Matthew Harrison '20 made his first trip to the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia as a freshman and novice astronomer; he'll be returning as a software engineer.
When Harrison (above, second from right) joined a team from Siena at the West Virginia observatory three years ago, it was a special opportunity for undergraduates to conduct radio astronomy research at the world's largest steerable radio telescope. Turns out, it was also a reconnaissance mission for a future job... three years before the job became available.
As a freshman, Harrison was introduced to the Undergraduate ALFALFA Team (UAT), a group that includes students and faculty from 20 different colleges. A small group of Saints, including Harrison and led by Rose Finn, Ph.D., professor of physics, participated in a week-long workshop at the observatory and researched a project that led to a presentation at the American Astronomical Society.
Harrison was fascinated by the observatory and its telescope and the data produced for astronomers and researchers. He began working on Siena’s Viper Telescope, which has been located on campus near the Morrell Science Center since 2014. Harrison’s new-found interest in astronomical information systems ultimately led to a switch in majors, from physics to computer science.
Recently, when Harrison began the job search, he stumbled across a listing at the Green Bank Observatory. His week-long experience at the observatory three years ago, gave him an enormous advantage on the competition. His familiarity is part of the reason he was hired. Of course, the larger reason involves his proficiency for signal processing and software engineering and his evident passion for all things radio astronomy (a passion that is taking him full circle).
“Siena gave me a breadth of experience through my work in physics, computer science, computer engineering, and software engineering, and this unique combination of skills was the ideal preparation for the job. The research we did in radio astronomy and the trip to the Observatory had a big impact on my education, and I'm so glad I get to go back and start a career there!"
Matthew Harrison '20
"Matt worked with me the summer after his freshman year, and I was struck by his ability to dive deeply into new material and to understand the scientific motivation for what we are doing. It's common for new students to focus on the details of data analysis while losing sight of the big picture - Matt didn't do this. He attended a workshop at the Green Bank Observatory with myself and two other students, and Matt loved learning about the science and how the telescopes work. He even asked a question during a seminar that we attended, which is something I have never seen an undergraduate student do!"
Rose Finn, Ph.D., professor of physics
