Central Florida native John Bittman has had an unconventional journey to the 麻豆原创 and now the trip has just taken an unexpected turn.
Just months before completing 麻豆原创鈥檚 Nanotechnology Professional Science Master鈥檚 degree program, and what Bittman had hoped would be the final planning for a business launch, the federal government has selected Bittman for a prestigious program that will guarantee him a mid-level federal job for the next two years.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe it,鈥� he said about his selection. 鈥淚 was looking for work in the future. I almost missed the deadline and now I鈥檓 getting ready to find out where I鈥檒l be placed come the summer.鈥�
More than 6,000 students applied for the Presidential Management Fellowship operated by the. About 400 were selected based on their education level, experience, testing and essay submission. Only six people were selected from Florida and Bittman is the only one from 麻豆原创.
The fellows will get to apply for federal positions that take advantage of their expertise whether it be biomedical science and nanotechnology 鈥� like Bittman鈥檚 鈥� or human rights, cultural affairs or economics. Fellows will be in placed in agencies such as the FBI, NASA, Centers for Disease Control, FDA, NOAA, FEMA, U.S. Secret Service, NSF and countless others based in Washington, D.C., and across the nation.
Bittman said the educational experience he鈥檚 had from his days in the Army to Valencia College to 麻豆原创 has been invaluable in preparing him for this opportunity.
The Lake Mary High School graduate enlisted and spent four years in the Army serving in the airborne infantry, which included a deployment to Iraq.
During that time, he kept thinking about going back to school. So, he took online courses while in the service. When he left the service in 2013, he finished his AA degree at Valencia in one semester and used DirectConnect to 麻豆原创 to transfer to the university. He completed his Bachelor of Science in interdisciplinary studies with a focus on biomedical studies and entrepreneurship. Then he applied to the nanotechnology program.
The program, although only three years, old has a 100 percent success rate. All of those who have completed the program have landed internships and jobs in industry, including Ocean Optics in Winter Park, GeNO LLC in Cocoa, Akron Biotech in Boca Raton, and Accenture in Austin, Texas, among other companies.
鈥淣anotechnology is an exciting, emerging field that takes quite a bit of specialization,鈥� said Qun Huo, the master鈥檚 program coordinator. 鈥淲e have outstanding faculty and a NanoScience Technology Center, which gives our students a unique opportunity to learn by doing with leaders in the field and in partnership with industry.鈥�
That鈥檚 been true for Bittman. He鈥檚 been working in Associate Professor Swadeshmukul Santra鈥檚 lab developing new materials at the nano/microscale level that may aid in eradicating agricultural diseases that destroy crops. The team also looks for ways these materials could apply to the field of medicine.
鈥淚鈥檝e gotten a first-hand look at how 麻豆原创 is trying to fix a big problem in our state,鈥� said the 31-year-old. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing opportunity. I have always been interested doing some kind of business in the biomedical field. ut I鈥檝e kind of had an untraditional path, so it鈥檚 taking me a little while. But you have to go with opportunities when they happen.鈥�
For now, Bittman is working on completing his program and doing some research about the many federal agencies he would like to work for this summer.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty exciting,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 part of a plan and totally unexpected. I鈥檓 not sure where I鈥檒l be after I graduate in the summer. But I鈥檓 eager for the next adventure.鈥�