Home > News > PhDs Find ‘Hot Jobs’ in Cool Employment Climate
October 22nd, 2009
PhDs Find ‘Hot Jobs’ in Cool Employment Climate
They're known as "hot jobs" - islands of workforce growth upon an otherwise stingy job scene. Across a sampling of disciplines, Boston College PhDs are successfully launching their careers in these areas - both inside and outside of academe - despite a difficult employment climate.
Bed Poudel PhD '07 went from the lab of Physics Professor Zhifeng Ren to a start-up company commercializing nanotechnology devices based on the advanced thermoelectric materials first developed in Ren's lab.
"It is an exciting field and it is growing," said Poudel, the manager of thermoelectric research and development at GMZ Energy, based in Waltham, which uses nanotechnology to generate electrical power from the sun's heat producing green energy. "It is interesting work and I think it has a good future. When you accomplish something, you feel like you have done something to protect the environment."
Likewise, physicist Yang Wang PhD '06 is also working in nanotechnology at a company with roots in BC research: Solasta Corp., a Newton-based start-up using nanotechnology to improve the performance of solar energy collection.
Work in a start-up entails long hours, but Wang says he's in a perfect place: still firmly rooted in scientific research, but working to perfect an application that could ultimately changes the lives of people around the world.
"You've got to love what you do," said Wang, who spent two years as a post-doctoral fellow at MIT prior to joining Solasta. "The time you spend in the lab is an opportunity to learn as well as to achieve something nobody else has done before. I get a lot of motivation from that."
Nanotech Discoveries Move from Lab to Marketplace with Lintec Deal: Licensing Partnership Brings Together University Technology, New Richardson-Based Facility Directed by Alumni February 9th, 2015
Secretary Vilsack Announces Partnership to Advance Commercial Potential of Cellulosic Nanomaterial from Wood December 11th, 2013
Cutting Away at the NRC's Research Capability December 6th, 2013
Project aims to mass-produce 'nanopetals' for sensors, batteries October 22nd, 2013
NanoTecNexus Launches New App for Learning About Nanotechnology—STEM Education Project Spearheaded by Interns February 26th, 2015
SUNY Poly CNSE Researchers and Corporate Partners to Present Forty Papers at Globally Recognized Lithography Conference: SUNY Poly CNSE Research Group Awarded Both ‘Best Research Paper’ and ‘Best Research Poster’ at SPIE Advanced Lithography 2015 forum February 25th, 2015
KIT Increases Commitment in Asia: DAAD Funds Two New Projects: Strategic Partnerships with Chinese Universities and Communi-cation Technologies Network February 22nd, 2015
Minus K Technology Announces Its 2015 Vibration Isolator Educational Giveaway to U.S. Colleges and Universities February 18th, 2015
Pens filled with high-tech inks for do-it-yourself sensors March 3rd, 2015
Heightened Efficiency in Purification of Wastewater Using Nanomembranes March 3rd, 2015
Colon + septic tank = unique, at times stinky, study: Researchers use lab-scale human colon and septic tank to study impact of copper nanoparticles on the environment March 2nd, 2015
Simple, Cost-Efficient Method Used to Determine Toxicants Growing in Pistachio February 26th, 2015
UC research partnership explores how to best harness solar power March 2nd, 2015
New nanowire structure absorbs light efficiently: Dual-type nanowire arrays can be used in applications such as LEDs and solar cells February 25th, 2015
Learning by eye: Silicon micro-funnels increase the efficiency of solar cells February 25th, 2015
Magnetic nanoparticles enhance performance of solar cells X-ray study points the way to higher energy yields February 25th, 2015