The Center of Bright Beams is pushing the limits of technology to increase the brightness of charged particle beams. Laraib Irfan, a rising senior physics major, begins an intensive internship at the Center of Bright Beams, located at Cornell Laboratory Accelerator-based Science and Education, this summer, summer of 2024. The internship is 2 months long; during which, Laraib will be engaging in accelerator physics research.

Accelerator physics has been Laraib’s pursuit prior to joining Beloit College, and is eager to learn from colleagues and mentors in the program. Laraib came across this internship through networking at the U.S. Particle Accelerator School (USPAS) Winter Session 2024. I asked Laraib to provide advice for students interested in exploring similar opportunities.

“My advice to other students is to take the difficult opportunities and learn from them, as soon you will realize it to be the first foot in the door - I was nervous and debating if I should attend an USPAS course, and struggled with the course material too when I got there. I am grateful that I convinced myself to stay motivated and work towards finishing the course, which I believe is one of the reasons I was able to obtain this exciting opportunity. I would also strongly encourage them to network, as well as to talk with their professors and advisors about their goals, as Beloit professors are among the most supportive individuals who can bring you closer to achieving your goals.”