In October 2020, Timothy Phero was awarded an Idaho National Laboratory Graduate Fellowship. Tim completed the first half of his graduate work at the AML in Boise, then moved to Idaho Falls in January 2022 to complete his research at INL. Here is an update from Tim after his first semester at INL:
“At the beginning of the semester in January 2022, I started my position as a Graduate Fellow at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Being a new hire and “just a student” at INL was intimidating at first, but I quickly became more comfortable when I realized that all the scientist, engineers, and staff I previously put on the pedestal were just normal people too. I also feel like the skills and knowledge I learned during the first few years at Boise State in the AML were key to my quick transition to the national lab setting. Not only was the AML’s emphasis on safety important to my current role, but I also had the opportunity to perform research on an INL project before I officially started my Graduate Fellow position. All of this jump-started my integration into the lab and my ever-growing network at the INL. I am really grateful for the AML and Boise State for enabling me to pursue such an amazing opportunity at INL.”