Georgetown College. Georgetown University.

The quantitative research skills he learned in Dr. Barbara's lab are helping Kyle Hatton in his current position working for AECOM International Development. (Courtesy Kyle Hatton)

By Megan Weintraub

It was Kyle Hatton’s dedication to the lightweight men’s crew team that first inspired him to find a summer job on campus after his freshman year. Hatton, a 2005 Georgetown College graduate, was looking for a way to spend the summer training with the team, so he asked around the Department of Physics to see if any job opportunities were available. That summer marked the beginning of his work with Dr. Paola Barbara, which ended up lasting nearly three years.

The research conducted by Dr. Barbara and Hatton has made a significant contribution to the exciting fields of superconductivity and nanotechnology. In Dr. Barbara’s lab, Hatton performed research on the creation of on-chip electrical junctions with carbon nanotubes, tiny molecules that can be used to generate energy in small electronics. She taught him a great deal about electronics design, fabrication, and testing techniques. Even though they had worked together just under a year, Dr. Barbara invited Hatton to present their research at the annual conference of the American Physical Society, a unique opportunity for an undergraduate student.

“The most exciting part about the work was the freedom she gave me to experiment with different methods and approaches to making these chips,” describes Hatton. “In working with Dr. Barbara for such a long time, I felt some ownership in the work, so even small intermediary successes were highly rewarding.”

Under her tutelage, Hatton learned how to assess problems, formulate potential remedies, and test solutions in a scientific, quantifiable way. This approach has served him well in the career he has held since graduation, working for AECOM International Development, where he has been given the opportunity to work in India, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Iraq, and Kuwait.

“My job focuses on the assessment and development of free trade zones and other industrial and commercial areas in foreign countries—particularly the Middle East,” Hatton explains.  “My current field tends to use qualitative approaches, so the more quantitative approach I learned from Dr. Barbara has given me an opportunity to look at problems in a different way.” 

While attending Georgetown, Hatton had many accomplishments both inside and outside of the lab. In addition to completing a double major in Physics and Government and graduating Cum Laude, he was also awarded the Georgetown Physics Department Research Award and the Georgetown Physics Department Distinction. He was a member of Sigma Xi, Pi Sigma Alpha, and served as President of the Society of Physics Students and the Georgetown University Rowing Association.

Hatton attributes much of his success to the experiences he gained while working with Dr. Barbara.

“My work with Dr. Barbara gave me the confidence and the tools to tackle problems in areas where there is very little existing knowledge base,” he explains.  “The patience and rigorous scientific method I learned in the lab have allowed me to work long hours in my career—even when deadlines are far away and distinctive progress is elusive.”

In the fall, Hatton is headed to law school, where he will continue to apply the academic rigor he learned during long hours in the lab.

“I think the most unique thing about working with Dr. Barbara is the remarkable sense of collegiality that exists in her lab,” explains Hatton.  “She took the time to teach me the tools needed to work in the lab, but after that, she trusted me to work there independently, which I really appreciated.”  

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