From Engineering to Physics and Back: A Mixture of Two Worlds*

Physics Inspiring the Next Generation (PING) is a pre-college program which builds self-efficacy while giving youth unique research opportunities. I was part of the PING2020 cohort during my senior year of high school. Working with the Modular Neutron Array (MoNA) Collaboration at Michigan State University, nine high school students including myself were able to observe and perform some preliminary data analysis of an invariant mass spectrometry experiment on the Be-13 isotope. We calibrated the time-to-digital converters to measure the neutron time-of-flight and presented our findings at the APS/DNP 2020. The experience not only taught us valuable computer programming skills and nuclear knowledge, but it also instilled in us confidence in our own abilities. During the remainder of the academic year, I was able to model human cells and perform beamline projections using the G4beamline software to observe fragmentation. This Fall 2021, I will take the lessons PING taught me in order to pursue an engineering degree at the University of Michigan. PING encouraged self-efficacy in me as it has and continues to do so in others. This presentation will provide an overview of my experience and personal views about the program.