physics phd university of chicago

PhD Program in Medical Physics

The Committee on Medical Physics offers a program to provide aspiring medical physicists with the knowledge they will need in their future professions. Our program leads to the Doctor of Philosophy degree with an emphasis on research that provides preparation for careers in academia, industry, and/or clinical support roles.

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• Congratulations, Linnea Kremer! PhD Spring 2024
• Congratulations, Mena Shenouda! PhD Spring 2024
• Congratulations, Hadley DeBrosse! PhD Spring 2024

After completing my bachelor’s degree in physics with a minor in mathematics, I knew medical physics was the path for me. I was thrilled to discover there was a way to marry my love for physics with my newfound appreciation of medicine during an internship at Argonne National Laboratory where I worked on isotope production and heavy-ion therapy projects. Currently, I am beginning my third-year graduate studies under a joint appointment through the Graduate Research Cooperative working with Dr. Chin-Tu Chen (UChicago) and Dr. Jerry Nolen (ANL).   I am focusing my thesis on targeted radionuclide therapy and isotope production. My main focus is on the radiobiological effects of Terbium-155, a promising Auger electron emitter. I am working on novel production and delivery methods of Tb-155 in order to explore the efficacy of Auger emitters in metastatic small-cell cancer treatment. I am in the process of designing targeting ligands which are selective not only to cancer cells but to cancer cell DNA specifically. I also work on nuclear reaction and cellular dosimetry modeling to optimize experimental outcomes.   Outside the lab, I am an avid supporter of the Chicago music scene and can usually be found at a punk or metal show. I also enjoy powerlifting, tattooing, traveling, and anything else that gets the adrenaline pumping and energizes me to keep chasing crazy physics!

PhD student - Chen and Nolen Labs

Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics

Phd program in astronomy and astrophysics.

Our faculty have been at the forefront of astronomy for over a century, shaping its course since the founding of our department by George Ellery Hale in 1892. Hale pioneered the big glass in telescopes that ushered in a new age in astronomy; Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar defined the agenda of theoretical astrophysics for fifty years; Eugene Parker revolutionized our view of the sun and the role of magnetic fields in the cosmos; and David Schramm brought together particle physics and cosmology.  Our students have been just as influential.  Edwin Hubble solved the puzzle of the nebulae and discovered the expansion of the Universe; Nancy Grace Roman made the Hubble Space Telescope a reality; Carl Sagan advanced our understanding of the solar system and how to share the excitement of what we do with the public; and Jeremiah P. Ostriker’s manifold contributions have made him the leading theorist of his generation.

Today graduate students in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics have multiple opportunities to engage with our pre-eminent faculty and their research groups on short- or long-term projects to complete pre-candidacy requirements and doctoral theses. Research fields span a wide range, with close integration between theory and experiment, and are enhanced by our connections to the Enrico Fermi Institute , the Departments of Physics and the  Geophysical Sciences , and the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics at the University of Chicago. We have strong partnerships with premiere facilities including  Argonne National Laboratory and  Fermilab , and we are a founding member of the 25-meter  Giant Magellan Telescope , the world's largest optical telescope now under construction in the Chilean Andes. 

The PhD in Astrophysics is a year-round, full-time doctoral program on the academic quarter system, which encourages students to explore a range of courses, engage with more faculty, and challenge themselves in a fast-paced and academically rigorous environment. 

Summary of Requirements

• full-time scholastic residence of at least 300 units of coursework per quarter, including summer
• completion of required core graduate courses
• completion of one to three pre-candidacy research projects
• successful completion of a two-part candidacy exam
• completion of the teaching practicum
• identification of a thesis advisor
• formation of a thesis committee
• thesis research and preparation
• final examination

Each admitted student is assigned a mentor who will help the student navigate graduate school by guiding them to achieve academic and professional goals and supporting their well-being and personal development. The mentor can guide students in course selection, assist in navigating difficult situations when they arise, provide coaching when preparing for oral exams, and counsel regarding postdoc placement or other career options. 

Financial Support

Graduate students in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics receive full financial support from a combination of University and departmental fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships. Students are also encouraged to seek out external fellowships, as these provide students with both financial support and the flexibility to focus on research goals of individual interest. A two-quarter practicum as a teaching assistant is required of all graduate students, typically in the first year of study. Teaching assignments include instructing lab sections for non-science majors, and collaborative teaching with the faculty instructor of lecture courses in the Major in Astrophysics program.

Students with questions may contact

• Fausto Cattaneo (Deputy Chair for Academic Affairs),
• Laticia Rebeles (Graduate Student Affairs Administrator),
• Bahareh Lampert (Dean of Students in the Physical Sciences Division),
• Amanda Young (Associate Director, Graduate Student Affairs) in UChicagoGRAD.

Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics

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Quantum Science and Engineering

PhD in Molecular Engineering

PhD in Quantum Science and Engineering

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For general inquiries about the PhD program, questions on financial aid, or to schedule a visit to PME, please contact  [email protected]

David Taylor Dean of Students [email protected] Phone: 773.834.2057

Quantum resources and initiatives

• Chicago Quantum Exchange
• James Franck Institute

The PhD in Quantum Science and Engineering program provides students with the opportunity to study with some of  the most prominent researchers  working in both fundamental and applied aspects of quantum science. The program encompasses a variety of engineering topics that will help shape the quantum future. This includes quantum computing, quantum communications, and quantum sensing, as well as research in quantum materials. Students have the option of working with one or more thesis advisors to build a cross-cutting research project that touches multiple disciplines.

Our graduate students work within a growing nexus of quantum research in Chicago, which includes the  Chicago Quantum Exchange , two Department of Energy funded national quantum information science research centers  Q-NEXT  and  SQMS , the  NSF QuBBE Quantum Leap Challenge Institute , one of the  longest ground-based quantum communication channels  in the country, and much more.

Students perform their research in state-of-the-art facilities at both the  University of Chicago  and  Argonne National Laboratory  campuses, and have opportunities to gain industry expertise through interactions with UChicago’s  Booth School of Business  and the  Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation , as well as our  industry and corporate partners . More opportunities are available through our robust programs in  career development and entrepreneurship ,  science communication ,  mentoring training and opportunities , and  educational outreach .

Program overview

Learn more about our curriculum structure, inclusive and student-centered approach to education and research, programs to support career development, and more.

Enroll today

Learn more about the application process.

Noah Glachman

Bernien Lab

“Quantum computing has the potential to solve some of the world's biggest problems. I'm proud to be a part of a team here making that happen.”

Anchita Addhya

“PME brings these diverse fields together and has this very collaborative environment that I really appreciate.”

José A. Méndez

Awschalom Lab (co-advised by Hannes Bernien)

“Study something that you find interesting and I guarantee we can use you here.”

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The University of Chicago welcomes prospective students to apply to one or more programs across the University. All programs at the University of Chicago offer an online application system, but each school and division has its own application. To apply to multiple programs, you will typically need to create a unique application to each one. Please read the information provided by each program carefully for their requirements.

For most doctoral programs, faculty committees will review and decide all of the applications that are submitted. For masters’ programs, there may be committees that are comprised of a combination of faculty and admissions staff members. However, since study is so specialized at the graduate level, each graduate degree program has its own way of determining which applicants they wish to admit in any given year.

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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

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The Department of Physics offers Masters of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) graduate degree programs.

Our faculty members are currently conducting research and directing doctoral candidates in both experimental and theoretical topics in the major research areas of atomic, biological, condensed matter, materials, high-energy, nuclear, laser and molecular physics.

Students accepted into our PhD program are typically supported with either a Teaching Assistantship, Research Assistantship or a combination of both throughout their entire time in the department.

Graduates of our MS and PhD programs have gone on to a broad range of extremely successful careers around the world that span education, academia, national labs, and private industry.

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Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Complete transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate work must be submitted. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

• Baccalaureate Field  No restrictions. Prior academic work must include at least 20 semester hours of physics, including upper-level undergraduate electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, and classical mechanics.
• Grade Point Average  At least 2.75/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study.
• Tests Required  GRE General exam is required; GRE Physics subject exam is highly recommended, but not required.
• TOEFL  80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Test); 60, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Writing 21 (revised Paper-Delivered Test),  OR,
• IELTS  6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores, OR ,
• PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
• Letters of Recommendation  Three required.
• Personal Statement  Required.
• Nondegree Applicants  Nondegree applicants must submit transcripts and a personal statement.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

• Minimum Semester Hours Required  96 from the baccalaureate.
• Course Work  At least 32 hours. A maximum of 6 hours at the 400 level can be approved to fulfill these requirements. The remaining hours must be at the 500 level and may not include  PHYS 596  and  PHYS 599 , or more than 4 hours of PHYS 595 . Courses taken outside of physics may only fulfill these requirements with prior approval from the department.  Students who enter the program with graduate-level credit from other  institutions can petition the department to reduce the required hours on  course work. Students found to be deficient in specific  areas of physics on the basis of course work taken prior to entering the  program may have to complete additional hours beyond the  minimum 32 hours.
• Departmental Qualifying Examination : Required.
• Preliminary Examination : Required.
• Dissertation  Required.
• Other Requirements  Each student must serve as a teaching assistant for at least two semesters.

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Five UChicago faculty elected to National Academy of Sciences in 2024

Five University of Chicago scholars have been elected to the  National Academy of Sciences , joining other scientists and researchers chosen in “recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.”

Profs. Nicolas Dauphas, David DeMille, Bonnie Fleming, Michael Greenstone, and Nipam Patel are among the  120 new members elected this year . The scholars are honored for their groundbreaking work in a variety of fields, from particle physics to geophysical sciences to energy policy research.

Nicolas Dauphas is a Professor of Geophysical Sciences and in the College and the Enrico Fermi Institute.

A leading isotope geochemist, Dauphas draws upon the analytical and modeling methods of his training as an engineer to develop novel strategies for solving important scientific questions using naturally occurring isotope variations.

He founded and directs UChicago’s Origins Laboratory to examine questions pertaining to the early evolution of the Earth and what meteorites reveal about the formation of planets, asteroids and comets. These questions include investigations into how the elements formed and were scattered across the universe, how planetary bodies form, and how the surface and the environment of the Earth evolved over time.

Dauphas has received a Packard Fellowship, the American Geophysical Union’s Macelwane Medal, the European Association for Geochemistry’s Houtermans Medal, and the Meteoritical Society’s Nier Prize. He is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the Meteoritical Society, and the Geochemical Society. He currently serves on the Board of Reviewing Editors for Science, and is a member of the Mars Sample Return Campaign Science Group.

David DeMille is a Professor in the Department of Physics and the James Franck Institute at UChicago and holds a joint appointment in the Physics Division at Argonne National Laboratory.

DeMille’s research seeks to investigate the fundamental properties of the universe by making extremely precise measurements of quantum systems. He is known for novel approaches that use the properties of molecules to amplify signals from exotic particles and forces in the laboratory. His current research interests include investigating violations of discrete symmetries, including time-reversal violation, and developing new ways to produce and trap ultracold gasses of polar molecules.

He co-authored the physics textbook “Atomic Physics: an exploration through problems and solutions” (Oxford Univ. Press, 2004).

His previous honors include the American Physical Society’s Norman F. Ramsey Prize (joint with John Doyle and Gerald Gabriselse) and Francis M. Pipkin Award, a Sloan Foundation Fellowship, and a Packard Foundation Fellowship.

Bonnie Fleming is an internationally recognized particle physicist with outstanding expertise and a world leader in neutrino physics. She serves as the Deputy Director for Science and Technology and Chief Research Officer at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, where she leads all areas of science and technology at Fermilab, and holds a joint appointment with the University of Chicago in the Enrico Fermi Institute within the Department of Physics.

From 2004 to 2022, Fleming led a research group studying neutrinos as a professor at Yale University while also performing research at Fermilab. She was the founding spokesperson for the two neutrino experiments, ArgoNeuT and MicroBooNE, focusing on studying neutrinos and developing the next generation of accelerator neutrino detectors using liquid argon, and was an early member of the  Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). She is known for pioneering a class of detectors called Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers, which provided a giant leap forward in how scientists may study the varying states of neutrinos and how the subatomic particles might interact with matter. These detectors are the core to Fermilab’s neutrino experiments, including the future international DUNE.

Fleming currently serves as a member of the National Academies Decadal Survey in particle physics.

Michael Greenstone is the Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics at the University of Chicago. In addition, he serves as faculty director of the interdisciplinary  Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago and founding director of the University’s new energy and climate institute. He was previously the director of the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics.

Greenstone’s research, which has influenced policy in the United States and globally, is focused on the global energy challenge that requires all societies to balance the needs for inexpensive and reliable energy, public health and minimizing the damages from climate change.

As a co-director of the  Climate Impact Lab , he is producing empirically grounded estimates of the local and global impacts of climate change. He created the  Air Quality Life Index® that converts air pollution concentrations into their impact on life expectancy and co-founded  Climate Vault , a 501(c)(3) that uses markets to allow institutions and people to reduce their carbon footprint and foster innovation in carbon dioxide removal.

During the Obama Administration, he served as the Chief Economist for the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, where he proposed and then co-led the development of the United States Government’s social cost of carbon.

He is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a fellow of the Econometric Society, a Carnegie Fellow, and a former editor of the Journal of Political Economy.

Nipam Patel is director of the Marine Biological Laboratory and a professor at the University of Chicago.

He is a leading scholar in modern evolutionary and developmental biology with specific focus on the evolution of body patterning and segmentation, regeneration of the germline, and structural coloration. His scientific expertise encompasses the development of novel, genetic model organisms for biological study, which can reveal much about human biology; and the application of advanced imaging technologies to probe the fundamental dynamics of living systems.

Patel is also an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has been awarded numerous honors, including the Schubert Endowed Chair and the William V. Power Endowed Chair at UC Berkeley, and the McKnight Scholars Neuroscience Fellowship Award.

The author of more than 130 scientific publications, Patel was an editor of the journal Development from 2009-2018 and serves on the editorial board of several other journals in the biological sciences. He has served on numerous advisory boards, including board of directors of the Society for Developmental Biology.

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UChicago researchers explore how radiation affects the immune system’s ability to fight cancer

May 6, 2024

By Riley Knight

Graduate Student, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

Researchers from the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center recently published a study in Cancer Clinical Research describing how radiation can suppress cancer-killing immune responses and how immunotherapies can overcome this suppression.

Radiotherapy is a common cancer treatment that uses electromagnetic radiation to kill tumor cells. According to the American Cancer Society , over 50% of cancer patients will receive some form of radiation therapy during their treatment. Radiation can be given alone or in combination with surgery, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy treatments. In addition to killing tumor cells, radiotherapy can directly affect healthy cells, including cells of the immune system.

The light and dark sides of radiation in immune responses

Ralph Weischelbaum, MD, the Daniel K. Ludwig Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, studies the effects of radiotherapy on the immune system. Activating the immune system is an effective way of treating cancer. Radiotherapy can have both immune-activating and immune-suppressing effects, but it is difficult to study these effects independently. Moreover, understanding and controlling the immune-suppressive effects of radiotherapy would be beneficial for cancer patients.

Ralph R. Weichselbaum, MD

Hua Laura Liang, PhD, a Research Associate Professor in the Weischelbaum lab, focuses on the immune-suppressing effects of radiation. She found a clever way to study the “dark side” of radiotherapy that suppresses the immune system using a “two-tumor model.” In this system, one mouse has two tumors from completely different sources: one on their left side and one on their right side. Because the tumors are from different sources, a specific immune response to one tumor will not affect the tumor on the opposite side. This allows researchers to investigate effects on the tumor that are only related to the effects of radiation, not the effects of antigen-specific immune responses.

The abscopal effect and the “bad-scopal” effect

A rare phenomenon observed in radiotherapy treatment is called the abscopal effect. The abscopal effect, when radiating a single tumor can lead to immune responses to distant, non-irradiated tumors, can occur because of the positive effects of radiation on cancer-killing cells called T cells. The two-tumor model allows Liang to ask specific questions about the abscopal effect.

“If you irradiate one site, you can get a systemic effect,” Weischelbaum explains, but these effects of radiation are not all positive. “If there is an abscopal effect, there must be a bad-scopal effect.”

Cancers frequently use many different strategies to hide from the immune system. These methods include recruiting suppressive immune cells like myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and increasing expression of the protein PD-L1 on the surface of cells. Cancer immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), curb the PD-L1 protein so that tumor cells can not use it to hide from the immune system. Because PD-L1 is so commonly used by tumors to evade immune cell killing, Liang looked for PD-L1 expression in the mouse after local radiation of only one of the two tumors.

Countering the bad effects of radiation

“PD-L1 was induced by radiation in all the sites that we checked,” Liang said, even if the tissues were not exposed directly to radiation.

This included the lungs, which also showed signs of tumor metastasis from the tumor that did not receive radiation. This could be blocked with ICB, but Liang also wanted to know what was causing the increase of PD-L1 in the lung. “We saw CXCL10 concentration increased in the serum, so we tried to block it,” said Liang. CXCL10 is a protein that attracts certain types of immune cells, including tumor-promoting MDSCs. Liang saw that blocking CXCL10 not only prevented PD-L1 expression in the lung, but it also prevented metastasis from forming.

“MDSCs are bringing PD-L1 into the lung,” Liang said, “but when we block these two factors (PD-L1 and MDSCs), we see that tumor growth is really inhibited, and the lung metastases are decreased.”

This finding might begin to answer the question of why the abscopal effect is so rarely seen. “PD-L1 positive MDSCs enhancing colonization of lung metastasis starts to paint a picture of the negative effects of local radiation,” Weischelbaum explains. However, there are effective strategies to counter the “bad-scopal” effect, including immunotherapies like anti-PD-L1. Weischelbaum suggests that checking patients for increased PD-L1 after radiotherapy is a good first step. “If PD-L1 goes up,” he says, “you want to block it.”

Liang is interested in seeing how these findings might be applied to other cancer treatments. She said, “We wonder what other treatments, like chemotherapy, might affect the expression or induction of PD-L1.”

The study “ Radiotherapy Enhances Metastasis Through Immune Suppression by inducing PD-L1 and MDSC in distal sites ” was published in Clinical Cancer Research on March 1, 2024, and supported by the National Institutes of Health, The Ludwig Cancer Research Foundation, and the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Additional study authors include Yuzhu Hou, Kaiting Yang, Liangliang Wang, Jiaai Wang, Xiaona Huang, Andras Piffko, Sean Z. Luo, Xinshuang Yu, Enyu Rao, Carlos Martinez, Jason Bugno, Everett E. Vokes, Sean P. Pitroda, and Steven J. Chmura from the University of Chicago, and Matthias Mack from University Hospital Regensburg in Germany.

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(OSV News) — When Katie Chihoski walked the graduation stage at the University of Mary April 27, she was holding both her hard-earned bachelor’s degree in social work and her 18-month-old daughter Lucia.

She is the first graduate of the University of Mary’s St. Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers, a program that the Benedictine school in Bismarck, North Dakota, launched in January 2023, which offers free child care, room and board and other resources to young women facing unexpected pregnancies as they pursue their degrees.

The idea for the program initially came from a couple who were donors to the school and wanted to know if there could be something more that could be offered to young student mothers who wanted to continue to receive a college degree. The school’s president, Msgr. James P. Shea, said the program was part of the university’s effort to “witness to the pro-life cause in a very tangible way.”

When Chihoski found out she was pregnant in the fall of her sophomore year while studying abroad in Rome, she didn’t know if she could go back to college. “There were so many times where I would just say I can’t do this, this is crazy,” she told OSV News, “but then I had 20 classmates around me who would say just the best things.”

Her fellow students offered to help with babysitting, meals and moving. The offers weren’t empty ones either; her classmates did all of those things after Lucia came along.

The new program offered by the school was a key support as Chihoski returned to college as a new mom after taking some time away from school to have Lucia. She and Angelina Hanft, a young mom who came with her baby, Auggie, from Texas to pursue her nursing degree as part of the program, were the first two student mothers in the community at the start of last year.

The community has grown by two more moms since then. “It’s just such a unique experience,” Chihoski said, calling it “a growing opportunity for all of us just to learn how to work together and share a home.”

Babies have become a normal sight on campus as the school accommodates the young student mothers as well as staff with young children. A few of the school’s residence directors are mothers who also have their babies on campus. Chihoski said she has drawn close to these other families who have offered friendship and support.

When she first returned to college, she worried that she and Lucia would “stick out like sore thumbs,” but she came to realize that the school is “the least intimidating place to bring a baby.”

The second Lucia starts crying, “someone walks up and starts talking to her and makes her laugh and she finds a new friend,” she said. She frequently hears from her fellow students that interacting with Lucia is the highlight of their day.

Chihoski was also able to do an internship her last semester at a local high school and elementary school, which has helped her feel equipped to pursue a career in social work.

On the immediate horizon, though, is her upcoming wedding to fellow graduate Joshua O’Meara. She said they met initially on campus in her freshman year, and when she returned to school after her pregnancy, he “fell in love with Lucia” first. She became good friends with him and they eventually dated, becoming engaged on a snowy hike in his home state of Minnesota.

She hopes to find a job in the school system as the two prepare to move to Minnesota after graduation, but because of her experience as a student mom, she said, “Whatever happens, I feel confident.” She added that through this experience she’s learned time management, how to ask for help and how to foster relationships.

Chihoski also praised the faith life on campus. “It has been way easier to form good habits like prayer and daily Mass with Lucia looking over my shoulder,” she said, “She also reminds us to do those things.”

She said Lucia has developed a strong love for Mary and whenever they walk by the grotto on campus with the statue of Mary, “she will get so mad if we don’t stop and talk to Mary. She starts to cry.”

She said that as a new mom, it can feel “impossible to reach out to people sometimes” and for Catholics looking to help new moms in difficult situations, it’s important to remember that sometimes you have to “put resources in mothers’ laps for them to use” because often they don’t have the time and energy to find good resources or the confidence to ask for what they need.

Chihoski has enjoyed watching the community of moms on campus grow by two new moms and their babies over the past year. A young mom with a 2-year-old is moving in a few days after her departure as well. “Word’s just getting out really fast and it’s awesome to see,” she said.

Since beginning the program with their babies, she and Hanft have been able to offer advice to the moms joining the program about “all the baby things because we’ve all been through it now and it’s just nice to be able to relate to those small challenges.”

While she’s excited for the future, Chihoski said it’s hard to leave the friends she’s had since her freshman year who have been by her side through her pregnancy and beyond. She said for the people who were with her when she discovered she was pregnant, “it feels like they love Lucia almost as much as I do because they’ve just been around for the entire time she’s been alive.”

Msgr. Shea gave little Lucia a parting kiss on the cheek as he handed Chihoski her degree. She will be missed on campus by the community of friends and faculty that equipped her mother with the confidence and resources she needed to move forward.

Lauretta Brown is culture editor for OSV News. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @LaurettaBrown6.

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Meet some of our graduating physics Buffs

We asked graduating physics and engineering physics students what advice they had for other students, where they are headed after CU, and what they will carry with them into their next chapter.

Isaac Alhuseini, Bachelor of Arts in Physics

From your time at CU, what will you carry with you?

The love of learning new models that has been driving my learning experience at CU and the appreciation of how physics is expanding our knowledge and technological frontiers.

What is your best advice for future students?

Don't be afraid to ask your professor/instructor any questions, no matter how intuitive they might sound.

Where are you headed after graduation?

Graduate School at University of Maryland College Park  

Jacob Beckey, Doctor of Philosophy in Physics

Phenomenal friendships and a personal and professional network that I will lean on for decades to come.

What does completing graduate school mean to you?

Graduating with my PhD represents the exciting start of what I have wanted to do for the past ten years: teach and mentor students. As a first-generation college student, I wouldn't be here without phenomenal teachers and mentors, so I am particularly eager to play a similar role in students' lives.

In September, I will start a post-doc fellowship in the math department at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where I will do research and teach for up to 3 years.

Daniel Carlson, Doctor of Philosophy in Physics

Why did you decide to study physics?

I chose to pursue physics because I often wasn't satisfied with where explanations ended in my undergraduate chemistry courses. I deeply enjoy problem-solving and creative thinking, and physics is a wonderful opportunity to develop these skills while learning more about the world around us.

What was your research focus?

I developed next-generation tabletop-scale coherent x-ray light sources and explored the enabling laser technology required to achieve that goal.

I have accepted a postdoctoral position at the Combustion Research Facility at Sandia National Laboratories, where I will be continuing my passion for ultrafast science and tabletop x-ray light source development.

Megan Finnigan, Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics

I have learned a lot about the values of community and teaching (in both formal and informal capacities). I have no doubt that I will continue to seek meaningful communities and practice patient, intentional teaching in my interactions with others, especially as I enter this next chapter in my life. And, of course, I will carry my love for the Buffs wherever I go!

Reflect on your values and do what you can to spend your time accordingly. Being intentional about who you are and which paths you want to explore more deeply will help guide you throughout your academic journey. Even when life inevitably gets hectic, this mindset will help you prioritize what matters and find a balance that keeps you afloat.

I’ll be pursuing a master’s degree in technology and public policy at MIT!

Alex Fix, Bachelor of Arts in Physics

What is your best piece of advice for future students?

It'll be difficult at first, but experiment to find the right balance between trying lots of new things and saying no when you're too busy. I've met a lot of incredible people and learned a great deal of science by taking interesting electives, joining clubs, applying for different jobs, and going on adventures with my friends. Doing too much will leave you too exhausted, so recognize your limits and refuse some opportunities.

I love to learn new things about the world and share them with other people. New discoveries are made in every branch of physics all the time, so there are few better fields for learning and communicating things that perhaps no one else has realized. I also want to contribute something to help the world with science, and many areas of physics research can aid in advancing renewable energy production to lead us to a more sustainable future.

I'll be continuing at CU Boulder for a PhD in Physics! After graduate school I'm hoping to work at a national lab doing energy-related research.

Eleanor Gentry, Bachelor of Arts in Physics

Work hard but rest harder - you won't actually remember anything you do on no sleep or when you're so stressed you can't focus. If you stay on top of resting then you won't struggle to get things done.

I did research with Professor Nagle and Professor Perepelitsa studying the quark-gluon plasma. I worked on simulating the quark gluon plasma produced at sPHENIX, as well as hardware construction and testing for sPHENIX's event plane detector.

I have spent my life wondering why things work the way they do. I always wanted to see inside of a car or the stars up close. Physics not only taught me the answers to some of those questions but also taught me how to interact with the world in a way where I'm always getting the answers before I even ask.

Aman Kumar, Bachelor of Arts in Physics

At CU Boulder, I honed my resilience, deepened my astrophysics and physics knowledge, and cultivated meaningful relationships that have prepared me for rigorous academic and professional challenges ahead.

What does graduating from college mean to you?

Graduating as an international student and the first in my family to complete college symbolizes breaking barriers and fulfilling dreams. It represents hard-earned success, opportunities for a brighter future, and the power of education to transform lives.

I chose astrophysics and physics due to a fascination with the universe’s mysteries and a desire to understand fundamental physical principles. These fields merge my curiosity about celestial phenomena with rigorous scientific methods, fueling my passion for discovery and innovation.

Giorgio Matessi, Bachelor of Arts in Physics

Over my time at CU Boulder, I found myself challenged by the amount of work I had which forced me to learn time-management, planning, and prioritization skills. I will certainly bring this with me into my future career.

I chose physics as I was very interested in the field and the research that it offered. While I am now pursuing a career in computer science, the field offers so much more than just learning physics. From programming to logical skills physics has helped me grow intellectually and presented me with opportunities within and outside of the field.

I am working as a software engineer at Capital One in Washington D.C.

Drew Morrill, Doctor of Philosophy in Physics

Try to always seek happiness, and help others to do the same. Measures of success in life seem to change with our changing life circumstances – but I believe that one will always be constant.

My PhD research was in the field of experimental ultrafast laser science and nonlinear optics. I worked with a team at JILA to develop a highly-specialized light source that produces a laser-like beam of soft X-ray light. Laser-like, or coherent, soft X-ray light is useful for probing materials and biological systems on the shortest time and length scales – helping to unlock the mysteries of how things work on the smallest scales.

In January, after successfully defending my thesis, I started a research faculty position at CU Boulder. I am the Assistant Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer at a National Science Foundation sponsored Science and Technology Center called STROBE.

Yifei Ni, Doctor of Philosophy in Physics

Physics is a way of comprehending the world.

I worked with Professor Gang Cao on the discovery of new materials and control of their physical properties.

I will be working in the semiconductor industry, conducting solar R&D.

Steven Oakes, Bachelor of Arts in Physics

I have always viewed physics as a powerful tool for establishing order. Physicists often develop tools to control the most fundamental and hard-to-reach systems. As I progressed through undergrad, however, I noticed that biology could greatly benefit from the principles of physics. Diseases are often manifestations of our lack of control at the biological level. Uncontrolled cell growth can lead to cancer, unregulated protein aggregation can lead to neurodegeneration, and unrestrained genetic mutations can lead to developmental disorders. What better way to gain control over these complicated systems than by using the principles of physics? Physics has historically had a monumental impact on our understanding of biology and medicine. I intend to continue the tradition of utilizing physics principles to advance human health.

I'll pursue my PhD at the joint Harvard-MIT program in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics.

Curtis Peterson, Doctor of Philosophy in Physics

For me, it represents a degree of persistence that I'm lucky to have picked up somewhere along my life. I have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and I only started to get treatment in my second year of graduate school. Before then, I had a hard time understanding why I never performed well on tests and evaluations despite studying intensely. Yet, I kept pushing for better or for worse. Of course, having the privilege and support that I've had throughout my life from family, friends, and mentors has helped considerably; I'm extremely fortunate in that regard.

It's all that I've wanted to do since I took chemistry as a sophomore in high school. I wasn't good at it (physics) and, to this day, I still don't think that I am; at least, I can't say that I "think like a physicist", whatever that means. Yet, I've somehow managed to be able to spend almost a decade of my life doing just that.

Claire Savard, Doctor of Philosophy in Physics

  Live where you love! I would not have been as happy throughout graduate school if it were not for the mountains I could escape into on the weekends when I needed a break.

I applied machine learning techniques to high energy physics. These applications helped out in a search for dark matter and in reconstructing proton-proton collision events. I also re-optimized Fermilab's computing center for machine learning processing.

Not certain yet, but I want to find a research position where I can continue to mentor students. It has been one of my favorite parts of my PhD!

William Solorio Hernandez, Bachelor of Arts in Physics

Graduating from college is a monumental achievement that represents all of the hard work my family and I have done to suceed in America. My parents moved to Colorado from Mexico before I was born and never got to pursue a higher education, and yet they were able to make a living in Colorado. Their dedication and grit inspired me to pursue a degree in physics, and I would not have made it this far if it was not for their support.

I worked in Professor Heather Lewandowski's cold molecules lab where we investigated the collisions between ultracold rubidium atoms and cold OH molecules in a dual electromagnetic trap.

I will attend MIT for graduate school to earn a PhD in physics. My goal is to be able to do AMO (ultracold atom/molecule) physics research.

Reuben Wang, Doctor of Philosophy in Physics

I came from an undergraduate degree in engineering, so pursuing graduate physics was certainly influenced by my incredible academic mentors. They fostered a deep passion for the field in me and continue to inspire me till this day. I would not be so committed to physics research without them.

I studied the quantum properties of atoms and molecules when they bump into each other at extremely cold temperatures, and the consequences this can have on an entire collection of these constituents.

I’ll be going to Harvard to continue physics research as an ITAMP fellow.

Cristian Vega awarded Callen Award for Excellence in Theoretical Plasma Physics Research

Congrats to (now) Dr. Cristian Vega who won the Callen Award for Excellence in Theoretical Plasma Physics Research! Vega won the award on April 29, just days before defending his thesis on May 3.

The Callen Award is awarded annually to a UW–Madison plasma physics graduate student for achievements in plasma theory. Now-retired Professor Emeritus Jim Callen was a long-time faculty member in the Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics department. Callen was also an affiliate faculty member of the Physics department.

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Dozens Are Arrested in Pro-Palestinian Protest at Art Institute of Chicago

The Chicago police said that 68 people had been arrested and charged with trespassing.

• Share full article

Officers and Pro-Palestinian Protesters Clash at the Art Institute of Chicago

Sixty-eight people were arrested and charged with trespassing by the chicago police after the museum requested that the demonstrators and their encampment be removed..

Crowd chanting: “We will free Palestine, within our lifetime.” “Leave them alone, leave them alone.” [expletives] [expletives] [expletives]

By Yan Zhuang

• May 5, 2024

The police forcibly dismantled a pro-Palestinian encampment at the Art Institute of Chicago museum on Saturday and arrested dozens of protesters, hours after demonstrators had gathered in a garden at the institute and set up tents.

Some of the demonstrators were students at the affiliated School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the museum said in a statement.

The Chicago police said on social media that officers had removed the protesters at the school’s request. A Chicago Police spokesman said Sunday that 68 people had been arrested and charged with trespassing.

The protesters set up the encampment in the North Garden, which is part of the Art Institute of Chicago museum, at about 11 a.m. on Saturday, the police said. While encampments at some other U.S. schools during the recent wave of pro-Palestinian protests have stood for days or even weeks before police action, in this case the police said that officers “immediately responded” to maintain the safety of the protesters and the public.

The People’s Art Institute, the organizers of the protest, said on social media that the demonstrators’ demands included that the institute formally condemn Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, remove any programs that legitimize the “occupation of Palestine” and divest from any individuals or entities that support Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. Photos that the group uploaded to social media showed a sign in the encampment that read “Hind’s Garden,” a reference to Hind Rajab , a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed this year in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

The museum said that it had offered protesters an alternate venue and that the school promised students that they would not face academic sanctions or charges if they relocated there.

The statement added that some protesters “surrounded and shoved a security officer and stole their keys to the museum, blocked emergency exits and barricaded gates.”

After about two hours of negotiations, the museum asked officers to remove the protesters, the police said. Officers issued warnings and eventually removed and arrested protesters, the police said.

Videos posted by the organizers showed police forcibly pulling demonstrators out of the human chain they had formed outside the garden while some of the protesters chanted, “Who do you protect? Who do you serve?”

An earlier version of this article misstated the entity that released a statement about the protest. It was the Art Institute of Chicago museum, not the affiliated School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

How we handle corrections

Yan Zhuang is a Times reporter in Seoul who covers breaking news. More about Yan Zhuang

Our Coverage of the U.S. Campus Protests

News and Analysis

UChicago : Police officers removed the pro-Palestinian encampment  at the University of Chicago, a move that was sure to be closely watched because the school has long considered itself a model for free expression on campus .

Rhode Island School of Design:  Pro-Palestinian protesters barricaded themselves inside the main administrative building  at the private art and design school in Providence, R.I.

M.I.T.:  Tensions escalated on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as pro-Palestinian protesters resisted a deadline to clear an encampment .

Outside Agitators:  Officials in New York City have blamed “external actors” for escalating demonstrations at Columbia, but student protesters reject the claim .

Clashes at U.C.L.A.: A New York Times examination of more than 100 videos from clashes at the University of California, Los Angeles, shows how counterprotesters provoked the violence .

Reactions Abroad:  The world is watching what is happening on American campuses with shock, pride, relish and alarm. Here is a selection of views from outside the United States .

A Spotlight on Student Journalists:  Columbia’s radio station and other student-led news outlets have provided some of the most detailed coverage  of the turmoil engulfing campuses.