My experience at a national laboratory

During my undergraduate and graduate education, I made two important decisions about my professional aspirations. The first decision was that I would become a professor of physics. This came about because of the mentoring I received from several professors, and the research in which I took part. The second decision was that I would do my post-doctoral experience at a national laboratory. This came about from my graduate research experience at Los Alamos National Laboratory where I got to see the benefits of having access to various research techniques, skills and knowledge. Upon graduating, I was fortunate enough to receive a National Research Council fellowship to work at the Naval Research Laboratory where I spent two and a half years working on a project that formed the research foundation of my professorship. My project was to develop the high-pressure Nuclear Magnetic Resonance tool and apply it to the study of polymers for naval applications. Due to the complexity of the project, I gained knowledge in designing, contracting, assembling, feasibility determination, and application of the tool. In addition to these benefits, my experience showed me the importance of networking. I will expound upon this experience and the advantages of working at a national laboratory.