Attention all undergrads at NC State University! Our facility is looking to hire an undergraduate student who would like to work with our staff and instruments. We’re specifically looking for those that are interested in learning about X-ray Tomography but are open to hiring for our other instruments as well.
If you’d like to apply, please email our director, Nina Balke, at ninabalke@ncsu.edu and attach your resume.
An Interview with a Former Undergraduate Worker
Leah Bellcase worked as an undergraduate student at the AIF last year. We sat down with her to ask her a few questions about her experience.
What were your responsibilities while working at AIF?
While working at the AIF I had duties to help maintain a safe and functioning XRD lab alongside lab manager Dr. Forrester. I was trained in the operation of the X-ray diffractometers and helped the users of the facility. Some of my responsibilities included instrument maintenance checks and helping users if the instruments reached any errors during data collection. I also assisted users in training sessions as they learned to use the XRD and analyze data. Other responsibilities included cleaning and organizing the lab and restocking supplies when running low.
What were your 3 favorite things while you were working here?
One of my favorite things about the job included hearing about a wide range of research projects from departments across NC State, as well as projects from industry and other universities. Another favorite thing of mine was the amount of knowledge I gained from this experience along with applying the knowledge I had learned in the classroom.
This experience has taught me how to work alongside a wide range of people, from undergraduate students to Ph.D. candidates to industry professionals. I learned many things that will help me with my future career goals including what it takes to keep a lab running, how to improve my professional communication, and how to upkeep safety measures.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your experience working with the facility and staff?
On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate working with the faculty and staff at a 9. The staff at AIF were so welcoming to me when I first started my position and were always there to help me learn along the way and answer any questions I may have had. While working at AIF not only did I learn about XRD techniques but I learned so much about the other instrumentation available such as SEM, ToF-SIMS, TEM, XPS, and more.
