Jonathan Kessler of Evansville, Ill., will graduate with bachelor’s degrees in physics, mathematics, and engineering physics.

He is interning with the Department of Plasmas and Astrophysics at Princeton University in Princeton, N.J.  Jonathan spent a week at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab (PPPL) in Princeton, N.J.  After a one-week course, Jonathan and his fellow interns were sent to different research locations, with Jonathan going to General Atomics, a company in the Sorrento Valley north of San Diego.  He will study fusion science. 

“I have always been interested in being part of the bigger picture,” he says. “I wanted to be part of some type of large-scale solution at the cutting edge of science and technology, and I have always been a strong advocate of global climate change prevention.”

Jonathan says that fusion power could fuel the entire world for millennia without any environmental or proliferation hazards.

After he graduates from Southeast, he hopes to attend a university that has a top plasma physics graduate program. 

For now, Jonathan is enjoying his time in San Diego and he plans on visiting its attractions.

While he is in Cape Girardeau, Jonathan enjoys playing pool and darts, Student Government debates and “giving Dr. Margaret Hill a hard time.” 

Jonathan says he has had many experiences at Southeast that have helped him to succeed.

“Class work is always helpful, but time spent in labs, talking to professors one on one, having ample opportunities to get involved on or off campus, and having the possibility to go even higher, can never be overrated,” he says.

Jonathan has advice for future Southeast students: “The opportunities for success are everywhere, especially at Southeast!  There are so many chances for involvement that there shouldn’t be a single student left to his/her own devices.  Apply, petition, enroll…Do what interests you, and you’ll benefit from it.”

Photo of Jonathan Kessler at General Atomics.