play vital role in laser research Oct. 9, 2001 projects ranging
from bone surgery to protein identification, students play a
vital role in the life of Vanderbilt's Free-Electron Laser
Center. Undergraduates like Arman Hakimian get an invaluable
introduction to the world of research, while doctoral students
like Michelle Baltz-Knorr hone their research skills and
painstakingly construct the intellectual groundwork upon which
their future scientific careers will be based. ring, spiky hair,
trendy clothes…not exactly your typical nerd attire. Then again
twenty-year-old Arman Hakimian is not your typical science geek.
He is getting the sort of hands-on research experience about
which most nerds can only dream. summer Hakimian worked on bone
ablation with physics research associate Borslav Ivanov. The
research focuses on using the free-electron laser (FEL) to break
apart bone by dissociating its bonds. Not only does the FEL
allow a surgeon to cut with extreme precision, but it also is
ideal for the work because it