From West Point to Purdue: Cadets Gain Hands-On Experience in Defense Research
Six rising West Point sophomores (Ashton Baek, Andrew Barone, Samuel Castillo Fernandez, Dahyeon (Angela) Choi, Alena Kasanicky, and Samuel Rice) spent their summer immersed in defense-focused research at Purdue University as PMRI Summer Interns.
As a PMRI Summer Intern, these future military leaders were given the opportunity to experience graduate-level research and see how advanced engineering can contribute to our national defense.
GROUP 1 | Advancing Neutron Detection for National Defense
Four cadets worked alongside Samuel Angus, 1st Lt USAF, with his PhD research in Chemical Engineering. Angus’s focus is on neutron detection with critical applications in our national defense and security. The cadets gained hands-on experience designing and testing their own neutron detectors and saw how laboratory research can contribute to national defense advancements.
"It was great having the cadets in the lab this summer. They were curious, eager to learn, and always willing to jump in and help. I enjoyed being able to show them what day-to-day research looks like and give them some hands-on experience with our work on neutron detection. Hopefully, they came away with a better sense of what graduate research is like and a few good memories from their time at Purdue.”
- Sam Angus, 1st Lt USAF and PMRI Fellow
GROUP 2 | Hands-On Civil Engineering at Bowen Laboratory
The second group assisted Samuel Benson, 2nd Lt US Army, with his Master’s research in Civil Engineering. When Benson was called away for military training, Dr. Akanshu Sharma’s team at Bowen Lab welcomed the cadets into their ongoing research, giving them the opportunity to experience multiple projects across the laboratory.
"My experience at Bowen Lab really blew me away. I had so much fun doing lots of hands-on research, from hoisting and dropping a 485lb hammer onto a concrete beam, using power tools/machines to cut and drill plexiglass to make concrete mold spacer templates, to assisting a drone-sweep of the whole lab.
Furthermore, the people I met were all amazing as well, with special thanks to the Sharma Team at Bowen Lab for always being so professional yet so kind and enthusiastic throughout my stay. If I would have the opportunity to come back to Bowen Lab for another summer, I wouldn't hesitate to do so.”
- Ashton Baek, Cadet Corporal, Army (West Point)
Through their work with both military and civilian Purdue University Master’s and PhD candidates, the PMRI Summer Intern cadets saw how research conducted in a university laboratory can translate into capabilities that support and improve US national security and defense.