Hi Trishna, tell us a little about yourself and what brought you to CERN?

I’m an Electronics Engineer who started as a technical student at CERN in 2018.  I hail from India and moved to Sweden in 2016 for my masters in Electronic System Design.  I had first heard about CERN when I was in high school, the newspapers were full of articles about the inauguration of this massive machine, called LHC, that could discover the mysteries of universe. Taking a cursory glance at all the physics jargon thrown at me, not once did I ever imagine that I would be at this organization 10 years later designing electronics for this very machine. 

I remember reading articles about CERN during my undergrad days and being in awe of the research done here. Though I wished to be a part of such scientific group, I had never considered myself qualified enough until my masters when I decided to give it a shot. I applied for the summer student programme but didn’t make the cut. I was disappointed but determined to try again I drafted an application for the technical student programme that very day. Turns out, the second time was a charm and I was offered a project to design digital integrator for magnetic measurements. It was the perfect project for my master thesis that combined analog and digital electronics and a great opportunity to work at the forefront of scientific research. Over the moon is an understatement for what I felt the day I received the acceptance mail!

Now a year later, after my stint as a technical student I’ve started as a Fellow at the Electrical Power Converters Group where I work as a Digital Design engineer.

What do you do at CERN today?

I work in the Converter Controls Electronics section where I design programmable logic for the development and verification of Function Generator / Controller (FGC). FGC is an embedded computer that controls the power converters in the LHC. It is responsible for current regulation, diagnostics and monitoring of the power converter state.

What is working at CERN like for you?

Intellectually stimulating. I’m constantly in awe of the work done here, working amidst experts with stellar technical calibre is such an enriching experience. To know that I’m contributing in pushing the boundaries of Science at CERN, is not only rewarding but also very humbling.

The technical seminars and the training programmes give me ample opportunities to keep myself abreast of the technological developments. And the diverse culture here makes the place so much more fun. I get to learn about different countries and their cultures even before I have visited the places.  Every coffee breaks I learn something about the language, food, history, politics etc of different countries  from my Italian, French, Polish, British, Greek, Spanish, Scandinavian friends. I learn something new everyday here. It’s a great place for personal and professional development and I’m excited to be a part of this global community. 

Working at CERN has been a dream come true, the reality of which has better than the dream itself.

What advice would you give potential applicants?

CERN has opportunities in varied fields ranging from Law to Physics. It takes all kinds to make the world, they say. The same holds true for CERN. So, take part!