T2 Stars: Will Rarich
T2 Stars highlights people making a difference and leaving their mark on the federal tech transfer (T2) community. Will Rarich is a technology transfer specialist at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). Find out about his unconventional route to T2, how he uses his digital fluency at work, and his green thumb.
How did you get involved in technology transfer?
I began my career in tech transfer directly after finishing my undergraduate education in 2021. I’ll admit that I had never heard of this field until I came across the job posting for an admin role in PPPL’s Technology Transfer Office. Coming from an internship in academic publishing, I quickly found that the two fields were more similar than you might expect, and many of the hard and soft skills I had developed there translated easily into tech transfer. What we do really boils down to bringing ideas out of the lab and into the world, and that’s not so different from getting a book published!
What do you love about your job?
Being a smaller lab, PPPL also has a small, tight-knit tech transfer team. In my support role for that team, I am exposed to pretty much all aspects of our technology transfer processes. Every day of work is different, and I get to develop a wide breadth of skills to serve our mission. As a global leader in fusion energy research, PPPL is at the forefront of developing a technology that will one day fundamentally transform our energy ecosystem. It is fulfilling to be a small part of that effort through my work at the Lab.
What is your most valuable skill or asset at work?
My first mentor at PPPL liked to call me a “digital native” in my approach to work and as part of a generation that grew up immersed in the internet and digital technologies. This makes me a quick learner when it comes to adapting new tools to our workflow. I and others in my generation often take this for granted, but it is definitely an advantage to be able to quickly develop skills like web design, AI, and database management in one’s toolkit and identify new ways to leverage those skills in day-to-day work.
What’s the biggest challenge in your position?
While serving multiple roles in a small office as just one person keeps my work interesting, I can sometimes feel as though I’m stretched thin and pulled in many directions! During busy times of the year, it is especially important to stay organized with prioritized task lists while also being mindful of mental health and giving myself some space to breathe — not everything needs to be done in one day.
What do you wish more people knew about the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory?
While fusion energy lies at the core of PPPL’s history and vision, that’s not all we do. There is an ongoing concerted effort to transform into a multipurpose lab, and our expertise in the field of plasma physics places PPPL in an important cross-section among several fields and industries, including microelectronics, quantum sensors and devices, and sustainability sciences.
What has been your favorite FLC experience?
Besides attending national and Northeast Regional FLC meetings, my deeper involvement in the FLC has started in the past year through joining the Awards Subcommittee. It has been a great way to connect with more T2 colleagues and contribute to one of the highlights of the National Meeting.
What do you do for fun?
Much of my energy goes into raising my full house of pets — I have a dog, two cats, and three rabbits. I also love to garden and have about 70 plants in the house. Some of my favorite ways to relax involve working with my hands, whether it’s tinkering with custom keyboards, building miniature models, or learning novice carpentry.
What advice would you give to someone new to the tech transfer profession?
This applies to most careers, but never hesitate to ask questions of your colleagues both within your lab and across the T2 community. It’s a very collaborative community, and everyone I’ve met from other labs has been so receptive to spreading knowledge across the federal lab complex. If you’re tasked with initiating some new procedure for your office, one of your first steps should be to survey peers from other labs about whether they’ve done anything similar and how they did it.