PhD in Accelerator Physics
Dr. Morgan Dehnel obtained his PhD at TRIUMF/UBC in Accelerator Physics in 1995. He has contributed to the ion source and accelerator field both through founding a company called D-Pace, Inc. in 1995, and now through his Selkirk Ion Source Research Chair role at the Selkirk Ion-source Research Centre (SIRC).
Dr. Dehnel has always advanced research, development and commercialization of particle accelerator technologies such as ion sources, beam diagnostic devices and beam handling equipment. Since expertise for such activities was scarce, a process was developed to grow talent in the form of graduate student and vocational intern projects aimed at shedding light on publishable discovery science questions, which also had potential commercial applications. In this way, students were trained. And then these students became key employees or post-doctoral fellows. Certain measurements and developments were indeed commercially viable, and others were not. Nevertheless, he and D-Pace were always proud to advance science knowledge and the training of people regardless of whether a commercial outcome occurred or not.
Dr. Dehnel now continues to utilize this tried-and-true technique for the broader benefit of Canadian society in the public/private collaboration, which is the Selkirk Ion-source Research Centre (SIRC). Its key partners are at present Selkirk College, TRIUMF, the University of Victoria, the University of Saskatchewan, KAST, D-Pace and Busch Vacuum. SIRC leverages Dr. Dehnel's substantive network, and the scientific, technical and business knowledge he has gained over the years.