Alumni Spotlight – Andrew Zeidell
Dr. Andrew Zeidell graduated from the Wake Forest Physics PhD Program in 2020 and is now an AAAS Science and Technology Policy fellow with the National Science Foundation. In the following interview with Professor Fred Salsbury he shares the story of his career path and reflects upon his experiences as a graduate student at Wake Forest.
Prof. Salsbury: What are you doing now career-wise?
Dr. Zeidell: This fall, I will start working at the National Science Foundation as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy fellow. This opportunity will allow me to interact with the presidentially appointed National Science Board members on issues concerning the future of fundamental research in the U.S. science and engineering enterprise. Before this, I served as the assistant director of Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics and astronomy honor society at the American Institute of Physics, managing educational outreach programs and professional development initiatives, as well as serving as the managing editor for Radiations.
Prof. Salsbury: What did you do right out of Wake Forest?
Dr. Zeidell: I graduated during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, in June 2020, which put a damper on my goal of going into a postdoc doing experimental work. Instead, I took up a postdoc with the National Strategic Research institute to work at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, where I contributed technical expertise and program management support in nuclear threat detection and counter nuclear threat networks. This led to a role as a contractor in the same agency, where I worked managing the basic research program with a program manager, before moving to my position at the American Institute of Physics.
Prof. Salsbury: How did Wake Forest Physics help you get where you are today?
Dr. Zeidell: Wake Forest was pivotal in my career journey – not only did I receive top-notch training as a physicist, I also had the opportunity to work with a group of faculty, peers, and students that encouraged community and professionalism. I was able to build a sense of belonging, and a ‘physics identity’ that allowed me to enter the professional world confidently. My advisor, Oana Jurchescu, has continued to offer advice when needed, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without her solid support. She treated me and her other graduate students as humans first, and made sure we were able to succeed by caring about each of us as a whole person. Her training in terms of experimental design, professionalism, and presentation, have been invaluable tools in my success.
Prof. Salsbury: Do you have an anecdote you would care to share either from your time at Wake Forest physics or from afterward relevant to Wake Physics?
Dr. Zeidell: My anecdote comes from before I was officially a student. My last summer as an undergraduate, I secured some funding to do an REU with Oana’s group. From the beginning, I felt like the community in the physics department was really a place where I could belong. The graduate students in the lab were welcoming, and we would get together once a week after work to throw a frisbee around the field in front of the physics building. Throughout my career at Wake Forest, from studying together with my peers for the qualifying exams, to cheering on our students at a Wake Soccer game, community has mixed with scholarship seamlessly, and it is the school I consider my home.
Prof. Salsbury: Is there anything you would like to share with prospective or current students?
Dr. Zeidell: The Wake Forest physics department is a place where you can truly build your future. The department is diverse and welcoming, and they are happy to help you succeed all along the way. The resources they provide can help you build the career you want and the training they offer in both coursework and in research helps build a foundation for success.