Going Private
From developing cancer therapy software to building superconducting magnets, our undergraduate majors spent the summer applying their physics education to challenges in the private sector, thanks in part to support from the Jim Trolinger Endowed Entrepreneurial Scholarship. Trolinger (left) graduated from UT with a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics (1963) and a PhD in physics (1967). His career has been dedicated to pioneering laser-based optical diagnostic methods. (For his outstanding contributions to laser physics, optics, and holography, the department named him the 2009 Distinguished Alumnus.) As an entrepreneur who co-founded two successful optical companies, Trolinger established this endowment to support students who are working on research as part of their education, in particular with private companies. The students below held summer internships as part of that initiative.
- Physics Major (General Concentration)
- Worked with Pronova Solutions Research and Development physics team in Franklin, Tennessee
- Took daily tests on the cyclotron to see if it were running properly and met criteria; also worked with physicists to commission the proton beam size, roundness, and dose.
- Physics Major/Secondary Major in Global Studies/Minors in Chinese and Astronomy
- Worked at Energy to Power (E2P) solutions in Tallahassee, Florida
- Worked on building a 1 m diameter superconducting magnet for Lockheed Martin: winding multiple wires of various materials into coils, which can then have a current run through to generate a magnetic field. The project required incremental testing to ensure coils were wound as perfectly as possible and to avoid larger issues that may arise when in use.
- Physics Major/Minor in Computer Science
- Worked at ProNova Solutions in Maryville, Tennessee
- Developed software for the cutting-edge SC360 Proton Therapy system, which treats cancer patients in Nashville, and soon, Knoxville.