Eliason to Study Chemistry at MIT

Jun 08, 2010

Concordia graduate Jeff Eliason '10 will be continuing his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There, he will study to obtain a doctorate in chemistry, focusing on work using ultra-fast laser spectroscopy (UFLS).

UFLS, which is the study of molecules after they are excited by laser pulses, was something Eliason was introduced to at Concordia. He pursued a summer research project with chemistry associate professor Dr. Darin Ulness, in which he used the technique to investigate problems in chemical solutions.

Ulness says this research opportunity prepared Eliason for the challenges he will face at MIT, adding that research develops skills that the classroom cannot.

"We're working on problems that really have no solution," Ulness says. "It's such a different mindset that you have to have."

Eliason said he could not have been happier with the opportunity, adding that Concordia provided him with a solid understanding of the chemical world.

"The same skills you develop working in the laser lab at Concordia translate directly to the skills you would be using in graduate school," he said. "I was able to get a sense of what it would be like coming from Concordia and moving into the big chemical arena at MIT."

And as Eliason enters MIT, Concordia alumnus Daniel Turner, who also studied ultra-fast laser spectroscopy with Ulness, is graduating from the prestigious graduate school.

"These are special moments as a professor," Ulness says. "To see them go on to a place like MIT is a really satisfying experience."
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Eliason to study chemistry at MIT

Concordia graduate Jeff Eliason '10 will be continuing his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There, he will study to obtain a doctorate in chemistry, focusing on work using ultra-fast laser spectroscopy (UFLS).

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