Solar eclipse drew ASU Polytechnic campus graduate to applied physics


May 9, 2022

Editor's note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2022 graduates.

It’s been quite a hectic semester for Arizona State University graduating senior Addison Olsen, who’s completed a bachelor’s degree in applied physics in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts. ASU College of Integrative Sciences and Arts applied physics graduate Addison Olsen smiles while standing in front of whiteboard. ASU applied physics major Addison Olsen, at work in the tutoring center at ASU Polytechnic campus. Olsen has just accepted a job offer she’s excited about: working with a photonics company in Colorado. Download Full Image

“I've just been incredibly busy with job applications, homework, graduation details, etc.,” said Olsen, who also works for CISA’s faculty of sience and mathematics as an instructional aide at ASU's Polytechnic campus.

Olsen has found the job market to be quite robust for someone with her knowledge and experience. During finals week, she received some great news that was cause for pause and reflection.

“After searching for an entry-level job in a physics-adjacent field, I just accepted an offer to work for ThorLabs. They're a photonics company, the field of manipulating and using light in various applications. Like electronics, but with photons!” Olsen explained. “They produce cool stuff like lasers and other optical equipment.

“I’m super excited about it,” she emphasized in an email. “I get to move to Boulder, Colorado, which will hopefully give me the opportunity to spend more time outdoors. I've made a lot of sacrifices to ensure that I was doing the best I possibly could in school (which I don't regret). But now that I'm graduating, I want to get back into my hobbies.”

Olsen, whose hometown is Gilbert, Arizona, said that having a relationship with nature has always been a significant piece of who she is: “It's a part of why I decided to study physics in the first place,” she said. “I also have a lot of creative aspirations related to music and writing."

Olsen described her decision to major in physics as “a religious kind of experience,” in a way.

“I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel to Oregon to watch the total solar eclipse that passed over North America in 2017. It left me completely awestruck,” she said. “I had never seen something so beautiful in my life. I knew then and there that I wanted to get back in school, to study what makes our universe tick and what makes an event like that possible.”

Now, with the next step in her career secured, she is already beginning to imagine her future a few years down the road.

“ThorLabs offers full tuition reimbursement, and CU Boulder has a renowned optical/quantum physics department,” she said. “I could see myself working toward a graduate degree there someday.”

Addison Olsen took time to share these additional reflections about her ASU journey.

Question: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you or changed your perspective?

Answer: The biggest impact that learning all of this math and science has had on me is a constant reminder to enjoy the life I have. Understanding the reality of how hostile the universe can be to life, be it asteroids, radiation, etc., has helped me understand just how special every day is in a new way.

Q: Did your career-connected learning as an undergraduate help you on the job market?

A: Despite what I read online, earning my degree in applied physics has prepared me for the job market in a surprising number of ways. Learning to code and to interface with cluster computers is highly marketable. I'm finding that experience in a laser optics lab and a working understanding of the physics behind semi-conductor devices are also sought-after in the job market. Not to mention the ways that I have been able to develop my interpersonal skills and public speaking ability while teaching and working in the tutoring center.

Q: Why did you choose ASU?

A: ASU is accessible. I was able to bring over a lot of credit hours from Mesa Community College. I'm not sure that I would have been able to afford school at all if it hadn't been for that. The STEM programs here have good reputations as well. I knew that I would be able to connect with a wide variety of professors to figure out what my niche is and what my deeper interests are.

Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?

A: So, I'm transgender, and have started transitioning during my last year at ASU. Professor (Maxim) Sukharev was explicit about the fact that it would never affect my status here at school and that I would always be welcome here. I think it's really important that students feel welcomed in places of learning like ASU, regardless of their background. After worrying about what people in the STEM community might think about me for so long, Professor Sukharev showed me that the status quo can change.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?

A: Use the tutoring center! There are a ton of resources there. I wish that I had used their services more when I was first taking all of my math courses.

Q: Did you have a favorite spot at ASU Polytechnic campus for studying?

A: I really love the library — though it was (understandably) a bit more difficult to use during the pandemic. Having access to big whiteboards for exploring problems was always super beneficial. It's a great place to set up meetings with classmates to discuss difficult topics. Eventually, after the pandemic started, my favorite place to study became my room, out of necessity. I spent a lot of time making sure that it was a comfortable, relatively distraction-free space for me to work in. Now that things are mostly back to normal, I've been doing a lot of reading outside. The Polytechnic campus is gorgeous.

Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?

A: There are a couple that I think about from time to time, and they have to do with energy. Developing new, efficient methods of energy storage and retrieval would go a long way. I love the idea of being involved in some kind of new battery technology. Safe, modular nuclear reactors appeal to me as well, and would make for a clean way to generate energy! There are countless humanitarian efforts that would benefit greatly from that kind of money, too.

Maureen Roen

Director of Communications, College of Integrative Sciences and Arts

602-496-1454

 
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H.R. McMaster honors graduating veterans during 10th anniversary ceremony

May 9, 2022

Former White House national security adviser tells veterans to build their community, educate public

A former three-star general who served as the 26th assistant to the President of the United States for National Security Affairs congratulated and gave advice to graduating veterans Saturday inside Tempe’s Desert Financial Arena.

Retired Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster provided keynote remarks during the Veterans Honor Stole Ceremony organized by Arizona State University’s Pat Tillman Veterans Center.

“It is an honor to be with those who have served our nation, and then gone on to study here at ASU,” McMaster said. “To develop further the knowledge, the skills, the abilities that will permit you to go on and make even greater contributions to our nation and all of humanity.”

A published author, McMaster graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and holds a PhD in American history. During his 34 years in the Army, he served in various leadership roles. He was director of Army Capabilities Integration Center and deputy commanding general of Army Futures Command within the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command before the president selected him to serve as national security adviser in 2017.

McMaster asked graduating veterans to do two things: strengthen the nation and build a better future for generations to come.

“First, continue to support one another,” McMaster said. “Now it’s up to you to stay connected with each other, reach out to other veterans and continue to build that community.

“Second, as graduates of this great university, you have an opportunity to strengthen connections between your fellow veterans and the citizens in whose name you have fought and served.”

Veterans can continue serving by helping citizens understand the importance of service, the demands and the rewards, McMaster said.

“As veteran graduates, you are ideally positioned to help fellow Americans understand our ethos, our warrior ethos that all of us share,” he said. “And to explain to fellow Americans the importance of that ethos in protecting our nation and our way of life.”

Saturday marked the 10th anniversary of ASU’s special recognition for graduating veterans. During the first celebration in the spring of 2011, just a “handful of veterans” gathered to mark their achievement, said Jeff Guimarin, Pat Tillman Veterans Center director. This semester, over 820 veterans will receive degrees, including four PhDs.

“It is fitting that as we mark the 10th anniversary of ASU’s veteran’s graduation ceremony, we are welcoming our largest spring graduating class to date,” Guimarin told ceremony attendees. “It is an honor to be here in person to celebrate the culmination of your hard work.”

The first ceremony involved about a dozen people in a room a quarter of the size of the stage used during Saturday’s event, said ASU Senior Vice President and Secretary Christine Wilkinson during the event. As the years went by, the venues grew to keep up with the size of the graduating class of veterans.

“The growth, the success, the retention and graduation of veterans has grown tremendously,” Wilkinson said. “I congratulate each and everyone of you on this wonderful lifetime goal.”

Some veterans who graduated in the spring and fall 2020 semesters, and spring 2021, when in-person ceremonies were cancelled due to the pandemic, took part in this week’s event.

“We celebrate all of you today,” Guimarin said.  

Graduate student Maria Adney was the student keynote speaker. Adney enlisted in the Air Force soon after high school, and went on to serve as a commissioned officer and helicopter pilot in the Coast Guard.

Adney, who earned a master’s degree in communication disorders, thanked the families, friends and the ASU community for supporting all the graduates.

“I’m sure I can speak on behalf of the class in saying that our families and our friends kept us focused and grounded during our schooling at ASU,” Adney said.

Finding a new civilian “pack” for support is important after leaving the military, Adney attests from personal experience. But those who have served in the military, who represent only “0.7%" of the population, will always have a bond with each other formed through “blood, sweat and tears.”

“We served in different branches, served different missions on different continents, but we all put on that uniform,” Adney said. “We all know what it means to give it our all, and in that way, we are all bonded beyond just being ASU alumni.

“We are always here for reach other, we always have each other’s backs. So, let’s put on our civilian uniform, and again be something larger than ourselves. We can make a difference. We have shown we can, and today we are celebrating our great accomplishments.”

Graduates included married veterans Brittanie and Robert Slown. Brittanie served in the Army Reserves working in civil affairs and human resources. Robert was a Marine Corps infantry assaultman.

“We always felt supported as we navigated through transferring our credits with ease, using our veteran benefits, and finding a way to balance school, raising two young kids, work and a pandemic,” said Brittanie, who earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice.

Brittanie comes from a long line of alumni that dates back to the 1930s, when her great grandparents were ASU’s homecoming king and queen, she said. Her mother and other relatives are also alums.

“It was also cool that we both ended up here,” Brittanie said. “We hope to pass the ‘Sun Devil torch’ down to our children as they grow up.”

ASU serves over 10,500 military-affiliated students, including veterans, active duty, Guard and Reserves, and military families using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.

Top photo by Deanna Dent/ASU

Jerry Gonzalez

Assistant Director , Media Relations and Strategic Communications