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Electrical engineering graduate student balances research and service activities

Electrical engineering graduate student Kenny Morgan outside of a passageway in the foundation of Blarney Castle, just outside of Cork, Ireland. Credit: Provided by Kenny MorganAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Kenny Morgan was finishing an internship at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC when Douglas Werner, John L. and Genevieve H. McCain Chair Professor of Electrical Engineering, invited him to Penn State. “Dr. Werner’s work sounded interesting, so I was excited for an opportunity to continue my education at Penn State.”

Morgan, who earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland, designed antenna systems for naval platforms at the Naval Research Laboratory. Most of his efforts at Penn State are similar government projects funded by the Department of Defense.

Though he can’t share a lot of specifics, Morgan explains that his work does focus on building antennas. “Our team recently went to the former Naval Center in Warminster, Pennsylvania, to test them. The base has a large anechoic facility that enables us to perform measurements and evaluate our designs.”

In his short time at the University, the Leonardtown, Maryland, native has managed to find a good balance between his research and extracurricular activities.

A member of the Engineering Graduate Student Council, Morgan has spent the past two semesters organizing a soup kitchen at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in State College. “It’s an inspiring initiative. I see people come in who otherwise couldn’t afford a meal, and I see how much they appreciate what we do.”

Morgan said he helps serve, cook, clean up and “whatever else they need me to do.”

He is also a member of the Electrical Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Committee, coordinating visits for prospective electrical engineering students and, during their visit, taking them on tours of the University Park campus. “It’s so much fun to show them all Penn State has to offer.”

Morgan also has taken advantage of various opportunities away from campus.

Last summer, he presented his research, “Quasi-Conformal Transformation Optics Techniques for Graphene-Based Integrated Photonic Components,” at an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers conference in Aruba. Meanwhile, Morgan had also been invited to present the same paper in Memphis. He laughed, “Needless to say, I picked Aruba. Someone else presented on my behalf in Memphis.”

This May, Morgan will graduate with his master’s degree. He looks back on the past two years and realizes he has a lot to take away.

“When I got here I was kind of thrown into the fire. That gave me the confidence I needed to take on challenges and solve problems.”

He added that hitting the ground running also helped him with his interviewing and networking skills. “I gained the confidence to interact with project sponsors and contacts in the defense industry.”

Morgan plans to spend some time traveling before joining the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in the missile defense sector.

He has been assigned to a radar group, providing support to the Navy on systems to help prevent attacks on naval vessels. “Specifically I will analyze radars and suggest improvements, and ensure the Navy gets the best product for their money.”

Morgan said he looks forward to the opportunities to advance his career at Johns Hopkins APL. “There is so much to do there as an engineer and so many opportunities to move into other areas.”

If he ever yearns for a career change, Morgan knows his knowledge and experience are valuable. “Electrical engineers are everywhere. I got a very broad education at Penn State. Even my focus – electromagnetics – can take me any direction I want to go.”

Last Updated March 31, 2015

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