Name:            Mayling
Job Title:       Mechanical Engineer
Department:  Technical Division – SRF Development
Service:         9 years
Education:     Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from University of Illinois

What are the best reasons to work at Fermilab?
There are many great reasons to work at Fermilab.  The best reason is the nature of the technical challenges, both on a personal level and on an organizational level.  We're in the "business" of expanding human knowledge of science, so the work is on the cutting edge.  I'm currently involved in the International Linear Collider (ILC) as one of many, many engineers.  The team with which I work is designing the facility that will test superconducting radio frequency (RF) cavities that will be used in the accelerator of the ILC.  Fermilab is in the midst of adding the capability to process, test, and assemble components of the cryomodules.  The RF cavity is a major component of the cryomodule.  To ensure that the processing of the cavities are consistent, testing of the cavities is required.  In order to make the cavities superconducting in nature, they sit within a liquid helium bath, which has a temperature of 2 degrees K.  So the test facility must re-create this unique environment.  These are new facilities, so from an organizational level, it's an exciting and challenging time.  From a personal level, there is a learning curve involved so that I become familiar with what it takes to build and run a cryogenic system that will bring liquid helium to the cavity.  So for me personally, this is also an exciting and challenging time.

What has been your most fun experience at Fermilab?
What do you like best about your job?
The most fun part of working at Fermilab is also the best part of my job.  The nature of my work results in each day being different.  As a project progresses, or as I learn new technical areas within engineering, each day brings new challenges and rewards.  One day I may focus on writing the engineering note for a new cryostat, the next day I may create a three-dimensional model and associated drawings of a spool assembly needed for commissioning a new cryogenic system, and the next day I may spend most of my time answering questions that a vendor has with regards to a vessel that is currently being built.  For each of these tasks, it's likely that I learn something new, such as a better understanding of the specific heat loads to the RF cavity, a new technique in I-DEAS (the CAD software which we use), or what takes place at a machine shop.  The dynamic nature of my job is what keeps me coming to work with enthusiasm each day.

When you came to Fermilab, did you anticipate having the level of responsibility you currently have?
As an Engineer II, I make many decisions in an independent manner.  Of course, communication is essential to keep the team informed on the progress of the project.  But I'm given the responsibility to make many technical decisions in an independent manner.  I enjoy working in a place and at a job that gives me this type of freedom.

What do you see as the greatest opportunity at Fermilab?
I've had the chance to learn new areas of engineering during my time at Fermilab.  When I started out at Fermilab, my area of expertise was strength of materials and mechanical design.  My projects required that I learn new areas, including vacuum system design, gas and fluid flow design, process control systems, and cryogenic engineering.  It's a great opportunity to complete a project while at the same time learning a new area of engineering.

What is the most important thing that keeps you working at Fermilab?
The people!  As fun as my job is from a technical standpoint, the people I work with make the job easier and more rewarding.  I've worked with so many people in different job types:  engineers, designers, scientists, technicians, project managers.  Everyone is working hard, but time and again, people are willing to drop what they are doing to help each other out.  Work in high-energy physics is collaborative in nature, so team-work is second nature to us.  Since the collaborations often take place across the globe, I've worked with people from all over the world.  It's a great opportunity and a lot of fun to work and get to know people doing different jobs and coming from different countries.