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Profiles in Enrichment tells the stories of USEC employees who have made great contributions to the company or our local communities.
USEC's Chief Scientist of Modeling and Analysis Hal Galbraith escapes from modeling the complex workings of the American Centrifuge technology by immersing himself in intricate woodworking projects.
A carpool partner while doing post-doctoral research work may have lead him into a career in molecular spectroscopy and quantum optics but a passion for furniture making earned Dr. Hal Galbraith a spot in the Federal Reserve Bank of Ohio.
Answering a request for designs, Galbraith was commissioned to build a piece for the Federal Reserve and the Greek-inspired sideboard he built still remains one of his most memorable pieces. Galbraith’s woodworking started as a summer job to help pay for college and later evolved into working at a museum recreating antiques by hand, but these days he enjoys the pleasure of woodwork while losing track of time working in his shop on his latest piece or passing along tricks of the trade to his son.
“When you get in the shop, there is enough going on in there that you really have to be focused on what you are doing,” said Galbraith. “It is really relaxing.”
Galbraith prefers the freedom that working with hand tools affords him as opposed to the constraints created by machines and draws much of his inspiration from the furniture of the 18th and 19th century. He enjoys touring old homes and estates, but admits that he often misses much of the architecture while focusing on the furniture.
This mahogany sideboard is an example of the craftsmanship and attention to detail Galbraith puts into his pieces.
“Back then, before the Industrial Revolution, the training programs were very rigorous and it shows in the work. Pieces were done quickly, and with a high degree of skill,” said Galbraith.
“What I really like to do as I make pieces is to try to imagine what the old work might have been like when new two centuries ago. That’s a guide for finishing and technique.”
His daily life is very much rooted in the 21st century, however. As the chief scientist for modeling and analysis in the American Centrifuge program, Galbraith uses state-of-the-art computer modeling to evaluate the efficiency of the American Centrifuge technology. His work earned him USEC’s EIII chairman’s award for his extraordinary performance.
Galbraith notes the changes in applied physics since he started his career, especially the vast improvement in computing power that greatly enhances the amount of work that can be done in a day.
While the tried-and-true tactics and hands-on nature woodworking differs greatly from his day job of physics theory, Galbraith sees similarities in his approach to both. “In both fields you are constantly learning and improving. It keeps you inspired.”
