A native of Jackson, Mo., Robert Cawthorn is keeping busy this summer with an internship in the Department of Physics and Engineering Physics at Southeast, where he is working to create a superconductor. A superconductor is a material that, when at the correct temperature, will create zero electrical resistance.
“To do this, I have programmed my own oven control, and am working to get an oven to do what I need it to do to bake a carefully prepared sample until it becomes superconducting,” Robert says.
While this might sound complex, hard work is nothing new for Robert. He is currently triple majoring in physics, engineering physics and applied math. Robert says taking General Physics I was a major highlight and challenge of his time at Southeast. However, his hard work paid off after when he was awarded an A in the class.
“This, I think, is the single reason I am still pursuing a physics major, even though it is arguably one of the harder paths for me to have taken,” he says.
While pursuing his degrees, Robert has learned the art of studying.
“At Southeast, particularly in a few of the classes I have taken, there has been a great need for extra work outside of the assignments given,” Robert says.
In the future, the study skills he has learned at Southeast will pay off when he goes to graduate school in the field of computational physics, astrophysics or material sciences.
When Robert isn’t busy with school work, he enjoys going to the movies with his girlfriend. He is also a former member of the Golden Eagles Marching Band, which he enjoyed tremendously.
Robert recommends that students at Southeast work hard for their grades.
“Don’t expect the grades to just fall into place. Fight for them,” he says.