Grove City College Physics majors are making their mark this fall as they present their research in astronomy, optics and nanotechnology at national conferences.
Sam Beiler ’19, a Physics/Computer with Software Option major with an Astronomy minor, will present his poster on “Testing Young Brown Dwarf Atmospheric Properties with L-Band Spectroscopy” at the Brown Dwarf to Exoplanet Connection Conference this week at the University of Delaware. Beiler’s work follows a summer research fellowship at Bucknell University where he worked with Dr. Katelyn Allers.
Next month, Mercedes Mansfield ’18 will present a poster entitled “Selenization of Sputtered W, WO3, and Layered NiWO3 Thin Films for Thin Film Photovoltaic Applications” at the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physical Science at the University of Nebraska, where she conducted research on the topic this summer under the direction of Dr. Natale Ianno.
In September, Jacob Leamer ’18 presented his work at a joint meeting of the Optical Society’s Frontiers in Optics & Laser Science and the American Physical Society’s Division of Laser Science in Washington D.C. His summer research on “Information Capacities of LTI Quantum Bosonic Channels” was conducted at the State University of New York Geneseo under the direction of Dr. Bhaskar Roy Bardhan.
Research experience is an essential part of a complete physics education, according to Dr. Shane Brower, professor and chair of the Department of Physics.
“Our department actively engages the students in research projects throughout the academic year, and we strongly encourage them to do summer research off campus and to present their work at professional society meetings. These experiences broaden their education in research methods and topics, and expand their professional network,” Brower said.