Overcoming Adversity to Achieve Excellence with Dr. Lynn Seppala
Dr. Lynn Seppala, a 2011 South Dakota Hall of Fame (SDHoF) Inductee, has exhibited what it means to overcome great adversity to continue to pursue one’s dreams. Mid-career as a world-leading designer of state-of-the-art optics for pure and applied science, Lynn suffered a massive stroke—leaving his right side paralyzed and seriously affecting his speech and cognitive abilities.
Lynn joined SDHoF Board Director Mike Cartney to talk about his career furthering scientific advancements in South Dakota and beyond.
“You can always fail many times, but the time you succeed at something will stay with you for a lifetime,” Lynn shared about his mindset on never giving up on one’s dreams.
A month into his rehabilitation, still wheelchair-bound, he realized with surprise that he could not add or subtract. The doctor in charge of his rehabilitation suggested a career change to a job that would not involve numbers. He chose not to heed that advice. With uncommon courage and determination, Lynn overcame the physical and mental losses and was able to return to his position as chief optical designer, performing at even higher levels than before.
Lynn’s career and hard work led to the optical design of billion-dollar projects at California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for over 35 years. These projects include the 192-laser-beam National Ignition Facility, which upon completion will produce the first-ever in-laboratory thermonuclear ignition; the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, which will map dark matter and unravel dark energy’s nature; and a photon collider, a linear accelerator that will advance studies in precision physics. He has also notably worked on a team designing LIFE, a laser-powered fusion energy plant that hopefully will be delivering power to the national electrical grid in 25 years.
Learn more about Dr. Lynn Seppala on his Legacy Page here.