Jonathon Howard is a fourth-year doctoral student in mechanical engineering who conducts research in the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at MSU. A native of Owosso, Michigan, Howard also completed his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at MSU in 2018. Recently he received the Klaus and Jean Timmerhaus Scholarship, which fosters increased interest and participation in fields of cryogenic study and encourages future engineers and scientists in these areas.
I was introduced to the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams and presented the opportunity to work at the facility through my engineering academic adviser, Dr. Abraham Engeda. In the graduate school interview process, I was given a short tour by my FRIB supervisor, Dr. Peter Knudsen. During this tour, I was amazed at the advanced technology at the facility and was impressed that all of this was available within Michigan State’s campus. It was at this point that I was convinced that I would pursue an education in accelerator science, and my interactions with faculty and staff at FRIB and my graduate education have further increased my interest in accelerator science.
FRIB is conveniently located in the heart of MSU’s campus and is a world-class facility with many leaders in physics and engineering. The academic knowledge that can be learned from working closely with faculty and staff at FRIB will have a large impact on anyone who is prepared to learn and is interested in accelerator science. For my own research, the cryogenic refrigeration plant at FRIB is a state-of-the-art facility that produces the liquid helium that is required for the linear accelerator to operate and is on the leading edge of cryogenic technology.