Tim Silverman, one of the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s 2024 distinguished research staff members, says he gained valuable knowledge from years of breaking apart machines and various other devices. With what he learned from those curiosity-driven activities, along with knowledge gained in earning a degree in mechanical engineering from the Fulton Schools, Silverman is now 14 years into a career testing devices for the prominent government lab. Now a senior scientist for the lab, he was one of its first two researchers to receive the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The award recognized a significant contribution to solar energy. He has since continued to contribute to advances in photovoltaics and other energy-related fields.