Skylar Danhoff is a first year graduate student pursing PhD studies in high-energy-density plasma physics who thrives with experimental, hands-on, trouble-shooting and instrumentation.
I grew up in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where my parents, grandparents, and family dog Olive still live. I’ve also got two older brothers. I generally liked science growing up, but high school physics at Central high was a pretty significant turning point. That was the most challenging class I had ever taken. It kind of blew me away that there was this whole other language that existed to describe how everything works, usually in ways exactly opposite to how I thought.
I went to undergrad at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland Ohio and kept studying physics, and that’s also where I found myself drawn to electrical engineering. A big turning point there was discovering amateur radio and getting to know the students and faculty involved with the Case Amateur Radio Club. I was also a resident assistant for three years for second and first year students, which really helped keep life in positive perspective. I explored a lot of different physics research through different groups during the summers and school years, from condensed matter, to optics, to space weather and radio physics. I was lucky to have a lot of fantastic mentors and experiences in the Case physics department, electrical engineering department, and residence life, as well as at Lehigh University and Colorado State University.
When I applied to grad schools, I specifically wanted to work with groups that worked on big, collaborative projects, and ideally on projects with some eventual likelihood of wearing a hard hat. Mostly I just didn’t want to work on entire projects alone on a single bench top. That’s how I stumbled on the high energy density physics group in the PSFC at MIT, and the diagnostic work they do in collaboration with National labs. I didn’t have any strong experience with HEDP or plasma, but I’m happy to say it’s a field that’s easy to get excited about and stay excited about. Everyday I’m exposed to something I never knew existed, or never realized I’d ever be involved in, and I’m lucky that the group of students and researchers I work with work hard at being collaborative and supportive.
Outside of the lab, I try to play ice hockey as regularly as I can, and I like to hang out with the folks in the MIT radio society. I like getting out to explore eastern Massachusetts and the Boston area when I can, and I hope that during the next several years I’ll learn how to sail, ocean fish, do a successful kickflip on a skateboard, hike around, and learn how to use (and then switch over) to Linux. Once my classes/exams calm down, I’d also like to get a lot more involved with outreach and mentorship.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA Aug. 2021 – Present
Course of study: physics graduate studies, plasma division
Research group: High-Energy-Density-Physics (HEDP), Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC)
Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, OH Aug. 2017 – May 2021
2nd place graduate poster presentation, OLUG 2022 Workshop April 2022
Case Western Reserve University Dean’s High Honor List Fall 2017 – May 2021
Elmer C. Stewart Memorial Award to an outstanding senior in Engineering Physics Spring 2021
1st place presentation, University of Arizona College of Optical Science Winter School & Workshop Spring 2021
National Residence Hall Association Regional October Resident Assistant of the Month Fall 2020
Richard F. Sigal Physics Award for Excellence in Studies and Intent to Pursue a Physics Career Spring 2020
David E. Scheule Award for an Outstanding Junior in Engineering Physics Spring 2020
Case Alumni Scholarship Recipient Spring 2019
David Knaus Memorial Scholarship Recipient Spring 2019
University Scholarship Recipient Spring 2017
Central High School Student of the Year Spring 2017
Central High School Physics Student of the Year Spring 2016
MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, High-Energy-Density-Physics group | Cambridge, MA. Aug. 2021 – Present
Graduate Student Research Assistant (Advisors: Dr. Chikang Li, Dr. Johan Frenje, Dr. Maria Gatu Johnson)
Thesis work: Investigating plasma flow and interface dynamics in Au-foam lined hohlraums by measuring self-emitted electric and magnetic fields using proton radiography (on-going)
Lab projects:
Image plate characterization and scanner calibration for quantitative image plate measurements (on-going)
Systematic studies of x-ray impact on wedge-range-filter response using image plates, x-ray sources, and the HEDP linear electrostatic ion accelerator (on-going)
Engineering Research Center For Extreme Ultraviolet Science And Technology | Fort Collins, CO. Jun. 2020 – Aug. 2020
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Intern (Advisor: Dr. Carmen Menoni)
Aligned thin film coatings in carrier frequency interferometry set-up and imaged interference patterns
Wrote MATLAB simulations and Fourier analysis code to visualize wavefront distortions and calculate thin film stress
Presented thin film stress data in a 10-minute talk during an oral symposium
Lehigh University Dept. of Physics | Bethlehem, PA. May 2019 – Jul. 2019
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Intern (Advisor: Dr. Ivan Biaggio)
Designed, constructed, and implemented a crystal mounting apparatus to apply 0.3-0.8 Tesla to crystal samples
Wrote a python script to characterize quantum beats in the delayed photoluminescence of rubrene
Presented photoluminescence and quantum beats data in an oral symposium 12-minute talk and created a poster
Case Western Reserve University Office of Residence Life | Cleveland, OH. Apr. 2018 – May 2021
Resident Assistant
Assessed and responded to the needs/interests of ~100 residents over three years to support student success
Advocated for social justice and diverse perspectives through active and passive programming
Upheld university policy and ensure safety and security of residents
Case Western Reserve University Dept. of Electrical Engineering | Cleveland, OH. Jan. 2021 – May 2021
Senior Engineering Capstone Project (Advisor: Dr. David Kazdan)
Assembled a 15’ tall dual dipole array and set up a Radio JOVE receiving station at the CWRU farm in a 3-person team
Collected Jovian radio signals using an RTL-SDR receiver coded in GNURadio on a Linux-running Raspberry Pi
Wrote a technical report detailing the basis for replacing the traditional Radio JOVE receiver with the RTL-SDR as a potential 3.4 to 9-fold cost improvement
Case Western Reserve University Dept. of Physics | Cleveland, OH. Aug. 2018 – Dec. 2019
Grader, Introductory Physics II, Modern Physics
Evaluated student homework sets with strict attention, consistency, and constructive feedback
Met deadlines and effectively communicated with primary instructor
Torrance Casting, Inc. | La Crosse, WI. May 2018 – Jul. 2018
Summer Manufacturing Agent
Operated hydraulic wedges for gating removal and grinded small casting flashing and tear-up
Conducted CNC mills and standard shop equipment to assist in pattern rigging
Gained exposure to foundry engineering software, including SolidWorks, Mastercam, and NovaFlow
Plasma Science and Fusion Center
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue, NW17
Cambridge, MA 02139
info@psfc.mit.edu
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