In the framework of the MIT-Russia program students of the Massachusetts Institute of technology (MIT) are trained in various educational and commercial organizations of Russia, including MEPhI.

A 3rd year student of the faculty “Electrical Engineering & Computer Science” MIT Leah Goggin is undergoing an internship at the Laboratory of Laser Diagnostics, Institute for Laser and Plasma Technologies (LAPLAS).

Under the guidance of the LAPLAS head Professor A.P. Kuznetsov and Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences K.L. Gubskiy she develops software for the analysis of experimental results in studies of powerful shock waves generated by the laser pulse.

Leah agreed to answer several our questions:

- Could you speak more specifically about what you are doing here?

- I’m working in the Laser Physics lab, but I’m actually computer science major and what I’m doing there is connected with software.

- Are there some specific results at the moment?

- Well, right now there are sort of 2 parts of what I’m doing. First, I’m writing a code, that’s analyzing these images that the interferometer produces. I’m hoping that what I’m doing now, would help others, not like I was only just looking at my screen [smiling]. And the second, I’m building a GUE – graphical user interface, around the more mathematical part. That’s been very fun, I’ve never done that before. That part’s working reasonably well. Unfortunately, the results are not final now, but there is still time.

- What do you hope to achieve by the end of your program?

- It would be great to make a working program. It’s not total nonsense; it works sometimes, just only sometimes. It’s such a shame to have 2000 lines of code, that are not totally useless, but are not reliable enough to really serve their purpose, so I’m working on it.

- How did you learn about the program?

- I’m here at an MIT program, which is a general study-abroad. I’m at MEPhI specifically because MIT’s sent there students before. Some Professors at MIT know people in MEPhI. There actually were students from our Nuclear science Department, which would make more sense for them to be here. I was a Nuclear science major for like one semester, so I knew our Nuclear science Professors.

- Was it your choice to go to Russia?

- Well, Russia because I’ve studied Russian since January. It’s not very good but I can order a coffee in Russian or have a short conversation. I’m interested in nuclear fusion, things like that, so that’s what brought me in this lab.

- What’s your impression of Russia in general and MEPhI?

- I had a tour to the neutrino detector facility, that was really cool, very hardcore, very impressive-looking. As for the academic life, I think over the summer there are not many students around. At first I had 6 weeks of Russian lessons and I was introduced to your Professors and some Turkish students. I don’t think I’ve got to know many Russian students very well, cause, I guess, my Russian is not very good.

Russia in general... It’s hard to say. I keep feeling like I understand what’s going on, but then I think I don’t. The bread is very good in Russia, I’m enjoying that. The public transit is very good, the metro stations are so beautiful. It just keeps striking me – like in Boston if you’re coming down the stairs and the train is leaving, it’s heart-breaking, because the next will come in 15 minutes, whereas here, if you miss it, the next one will be there in 30 seconds. People there dress a lot more nicely. That’s pretty much what I wear every day [pointing at T-shirt], so I feel there a bit underdressed.

- If it’s possible, could you make the comparison of MIT and MEPhI?

- I feel like I don’t know MEPhI very well. I know just from what I’ve heard, that curriculum here seems to be a lot more structured. Like to get a degree in MIT there is a checklist but there is a lot more flexibility like out of 3 classes you have to take one, but you can take them whenever you want whereas there, as I understand there is like “this semester you take this, and the other semester you take this”.

- Do you live in the dormitory?

- Yes, that’s this nice building where foreign students are usually put. My dormitory here is definitely more modern. The one that I live in MIT was built in 1929, and having my own kitchen and bathroom is great. In MIT there is one hall for 30-40 people, one kitchen, few bathrooms, you fight for the stove [smiling].