Department of Physics

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The Department of Physics harnesses theory, hands-on laboratory work, and cutting-edge research opportunities to teach 麻豆入口 students about the fundamental building blocks of the natural world.

Physics majors at 麻豆入口 learn about the world around them from the ground up, beginning with the fundamental forces and laws of nature. We reinforce the significance and implications of classroom concepts by engaging our students in faculty research鈥攚hich encompasses magnetic, low-dimensional, and nanoscale materials, black holes, gravitational waves, and building instruments to study cosmology and star formation. By integrating theoretical principles, laboratory techniques, and computational methods, we train versatile, creative scholars for a broad array of careers in quantitative fields.

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NEWS & EVENTS

With great sadness, the Physics Department announces the death of their beloved colleague Amber Stuver on Sunday, Sept. 8. Dr. Stuver鈥檚 research was in the exciting field of gravitational-wave astrophysics. Before joining 麻豆入口 in 2017, she was a researcher at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) in Louisiana, a member of the Nobel prize-winning team that discovered this phenomenon, which Einstein predicted in 1915. Equally dedicated to teaching and research, she inspired numerous 麻豆入口 students, providing them with the invaluable opportunity to participate in her cutting-edge research. A memorial service on campus is planned for later this semester.

Goldwater Scholar, Khushi Vandra

Physics major, Khushi Vandra 鈥�26, has been named a 2025 Goldwater Scholar by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. Vandra is among 1,350 nominated students nationwide for this prestigious award, which recognizes outstanding undergraduates pursuing research careers in STEM fields. As a Goldwater Scholar, she will receive a $7,500 scholarship to support her academic and research endeavors. Congratulations! MORE...

A global team of researchers, including our very own Joey Neilsen, PhD, using the new X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) telescope, while observing a neutron star system called GX13+1 detected a slow cosmic wind. The cause of the wind could offer new insights into the fundamental physics of how matter accumulates, or 鈥渁ccretes,鈥� in certain types of binary systems. The study, published in Nature on September 25, 2025, is open access and is available to all.

Study Abroad

Through a study abroad program at Boston University, which organizes enrollment at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and internships at CERN, Moboluwagbe (Bolu) Adesanmi 鈥�24 is spending the spring semester in Geneva, Switzerland. The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS), a general-purpose detector at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, plans to upgrade its muon system with new gas electron multiplier (GEM) detectors. Bolu is working on testing the prototypes for the new muon chambers, evaluating the electronics and system performance.

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