Sometimes change is good, and other times… not so much. One thing is certain though: time always seems to bring change. It just seems to take even more time — and a bit of hindsight — to really understand whether that change was for better or worse.
Today’s change comes with this blog post, as we bid a long farewell to Matt Lara, who has moved on to greener pastures — or rather, a different field he’s been passionate about for many years. Yes, we were “poached” by a fusion company, and Matt has found a new home. We wish him nothing but the best!
Matt was my first hire — a scraggly-looking new grad out of Texas Tech University (BSEE and MSEE). He’s been with us since early 2004, just recently passing the 21-year mark. I like to think he grew up in the pulsed power world right here in our little corner, beginning in what we often refer to as our “maverick” years — the ones that earned us the nickname “Los Bandidos” from Dr. Kristiansen. Back then, we pitched a lot of crazy ideas — and quite often, we pulled them off. Matt was a big part of those early, wild growth years.
One fond memory comes from a project for a customer who needed a Marx generator-driven quarter-wave resonator source. From concept to design to delivery took just three months — a whirlwind that brought many late nights. The Marx was our model MG16-3C-2700PF, which drove a transfer capacitance composed of concentric cylinders, ultimately feeding a coaxial quarter-wave line characterized by multiple parallel spark-gap switches. The result? An 8–10 cycle RF burst at approximately 400 MHz, with amplitudes in the hundreds of kilovolts.
What Matt brought to the table was a can-do attitude and a desire to make something genuinely “super neat-o” — all topped off with his unique sense of humor. (A sample of which is pictured below.)
This blog will continue — now with a new voice and personality behind the keyboard. While many may not have realized it, Matt was our long-time storyteller here, sharing insights and updates with his trademark wit. As he moves on, we remain just as committed to delivering great products and services — and we always welcome your continued interest and feedback.
Lastly — thank you, Matt. It was a good ride.
