Laura Pashley

in Real Stories

Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you do now?

I grew up in southwest Virginia, just a short drive away from one of the top engineering colleges in the U.S., Virginia Polytechnic Institute. I like to thank this proximity and the efforts of my incredible high school teachers helped foster my love for science. I went on to study Applied Physics at West Virginia Wesleyan College and received my B.S. in 2019. I spent the next 5 years at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where I received my M.S. in Applied Physics and finally by Ph.D. in Optical Science and Engineering in 2024. During my time at UNCC I designed, fabricated, and characterized methods of light manipulation using novel wavelength and sub-wavelength scale structured surfaces. For the final 2 years of my Ph.D. I was funded by the DoD SMART scholarship-for-work program. In fulfilment of my commitment to this program, I joined the metrology R&D branch at a naval base in California, NSWC Corona, as an optical scientist following graduation. As a member of this group, I both collaborate on and lead projects with the ultimate goal of developing new technology to expand the measurement capabilities of our naval systems.

What do you most enjoy about your current position?

Even though I have only been in my current position for just over 9 months, I have been given ample opportunity to tailor my work to my research interests. I appreciate most that my leadership encourages my independence as a scientist and provides me with avenues to propose new ideas and acquire funding to conduct the work I'm passionate about.

Did you have a favorite mentor and how did they inspire you? 

I am blessed to have had many incredible mentors. Each playing a critical role in how I arrived where I am today. I would say one of the two most influential mentors for my academic growth would be my WVWC physics professor, Dr. Joseph Wiest, who saw my skill and excitement in his Light and Atomics course and offered me a chance to conduct research with him. This opportunity set in motion my love for applied research in the field of optics. The second would be my Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Tino Hofmann, who always knew just when to step in and lift me up and when to step back and let me grow. What inspired me most about Dr. Hofmann is how he made me feel that nothing was out of my reach. He made research a creative rewarding experience, that I now set as a standard as I lead my own projects.

What is one piece of advice you wish you had received when you were just starting out?

First understand you are going to make mistakes, paths you envisioned taking may be closed off. Don't let this bring you down, new paths are constantly opening throughout life be ready to change directions. Second, I would have liked to tell myself that nothing is "too complicated" for me to understand. When you are starting out, the complexity of science can feel overwhelming and out of reach. You will look at your teachers and professors and think "I could never have knowledge like them." You will find that with time, dedication, and most importantly interest you will expand your knowledge beyond what you thought possible.

Prev