I am a potential freshman at Georgia Tech(ECE) and I am tremendously interested in undergraduate research. I have conducted numerous research projects spanning different fields however the field I am most interested in is plasma physics. Therefore I would like to do undergrad research in this field as soon as possible. I know off and absolutely admire Dr. Mitchell Walker’s works and High-Power Electric Propulsion Lab. However, I would also like to learn about any other opportunities in this field at Georgia Tech. I would be grateful if a current student or faculty member could illuminate me on this subject.
I am a former employee of GT, and know that GT has strong programs in Plasma Physics. I know of Dr. Walker, but one thing about his lab is that it not the easiest to get into, for various reasons. Nevertheless, if you do take in a class in Electric Propulsion, study under Dr. Walker, have a 3.6+, get an A in his class, then you would have a good chance of getting involved in his lab. Plasma Physics is a big subject, and Dr. Weston Stacey, is an extremely accomplished and amazing individual who is a gem at GT. He runs the Fusion Research Center (FRC), which is basically Nuclear Fusion Plasma Physics. Obviously, while Fr. Walker is Aerospace Engineering, Dr. Stacey is in Nuclear Engineering. Both applications (and educational paths), are quite different. These are the two main faculty at GT involved with areas of Plasma Physics. GT offers courses in Plasma Physics, namely NRE 4610, 6102 and 7103 and AE 6451 (Electric Propulsion). Getting an opportunity in the FRC is a bit easier, since Dr. Stacey really has a passion for recruiting students into Plasma Physics. Additionally, the work that he does is super interesting, and he runs a top notch Fusion research center. Dr. Stacey’s alumni are also extremely accomplished, with some being senior staff at ORNL, etc.,
I think a major in NRE would prepare you well for this. I see that you like the HPEPL a lot though, so the AE track is another one you could pursue. It really comes to finding out whether you like the Nuclear field more or the Aerospace field. I’d advise you make that decision soon, otherwise you can find yourself graduating a semester late.
In terms of job opportunities, both are good, although the nature of AE is that jobs are unstable. To elaborate, an aerospace job is dependent on contracts, and when the contracts are gone or not won, your job can be gone also. This is not true for Technician or Airline engineering jobs so much, but for companies like Lockheed, Boeing, etc., it is indeed. Plasma Physics in the Nuclear field would allow you to find a job maybe in academia, or a national lab. These tend to be more stable
Anyways, nice choice of career path! I think that you would find the PPPL (Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory) a dream for graduate school in the future!