For the last 4 weeks, 11th grade students Vickie Loosemore from White Rock, BC, and Teddy Leung from Vancouver, BC, interned at TRIUMF as part of the Shad Valley Program, a summer experience combining entrepreneurship with science and technology. Shad Valley is designed to help top students in senior high school find an edge in the competitive, knowledge-based world of tomorrow. As a Shad Valley partner, TRIUMF welcomes the opportunity to provide internship experiences for young BC students interested in exploring the world of particle and nuclear physics.
After spending the month of July at a top Canadian university--Vickie at Memorial University and Teddy at Queen's University--where they attended lectures and workshops and participated in a variety of group projects, Vickie and Teddy headed back to Vancouver for their internship at TRIUMF in August. The pair worked together on ISAC laser-ion sources under the supervision of research scientist Jens Lassen. "Teddy and Vickie were enthusiastic and inquisitive students who quickly observed and absorbed the workings of the group--from group meetings and work planning, to the Friday coffee and informal discussions," said Jens. "Apart from looking over the shoulders of the graduate students performing measurement and conducting experiments, they got to take apart old pieces of equipment and investigate the inner workings of those, learn the operation of an oscilloscope, and perform basic measurements of circuits that they had constructed themselves."
Teddy Leung (left) and Vickie Loosemore (right) pose for a photograph at their work station in ISAC-I
Both students were thrilled to have a hands-on learning experience and the chance to work at various tasks. "The best part of the internship was designing a support system for an air ventilation system," explained Vickie. "Although we didn't get to build the actual system, we both felt we had contributed something important to the project at hand."
Vickie and Teddy had a lot of catching up to do to keep up with the physics concepts in use. "We did a lot of reading and researching to catch up on the level of physics knowledge required for what we were working on at TRIUMF," said Teddy. "We had to work extra hard during this internship and I really feel I got something out of it, as a general learning experience and an experience that has better prepared me for future studies in science."
When asked what she'd take away from the experience, Vickie said, "I think it's those little tips and tricks to surviving a grueling work day in the world of research that I'll take away most from TRIUMF. I've gained a great deal over the last 4 weeks--not only have I completed invaluable work experience at a world renowned research facility, but I have really enjoyed my time here as well." Vickie also plans to impress her friends with her superb knowledge of vacuum systems and RLC circuits when she returns to school next week. For Teddy, the challenging internship at TRIUMF has made him more certain about his future path. "My internship here was different from what I expected but proved to be valuable. I am now confident that in my future lies the path of science that may lead me to the ellusive destination known as discovery."
Both Vickie and Teddy will be returning for their last year of high school this fall. TRIUMF wishes Teddy and Vickie the best of luck in their future endeavours and encourages them to continue exploring the field of physics.
For more information on the Shad Valley Program, click here.
-- Meghan Magee, Communications Assistant