Alumnus SCOTT SCHARFENBERG
Jessica Raley
for Illinois Physics
Illinois Physics alumnus Scott Scharfenberg has driven his career path in a homemade RV—with side trips in a laser-tag go-kart. Now a microscopy physicist at Quantum Design (QD) in San Diego, Scharfenberg graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2010 and stayed on to earn a master’s degree in physics in 2012.
During his time at Illinois Physics, Scharfenberg worked in Illinois Physics Professor Nadya Mason’s lab, where he used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study the mechanical properties of graphene. Today, he uses the same AFM skills he developed as a student in his work at QD, a company that manufactures scientific instruments for research institutions. His current project is building a system that incorporates an atomic force microscope within a scanning electron microscope.
“I always liked physics and always thought of myself as a creative person, but I haven’t always been good at finding the connection between those two things. Working with this startup allows me to do that.”
Scott Scharfenberg, Illinois Physics alumnus, microscopy physicist, and cofounder of Kartopia
Scharfenberg says, “I work on prototyping and testing. So, it’s my job to make sure the thing we’re building is actually a good instrument. I make sure we’re meeting all requirements and that the instrument works as well as it possibly can.”
In addition to his AFM knowledge and skills, Scharfenberg says the most important things he learned as a physics major are how to solve problems and how to learn.
“Working in research and development, every day is a little different, but it’s all problem solving. I come in, I figure out what’s not working, and I try to make it work,” says Scharfenberg.
Scharfenberg remembers, “I developed a habit of asking, ‘How do I prove that this is going to work? How do I test this?’ I try to approach everything that way.”
Before landing his current position at QD in 2019, Scharfenberg worked for Asylum Research in Santa Barbara, first as a test engineer and later as a consultant.
“That was a great experience,” he recalls. “I got to be really hands-on at work and also filled in some gaps in my knowledge. I had a lot of training in physics, but I didn’t take full advantage of the engineering learning opportunities at U of I. So, the job at Asylum really helped me fill in my electrical engineering and software engineering experience.”
Motivated by the high rent prices in Santa Barbara, Scharfenberg decided to put his skills to work converting a wheelchair-accessible bus into a custom RV.
“I had lived in Illinois my whole life, so I had sticker shock when I moved out to Santa Barbara and rented a place,” he says. “I was paying $600 a month to share a bedroom. So, I bought my bus and spent the next year and a half or so customizing it. I ended up living in it for a few years.”
Free from the burden of paying rent, Scharfenberg took some time to explore other passions. He left his position at Asylum in part so he could spend time traveling. When Asylum offered him a job doing part-time consulting, it seemed like an ideal fit. The new consulting job offered Scharfenberg the opportunity to travel around the world training clients on AFM technology and conducting field repairs on equipment.
“I got to spend a month in China and a week in South Korea,” he says. “I went to Colombia for a while. And because it was part time, I was also able to spend a lot of time rock climbing, which was important to me.”
His part-time work schedule and rent-free housing also afforded Scharfenberg the freedom to become cofounder of a startup company called Kartopia. “The aim of the company is to bring the experience of a video game to real life. Imagine electric go-karts with laser tag built into them,” Scharfenberg says.
Scharfenberg and his cofounders have created four prototypes so far and a test track in Corning, CA.
“The go-karts have position trackers, so the game system knows where you are on the track. And we can set it up so that if you drive through a certain zone, you get a pickup, like extra ammo or a speed boost. If your kart gets shot, it dies, just like in a video game.”
Although the COVID19 pandemic slowed their progress, the Kartopia team members look forward to taking the next step with their company.
“Once we’re able to safely start bringing people together again, we’ll be able to have people come demo the track and the karts. We’ll need to start attracting some investors to get the company off the ground,” notes Scharfenberg.
Although Scharfenberg is back to working full time—and paying rent—he plans to continue his work with Kartopia. He says he values the creative outlet it provides.
“I always liked physics and always thought of myself as a creative person, but I haven’t always been good at finding the connection between those two things,” he says. “Working with this startup allows me to do that."