November 08 Issue - Employee Monthly Magazine

LANL Star uses award as opportunity to mentor young staff members

Evgenya Smirnova of High Power Electrodynamics studies a photonic band gap traveling-wave tube structure. Photo by Dixon Wolf

For Evgenya Smirnova of High Power Electrodynamics, one of the most rewarding aspects of her work at the Laboratory is mentoring postdocs, and she draws upon her experience as a mentoree when relating to young researchers.

Smirnova came to Los Alamos five years ago as a graduate student in the former High Power Microwave, Advanced Accelerator, and Electrodynamic Applications group. Since then, she has made numerous contributions to the science world that culminated in her being named a LANL Star by the Women's Diversity Working Group.

Smirnova feels that winning the award will help enhance her mentorship role. "It's wonderful to be recognized and supported by the Laboratory," she said. "Being named a LANL Star offers me greater opportunities to do good science and serve as a mentor to younger people. I think that it is a very important part of my job to teach younger people how to do good science."

Smirnova's work plays a vital role in national security and entails developing new concepts for threat reduction applications. "I think all my projects are important," Smirnova said. "I am finding more and more real-life applications for the photonic band gap structures. These are new, artificially engineered materials made in the form of periodic structures— for example, a structure of dielectric rods. I have to admit that I did not trust in photonic band gap structures that much when I started at the Laboratory, but the help of my supervisors and the support of my peers in the group helped me realize the potential of my ideas."

Smirnova said she works with wonderful people in an exciting area of science. Collaborating with students and serving on new research teams every year keeps her on her toes, she said.

"I am a part of a very entrepreneurial group, and starting a new project every year that tests new concepts is so exciting," Smirnova said.

—Erika Martinez and Tatjana K. Rosev

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