London Trip 

Attending the First International Conference on Quantum Mechanics and Nuclear Engineering in London challenged me to step outside my comfort zone. It was my first time presenting my finished research and my first time outside the U.S., so I was intimidated. But my graduate work at Purdue University taught me to hold my chin up – or, as the Brits would say, “keep a stiff upper lip.”

In presenting my thesis to fellow academics and professional researchers, who responded positively, I was forced to recognize all I’d accomplished in my two years of research. Thanks to the School of Nuclear Engineering and my research adviser, Dr. Robert Bean, I learned not only about radiation detection but also about myself.