Senior Laboratory Technician Tommi Itkonen found his field through studies in physics and interest in electronics.
“I like to tinker with electronics: to build and repair devices. There is also a myth-buster element involved, since I never know what researchers coming through my door will need,” Tommi Itkonen says, explaining his work.
Itkonen has worked as a Senior Laboratory Technician in the Department of Physics and Mathematics, on the Joensuu Campus of the University of Eastern Finland, since 2005. Born in Varkaus, Itkonen is a process engineer by training, and he has studied physics at the University of Joensuu.
“I initially came to work at the university as a fixed-term Laboratory Technician. A new clean-room wing had just been completed on the Joensuu Campus in 2004, and a lot of new equipment came in. My first contract of employment was based on the installation of an electron beam printer,” Itkonen says.
Later on, Itkonen’s expertise focused on the university’s electronics lab, and fixed-term contracts were replaced by a permanent one. The nature of a Senior Laboratory Technician’s work is very independent, and the university’s flexible working hours have made it easy to find a good work-life balance.
“For me, electronics, physics and astronomy are also a hobby, so my role as a Senior Laboratory Technician is a very good fit. I build and fix pieces of equipment at work and continue along the same lines at home. A friend and I have a company that builds electronics devices and prototypes. I want to learn new things, to apply new skills to practice at home and at work alike. These two sides complement one another,” Itkonen emphasises.
A student who was interested in floorball wanted, for their thesis, to test how curves affect the ball’s trajectory. We designed and built a floor ball spinner which made it possible to study the phenomenon.
Tommi Itkonen
Senior Laboratory Technician
Creative solutions to support research
The scope of work of a Senior Laboratory Technician is broad. Itkonen provides technical support to researchers and students at the Department of Physics and Mathematics. He maintains and makes pieces of equipment for research and teaching, provides user training, and teaches electronics and astronomy.
Itkonen’s expertise has also been utilised in other fields of science, such as in biology and geographical sciences.
“For me, a regular day at work is about keeping things running. I make sure that our equipment works. I look out for problems, and there’s always something to improve. If a device stops working, I’ll do repair and maintenance. Researchers also have special requests, since not everything can be bought. I design electronic circuits and I make circuit boards. Next, for example, I’ll be making a coupling box out a small metal can to which connectors will be soldered,” says Itkonen.
Sometimes there are also special requests that really set the mind free.
“A student who was interested in floorball wanted, for their thesis, to test how curves affect the ball’s trajectory. We designed and built a floor ball spinner which made it possible to study the phenomenon.”
Tommi Itkonen is one of the 29 Senior Laboratory Technicians working at the University of Eastern Finland. (Situation September 2022)
