NARRATOR: The Scintillation Materials Research
Center is a unique multidisciplinary research
facility housed in the University of Tennessee,
Knoxville’s College of Engineering.
The SMRC is a leader in its field, discovering
and developing the new scintillation materials
that will provide the foundation for the next
generation of radiation detectors.
CHUCK: Our laboratory, our research center
is nationally and even internationally recognized
as one of the leading research centers for
this type of work.
We have state of the art laboratories and
instrumentation and so our students have the
opportunity to work with the best; both the
best facilities and the best faculty.
MARIYA: I heard about this place when I was
an undergraduate student in Russia; in Moscow.
I always had a dream to come work with this
group of researchers.
NARRATOR: This international recognition grows
out of the many unique opportunities the SMRC
provides its students and researchers.
The SMRC’s comprehensive learning environment
provides a more complete understanding of
scintillation research and its applications.
HUA: We have the ability to both grow the
crystal and also characterize it which means
you don’t need to run between place A and
place B; you can just stay in this lab and
do ALL your work.
NARRATOR: And the work being done in the SMRC
is affecting real-world fields from medical
imaging, to homeland security, to energy resource
exploration—and due to its partnerships
with industry leaders, those effects will
be seen much sooner than later.
CHUCK: We work together with private industry
to transition this technology into real commercial
endeavors that society in large comes in contact
with.
MARIYA: You can discover new scintillator
materials and make a patent or publish a very
significant paper that will make a big difference
in the world.
HUA: We have a very close collaboration with
Siemens, which means besides your research,
you can also gain experience in the industry;
how do they think, what do they need?
Which will, I think, definitely help you find
a job in the future.
NARRATOR: And while research opportunities
and future employment are important concerns
for a graduate student, there are other things
to consider as well…
ADAM: The most important part is getting the
work done and doing the science; learning
about the material and pushing forward.
At the same time your experiences here are
very much enhanced by the environment and
the people you work with.
HUA: Being a student is not only about research.
It’s more about the life… how do we deal
with people?
How do we collaborate?
How to work as a team?
How to take care of each other?
This place will give you—provide a good
balance between life and research.
ADAM: I would say that is one of the most
important aspects; it’s that it feels less
like work and a little more like a collaborative
effort that we’re all here to help each
other out.
And that’s kind of rare.
