杏吧原创

Cassia Fontes 鈥�22 says she gained more than just a great education at UMass Lowell.

鈥淐oming to UMass Lowell gave me five years of work experience,鈥� says the double River Hawk, who got a master's degree in聽radiological sciences and protection聽and a bachelor鈥檚 degree in radiological health physics.

As an incoming first-year student, Fontes applied for a work study job in UML鈥檚 Radiation Safety Office. She got hired as a radiation inspector before classes started.

鈥淚 just got out of high school, and it blew my mind that I got the job so quickly,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 felt really lucky.鈥�

Fontes underwent extensive radiation safety training. For the next five years, she helped ensure the safety of UML鈥檚 radiation labs and nuclear reactor by surveying radiation levels.

鈥淭here are limits and regulations that we need to follow,鈥� says the Tewksbury, Massachusetts, native.

The Health Physics Society recognized the diligent work of Fontes and the rest of the Radiation Safety Office with its first Outstanding Radiation Safety Program award in 2022. Fontes traveled to Spokane, Washington, with Steve Snay, UML鈥檚 director of radiation safety, to accept the award.

During Fontes鈥� time with the Radiation Safety Office, she collaborated with the Lowell Police Department to develop a program for first responders in the event of a nuclear reactor emergency. Fontes and members of the police force went to the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for training on nuclear threats and how to use personal radiation detectors.

鈥淚t was a really cool experience,鈥� Fontes says.

She also landed internships with Lahey Hospital and Medical Center鈥檚 Radiation Safety Department in Burlington, Massachusetts, and the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

鈥淲ithout a doubt, one of the main reasons I got those internships was because of my work with UML鈥檚 Radiation Safety Office,鈥� she says. 鈥淪teve Snay and Mark Tries (radiological sciences coordinator) also put in a good word for me. They always went out of their way to make sure I was successful.鈥�

Fontes decided to continue her education through UMass Lowell鈥檚 bachelor鈥檚-to-master鈥檚 program, which allowed her to earn a master鈥檚 degree in one year instead of the traditional two years.

鈥淎 master鈥檚 degree is a really good thing to have in the health physics field, and I鈥檓 getting the same education that I would have gotten in two years,鈥� she says.

Companies including the International Atomic Energy Association, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and TerraPower began recruiting Fontes before she even finished her master鈥檚 degree. She ultimately decided to work for TerraPower, a nuclear innovation company founded by Bill Gates.聽

鈥淚鈥檓 getting attention from all these companies because of the opportunities UMass Lowell gave me,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f I had gone anywhere else, I genuinely don鈥檛 think that I would be where I am today.鈥�