As a freshman sitting in a general chemistry class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, chemistry professor Scott Hewitt's interest was lit up by a laser demonstration.
"I thought the laser was so cool and I just wanted to play with the lasers," Hewitt said. "I didn't necessarily want to do research; I don't think I really knew what research was."
In high school Hewitt participated in cross country, but because of recurring injuries, he did not think he could continue to pursue running.
"I never thought I could run a marathon because I thought I would get injured first, but I can do it," Hewitt said. "So long as it is not on concrete."
Despite his own doubts, Hewitt not only continued running, but became an ultramarathon runner.
"Running on trails versus cement has one main difference, which is that dirt is able to absorb forces from the stride of a runner whereas concrete or cement, instead of absorbing the force, causes the force to be absorbed by the bodies' lower extremity joints, which may result in stress fractures, shin splints and increased chances of having arthritic changes to, specifically, the knee," said Matt Danneker, doctor of physical therapy, athletic trainer and certified strength and conditioning specialist at the Athletic Rehabilitation Center in West Covina.
Running with this same determination to work with lasers and not willing to take "no" for an answer, Hewitt said, "I just kept on bugging [the professor]," which finally paid off, allowing him a chance to get his hands on the high-tech laser equipment.
"When I was an undergrad, every day I went in the lab was like [it was] Christmas," Hewitt said. "I felt like a five-year-old kid because you get all these toys to play with."
Initially, Hewitt did not think he would be able to stick with chemistry.
"If I hadn't done [research] as an undergrad, then I wouldn't be here today. No, no way. I told my parents I was quitting chemistry after my first semester," laughed Hewitt.
Now, with a postdoctoral degree from Cornell University, 27 years of research completed, several articles of published research, a 50-mile ultramarathon under his belt and an educational background that neither he nor his parents expected, Hewitt continues to push.
Hewitt runs on Saturdays in the mountains training for a 100-mile-run in the Angeles Crest National Forest that will take place in September. Hewitt said a 100-mile-run will require the consumption of about 10,000 calories to sustain himself during the race.
This is more difficult for Hewitt due to his hereditary fructose intolerance, which means he cannot break down sucrose or fructose molecules, requiring him to carry snacks with him in a pouch for the duration of the run.
At Cal State Fullerton, Hewitt is situated in a nook in Dan Black Hall with a laser lab worth nearly $1 million. It is, "the essence of a mad scientist lab," Eric Hargis, a CSUF student and one of Hewitt's research assistants said.
Although there are lasers that are a million times more powerful than what is required to blind a person and toxic gases that will eat away skin and possibly be deadly if inhaled, Hewitt said there has only been one minor liquid nitrogen burn in his lab in the 17 years he has been at CSUF.
He is currently focused on studying the oxidation of hydrocarbons, such as the reactions that occur in the atmosphere in what he refers to as, "The Laser Project."
"This is exactly what happens in a combustion system, like in your car," Hewitt said. "Your fuel is being oxidized. It is thought that, possibly, one of the reasons we age is because the molecules in our body are being oxidized."
Hewitt said the laser project that Hargis is working on involves an Excimer laser, a dye laser, a YAG laser, a mass spectrometer and a high pressure reaction cell valued at a total of approximately $700,000. It was assembled by him and his lab assistants to conduct experiments, which happen on a microsecond timescale.
Hewitt's "scrapping and begging" funded the equipment with several small grants. Hewitt said he even put some of his own money into it.
This project's goal is to use lasers to isolate and look at a reactive intermediate - a short-lived highly energized and reactive molecule, according to www.123-expchemistry.com - present in smog chemistry reactions that has never been seen before.
"Everybody thinks it exists, but nobody has actually detected it yet," Hewitt said. "It is not easy to do."
Hewitt said the California Institute of Technology is using his lab's previous results that have not yet been published. The two labs are in a race to find the same intermediate species that Hewitt's laser project is seeking to isolate.
"There is also the thrill of the hunt because we are trying to be the first ones to detect this radical," Hewitt said. "It pushes us to work harder because we want to be the first to do this."
The long-term benefit is that other people can use the research to figure out ways to improve air quality, engine performance, how to incinerate trash without toxic species as well as look into causes of aging.
For unpaid lab assistants like Hargis, the payoff is in the experience.
"One of my students had an interview with Intel to work on a mass spectrometer system with semiconductors and out of 300 applicants, they chose him because other undergrads didn't have this kind of experience," Hewitt said.
Hargis puts about 10-20 hours of work in at the lab each week and although he does not get paid, he said he gets enriched personally.
Chris Fernandez, a CSUF graduate and research assistant for Hewitt, spoke about his experience.
"I think Dr. Hewitt would even agree that he is a pretty hands-off person to work for as far as his lab goes. He doesn't give you much direction if you don't ask for any advice," Fernandez said.
Interested in atmospheric chemistry and head of CSUF's Sustainability Task Force, Hewitt fights against pollution both on and off campus.
"I don't drive, normally," Hewitt said. "Often, I only drive twice a week. I drive to get my groceries and I drive to go up into the mountains on Saturday mornings to go for a run."
Hewitt walks to work nearly every day, even in inclement weather.
He lives less than a mile from campus.
"I have a really big umbrella," he said. "It would have to be hurricane-type conditions for me to drive."
Hewitt is dedicated to his career and fighting global warming.
His concern is that people today are choosing careers only for the money, not because they have found their passion, like Hewitt, who against the odds, lives his every day working in his laser lab and running on mountain trails.
