Paul Scaletta, MS 2013

As an undergraduate student, Paul had had the opportunity to perform research on various thin film materials. He found this to be interesting work to me, and he soon discovered that there are many industrial applications for a variety of thin films. It seemed a like a great career path to follow, but he thought he needed further experience in the field first.

After looking into the Minnesota State University, Mankato program, Paul was really impressed by the diversity of research interests and disciplines of the faculty. Specifically, he was really drawn to the thin film solar cell research background of Dr. Hai-Shang Wu and his active fabrication and characterization lab. The department’s connections to research facilities at near-by Iowa State University and University of Minnesota was really intriguing. For these reasons, Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Physics program was an obvious choice for him.

Saying of the program itself, "I really enjoyed about my experience at Minnesota State University, Mankato was the interactions and relationships I had with my professors and fellow students. The faculty was extremely sharp and demanding, but they were student-focused. They wanted all of their students to succeed and continuously went the extra mile to bring out the best in us. My fellow graduate students were also amazing people. The Physics Department fostered a really close knit environment where we all were invested in each others success.

Of the skills he learned at Minnesota State University, Paul says "It is not hyperbole to say that most everything I did at Minnesota State University, Mankato contributed to my career today. In my course work, I was constantly pushed in complex problem solving. The skills acquired on how to approach and ultimately solve complex problems can be deployed in any line of work. My teaching experience gave me a great outlet to work on person to person communication and presentation skills. I gained and sharpen the lifelong valuable skill of presenting to large groups of people and also teaching them individually. When I have to give presentations or manage interpersonal relationships in my career today, I use many of these same skills. The last experience I will touch on would be my research experience. By building and characterizing vacuum deposited thin films in Dr. Wu’s lab at Minnesota State University, I was able to gain invaluable experience and skills that are directly transferable to my day-to-day work in thin film manufacturing. I am confident I would not be in the career I am in today without the opportunities provided to me by the Minnesota State University, Mankato Physics program."