Fusion of interests gives postdoc career focus

When Andrea Kritcher was a junior at the University of Michigan, she heard nuclear engineering students talking up the Lawrence Livermore Lab. That's when she first learned about LLNL's summer student internships.

And, she's glad she did. Now, some six years later, as a Lawrence postdoctoral fellow, she is realizing a promising career path and has found a comfortable niche here in Livermore.

For as long as she can remember, Kritcher was interested in how things worked. "I used to take everything apart to try and figure it out. I always dreamed of having my own invention or patent or being able to benefit society in some way," she said.

But it wasn't until senior year and the influence of her high-school calculus teacher that she seriously considered engineering and science as careers.

While living in Traverse City, Mich., she heard about an "amazing engineering program" at the University of Michigan. Her parents encouraged her to choose nuclear engineering and that has been her area of expertise ever since. 

Kritcher came to the Lab in 2004 as a summer intern in what was then the Critical Skills Internship Program (CSIP). Her first assignment was in the EBIT (Electron Beam Ion Trap) lab where she worked on analyzing data from a unique gamma-ray detector developed by NASA.

"I met many other students from both LLNL and Sandia," she said about her arrival to Livermore, which helped her cope with being far from home.

"It was a great experience," she said. "Most scientists I met here, especially my advisers, were eager to spend time teaching and overseeing their students. I think they really enjoy mentoring and teaching them about their work."

Kritcher said one of the best parts about the internship was learning about the various projects the Lab had to offer and being challenged in her work. "I felt like I had accomplished something by the end of my internship and learned a great deal. I also presented my first poster during that internship." 

A giant leap along her career path came when her mentor and LLNL adviser John Becker encouraged her to apply to graduate school at UC Berkeley. "I didn't have a real focus until I spent the summer here at the Lab. I was really impressed by the National Ignition Facility (NIF) project. I then decided to major in fusion in graduate school."

In 2006, while working toward her master's degree in nuclear engineering at Berkeley, she became a Lawrence scholar. She obtained her Ph.D. at Berkeley in 2009 and currently is a Lawrence postdoctoral fellow conducting research in two areas: First, using X-rays to measure the temperature and density conditions of warm and hot dense matter. (These states of matter are relevant for fusion energy projects such as NIF and for understanding astrophysical environments, Kritcher explained.) Second: Measuring the interaction of the nucleus with the dense plasma environment found in the first research area.

According to Kritcher, the Lawrence fellow position is an exciting opportunity. "It allows me to try new projects that aren't in my direct field of expertise such as the nuclear-plasma interaction project, which is a really new or cutting-edge field of research that one can now study experimentally with the recently commissioned NIF. I don't think I would have had the opportunity to be a part of the second project, which is out of my field of research, if not for the fellowship."

So, what's next for Kritcher?   

"I would like to stay at the Lab after my fellowship as a staff scientist," she said. "I feel that this is a really exciting time for inertial confinement fusion at NIF, the only facility of its kind in the world, and I want to be involved in this research. It's an important time to think about alternative energy and I believe that fusion energy will be an important contributor for a long-term energy solution."

Along with becoming a staff scientist, she admits she is open to opportunities in academia further down the road. "My main aspirations are to be a leader in my field and develop research that has a significant impact on my field and society."

In addition, she hopes to see the field grow. "I would like to encourage more young people to get interested in HEDP (high-energy-density physics) and fusion research. I believe this is a very exciting time to join this field."

As for advice to incoming summer students, Kritcher has a lot to share. "Talk to different groups and attend as many talks and seminars as you can to see what opportunities are out there. It is really inspiring," she said. "Utilize the Student Bulletin Board — it helped me get connected and kept me informed about student activities.

"Try to meet as many people as you can, and get connected; the poster symposium also is an excellent way to showcase your research to other groups," she continues. "This will help you build a basis for coming back to the Lab. Get involved in an area you are passionate about."

And, don't forget to have some fun too, she suggests. "Don't miss the annual rafting trip organized for summer students."