Joshua Larson

Graduation Year: 2019
Major(s): B.S. Physics & B.S.E. Electrical Engineering
Hometown: Mount Pleasant, IA

What was the most important thing you learned?

While I learned many technical skills that have been useful post-graduation, I feel that the most important thing that I learned at the University of Iowa was a sense for collaboration. Seeking expertise from others and lending it when appropriate was always encouraged and fostered as a proper path to success. It was not until the last few years of my undergraduate career that I realized this.

I had a chance to work with students and researchers across the country and the globe. Learning that you cannot do everything on your own and leaning on others’ expertise helped me to develop as a student and researcher.

Where are you now and how have you applied what you learned?

I am currently enrolled in the Physics PhD program at UCLA. I work on experimental plasma physics on the Large Plasma Device. I study the effects of radio frequency wave injection to the device. The scenarios we investigate are similar to how radio waves are used for heating and current drive in magnetic fusion experiments. I am able to use the skills I learned in both my physics and engineering coursework at Iowa. Whether it is working with a new amplifier circuit or analyzing probe data, my time at Iowa helped prepare me to tackle a variety of challenges presented to me as an experimentalist.