 1964

• Job - Technology transfer specialist
• Employer - Aerospace Research Applications
  Center, Indianapolis
• Doing - conducting searches of databases to find
  new technologies for transfer to individuals and
  companies

• HISTORY
• MS in physics, Purdue

28
Bill Baumgartner - 1984

• Job - Operations Engineer, Special Project Group
• Employer - Next Linear Collider Department,
  Stanford University
• Doing - manage small X-band electron accelerator,
  design and test X-band (11.4GHz) klystrons,
  accelerating structures, RF transport, beam
  dynamics, and support functions. Collaborator on
  an experiment testing a plasma lens.

• HISTORY
• 1984-1989 Fermilab Accelerator Operations (got
  job from Elvin Harms, a VU grad)
• 1989-1995 SLAC Accelerator Operations
• 1995-present NLC Test Accelerator

29
Jim Kolterman - 1991

• Job - Instrument Scientist
• Employer - Abbott Labs (Pharmaceutical)
• Doing - Instrument design, installation, training
  for pharmaceutical research and development.
  Travel around the world as well as at Abbot Labs.

• HISTORY
• Continued education at Northern Illinois
  University
• Worked bar tender
• temp work at Abbott Labs

30
Jim LeMunyon - 1981

• Job - President, CEO, and owner
• Employer - Novecon, Inc
• Doing - technology transfer from foreign
  countries through the US patent process -
  especially Russia

• HISTORY
• University of Wisconsin, Madison studying
  meteorology
• Science advisor to U.S. Senator John Anderson
• Started my own business

31
Jonathan DeVilbis - 1996

• Job - Peace Corps
• Ghana West Africa
• Doing - teaching high school mathematics

• HISTORY
• Plan to pursue at least a masters degree in
  physics

32
Lisa Peters - 1985

• Job - Chief Scientist and Head of Raytheons
  Commercial Electronics Groups Research
• Employer - Raytheon Corporation
• Doing -

• HISTORY

33
Jason Hayward - 1999

• Job - Student, US Navy Nuclear Power School
• Employer - USA
• Doing - going to school. Will be teaching
  physics to enlisted students.

• HISTORY
• Enlisted in US Navy

34
Sheila MacKay - 1959

• Job - Director, Manufacturing Services and
  Business Operations
• Employer - Journals for Academic Press
• Doing - Manage all business and quality control
  operations

• HISTORY
• American Institute of Physics, NYC for 2 years
• Academic Press, 38 years

35
Greg Grossart - 1996

• Job - Actuarial Analyst
• Employer - William M. Mercer, Inc., Chicago, IL
• Doing - Work in benefits consulting

• HISTORY
• Worked 1 year in Healthcare and Group Benefits
• Last 2.5 years for Retirement Practice
  (Indianapolis office)

36
Ali Mojahar - 1995

• Job - Sr. Program Manager
• Employer - Microsoft Corporation, IGT Global
  Networks and Systems
• Doing - part of group responsible for Microsofts
  global IT infrastructure

• HISTORY
• First job as technical support for VU, in
  Kretzmann Hall
• Taking some graduate classes

37
Donald Baeder - 1976

• Job - Architect for licensing and installation
• Employer - Cadence Design Systems
• Doing - review all of the packaging and licensing
  for the entire company (over 700 individual
  software products)

• HISTORY
• Taught high school in Monon, IN
• MS EE/Computer Engineering from U of TX

38
Donald Becker - 1959

• Job - Senior Research Nuclear Chemist
• Employer - National Institutes of Standards and
  Technology
• Doing - nuclear analytical chemistry by nuclear
  activation analysis

• HISTORY
• MS in Physical Chemistry at Florida State 1961

39
Paul Nord - 1991

• Job - Technical Specialist
• Employer - Valparaiso University, Department of
  physics and astronomy
• Doing - Lots of different stuff. Mostly with
  computers. But I often drill holes in walls.
  Work with department research projects and
  occasionally travel to research labs around the
  country.

• HISTORY
• Hired directly out of college by VU physics
  department to work on research at Los Alamos.
• Position became more of a general technical
  support staff the following year.

40
John Kohlmeyer - 1983

• Job - Director of Solutions Engineering
• Employer - SAP America, Inc. a subsidiary of a
  German software company
• Doing - Manage regional department of application
  consultants and a team of consultants who manage
  the internal demonstration systems

• HISTORY

41
Bernard Dehlin - 1962

• Job - Principal Engineer
• Employer - Raytheon Systems Company, RF Systems
  Engineering Center
• Doing - System engineering for airborne radar set
  special test equipment.

• HISTORY
• High school and junior college physics teaching
  (16 years)
• MA 1970, California State
• 22 Years System software engineering (so far)

42
Walter Crosmer - 1956

• Job - Manager of Systems Engineering Department
  of Inertial Systems Engineering
• Employer - Space Systems Division of Honeywell
  Inc.
• Doing - development and production of inertial
  reference systems for satellites, space probes,
  interceptor missiles. Mars Surveyor, European
  Mars Express, Titan Centaur, Atlas Centaur,
  THAAD, Patriot Advanced Capability.

• HISTORY
• Oklahoma AM graduate school in physics for one
  year
• Boeing Airplane company 1957, Seattle, WA
• 1960 Bendix Systems Division (working on Apollo,
  Viking), Ann Arbor, MI
• 1977 Honeywell Corporation, Clearwater, FL

43
Donald Thurnau - 1945

• Job - Retired
• Employer -
• Doing - some consulting with oil production
  software

• HISTORY
• Army service
• Some work with Manhattan Project
• MS in physics, U of Kansas, vacuum tube
  amplifiers
• 1949 Mobil Oil on Dallas, TX
• Ph.D. U of Colorado, ultraviolet spectroscopy.
• Dupont designing instrumentation
• Marathon Oil research center
• Formed a consulting company in 1968 to produce
  oil field software

44
Andrew Makowski - 1999

• Job - Medical School Student
• Stritch School Of Medicine of Loyola University
  of Chicago
• Doing - Im the only physics major in my class

• HISTORY

45
Richard Maupin - 1999

• Job - Graduate Student
• Employer - Ball State
• Doing - Grad student with research fellowship,
  assist in planetarium presentations, process and
  analyze data collected on red stars, work at
  National Undergraduate Research Observatory near
  Flagstaff, AZ

• HISTORY

46
Lindsey Hillesheim - 1999

• Job - Graduate student in biophysics
• Employer - University of Minnesota
• Doing - Studying! And teaching lab sections.

• HISTORY

47
Current Graduate Students

• Grant Kiehne (1992) - physics
• Jason Webb (1995) - physics
• Eric Vaandering (1993) - physics
• Andrew Makowski (1999) - medicine
• Andrew Richter (1990) - physics
• Paul Kolb (1986) - physics
• Lindsey Hillesheim (1999) - biophysics
• Cindy (Thompson) Barnett (1996) - law
• Richard Maupin (1999) - astronomy/teaching

48
Closing thoughts...

• Dont be anxious about your future you have
  many options!
• Think broadly about your future plans they will
  likely change!
• Be confident about your preparation for you
  future youre in good hands!
• Follow a broadly-based education it will be the
  foundation for change!
• Consider counsel from alumni - and even possible
  jobs through them they are a valuable resource
• One day you will appear on this list!