Recruiting trip to national laboratory leaves lasting impression on students

Nine students — six from Auburn Engineering and three from the College of Sciences and Mathematics — toured one of the world’s largest three-dimensional particle accelerators, got an up-close view of the world’s most powerful magnet, and even controlled robots. More important, they were interviewed for potential internships and career opportunities.

An eye-opening visit to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, or LANL, in Los Alamos, N.M., Dec. 11-14, provided an introduction into an expanding scientific world with a better understanding of what working in a national laboratory might resemble.

“Since I had never been to a national laboratory before, I had no idea what to expect,” said Lyndsey Rice, a junior in computer science and software engineering from Chattanooga, Tenn. “LANL surprised me in that it’s filled with an attitude of curiosity, a desire to learn and try never-done methods, as well as a feeling of collaboration that extends between all experience levels of employees. This culture was exciting to experience, especially when the current researchers that met with us in informal interviews seemed genuinely interested in hearing about our education and interests, and how we could find a place in the lab.

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