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Mark Taczak |
Up-and-Coming Engineer Discovers It's a Small
World at MITRE
Mark Taczak
February 2008
As soon as Mark Taczak graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School
for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., he did two things:
he prepared to enroll at Virginia Tech, and he began working at
MITRE—the day after graduation.
"In the summer of 2000, when I was 17, I came to MITRE in McLean,
Va., thanks to the Nanosystems Group's student program," he says.
Fortunately for Taczak and many other budding engineers and scientists
over the past 15 years, MITRE's Nanosystems Group welcomes the participation
of young, exceptionally talented high school, undergraduate, and
graduate students in its futuristic, innovative research efforts.
"Student employees collaborate closely with senior staff, and their
joint efforts have contributed materially to the success of U.S.
efforts in nanotechnology," explains Dr. James Ellenbogen, who leads
the group. "This mentorship program has made a contribution toward
the education of the next-generation of highly skilled scientists
and engineers in the U.S."
Nanotechnology is defined as engineering on an almost incomprehensively
small level; that is, using molecular-scale structures as the components
of future systems that are designed and integrated on that same
scale. Taczak's early entry into the professional arena placed him
squarely within this new field of engineering the very small, which
was exactly what he was hoping for. One of his earliest assignments—while
he was working summers and still an undergraduate at Virginia Tech—was
the design and fabrication of a cutting-edge millimeter-scale robot.
"The challenges presented to students in the program aren't just
tasks to fill a summer," Taczak points out. "They're technically
challenging in their own right and make an impact in the Group's
broader work program." Another tangible benefit is the opportunity
to network throughout the corporation and mine the depth of expertise
in residence. "I've been better able to establish professional relationships
within other organizations at MITRE and consult with them on our
own work," he says.
Continuing at MITRE each summer and winter break during his college
years, Taczak was able to integrate what he learned from the academic
training in his materials engineering major into his on-the-job
work in nanotechnology. "Both areas are quite interdisciplinary,
and my major helped set the stage for the broadly based technical
work I now perform," he says. "Perhaps the best aspects of the experience
were the opportunities I was given not only to pursue research topics
that I found interesting and enjoyable, but also those that I otherwise
might not have encountered on my own."
Coming Aboard
Taczak was hired as a full-time MITRE employee in the spring of
2004, shortly after graduating from college. As a senior multidisciplinary
systems engineer, he currently participates in several innovative
projects for MITRE clients.
Taczak also compiles a weekly newsletter covering the most important
nanotech developments from both the technical and government application
perspectives. "Mark's news synopsis is read by the government sponsor
as well as policymakers, researchers, and analysts," Ellenbogen
notes.
While Taczak is a hard-working member of MITRE's nanotechnology
staff, he also takes part in other activities at the corporation.
He meets fellow engineers through MITRE's Ultimate Frisbee team
and has twice joined other colleagues in completing the Arlington,
Va., 9/11 Memorial 5K race around the Pentagon to raise money for
9/11-related charities. Outside of work, he recently finished a
certificate program in nanotechnology at George Mason University.
His participation in the program was supported by MITRE's Basic
Educational Assistance Program (BEAP), a core employee benefit that
supports a planned academic objective in line with MITRE's work
needs.
He also finds time to collect wine, and port in particular. "There
is just so much to learn about wine—there is such variety
and history in regards to port, and the chance to learn just draws
me in," he says. The aficionado adds, "Port is similar to champagne
in a lot of ways. Like champagne, port is often imitated, but true
port comes from Portugal. Anything else is technically port-style
wine."
Taczak also has an interest in photography, which grew out of his
leisure pursuit of travel. As his appreciation for discovering new
places grew, he realized that photography offers an ideal means
of capturing the natural beauty of a location. During February 2008,
MITRE's Corporate Arts Program hosted an exhibit of his photographs
at the company's McLean campus—the first public showing of
his work.
Now that Taczak has been a full-time staffer for several years,
the veteran of the MITRE Nanosystems Group's student program offers
sound advice for budding nanotechnologists considering participation.
"Working at MITRE offers technically interesting and challenging
experiences, and the program is a great way to find your particular
niche in nanotechnology," he says. "There is almost no better way
to become engaged in the field and to be able to focus closely on
an area you truly find interesting."
—by Cheryl Scaparrotta
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