Student Spotlight: Christian Sorensen
Christian Sorensen, a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, is our newest participant in the ALERT DHS HS-STEM (Homeland Security Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Science and Engineering Workforce Development Program (SEWDP). Christian began his graduate program at Purdue this fall, and is working with ALERT researcher, Prof. Steven Son. His research project is focused on how to better predict the threat of characterized ammonium nitrate-based homemade explosives. When asked what he is most passionate about when it comes to his research, he stated, “I’m interested in the aspects that lead to tools or procedures for public safety, while also gaining the knowledge base necessary to study future threats and provide expert technical knowledge about current explosive hazards.”
Christian’s involvement in Homeland Security began when he served as a Team Leader of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) in the U.S. Air Force, where he gained first-hand experience of explosives threats. After leaving active military duty, he then went on to attend the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMT), to obtain a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with the Highest Honors in 2015. After graduating, Christian worked as a post-baccalaureate research assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), where he eventually taught military EOD technicians various explosives detection techniques through LANL’s Advanced Home Made Explosives course.
Of his experience working with Christian so far, Prof. Son expressed that, “Typically graduate students that join my group have very little experience with explosives. However, Christian comes to our group with many years of experience in the Air Force, as well as a year of research experience at Los Alamos National Laboratory. His experience is proving to be to be a great benefit to our group. For example, he did a demonstration for my energetic materials combustion class based on what he learned at Los Alamos teaching first responders. We expect great things from Christian and very much appreciate his ALERT support.”
As for his future plans to work within the Department of Homeland Security enterprise, he would like to return to LANL to work on high explosive science with an emphasis on better understanding ‘non-standard’ explosives (i.e. those not used by the military or in the commercial sector), and says he would also like to reprise his teaching role for military EOD technicians.
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