Physics and Astronomy

On Friday, October 4, Dr. Rachael Merritt, University of Colorado Boulder will be presenting Colloquium in the Department of Physics and Astronomy entitled “CURE-ing Physics Labs”. The talk begins at 3:15 pm in 140 Bennett Hall. Abstract Undergraduate research experiences have been shown to offer significant benefits to students, particularly students from marginalized groups. However, the over-subscription […]

Dr. Bharat Ratra, a Distinguished Professor of Physics at Kansas State University, is giving a public talk on “The Accelerating Expanding Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and Einstein’s Cosmological Constant” on Friday, September 20th, at 7 pm, in 140 Bennett Hall. The talk is free and open to the public. More information about the public lecture can be found here. […]

On Thursday, May 30, Dr. Graham Van Goffrier, University of Southampton (U. Maine Valedictorian 2018), will be presenting a Colloquium in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, in person and remote zoom, entitled “Simulating Nuclear Forces on Quantum Computers” . The talk begins at 1:00 pm in 141 Bennett Hall. Zoom link: here Abstract Since the early 2000s, lattice […]

Andi Piña successfully defended their dissertation, “Student Mathematical Sensemaking in the Transition from Spins to Positions in Quantum Mechanics,” on April 11. Piña is advised by John Thompson. Andi is starting a postdoctoral research position at Rochester Institute of Technology in June. Congratulations to Dr. Andi!

The department is proud to announce that two graduate students successfully passed their Thesis Proposal Defense in the last couple of weeks, granting them the status of PhD Candidates. Allison Molinari, advised by John Thompson, successfully defended her proposal, “Investigation of Student Understanding of Vectors Across Contexts and Class Levels,” on March 20. Ethan Cronk, […]

On March 28, 2024, three Physics majors were inducted into the Delta of Maine chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious honor society in the United States. According to their website, Phi Beta Kappa has “championed education in the arts and sciences, fostered freedom of thought, and recognized academic excellence” since 1776. […]

We note the passing of two emeritus faculty who were longtime and central members of the department from the early 1960s to the late 2000s, both shaping the department in teaching, research, and sense of community. Gerald Harmon, Associate Professor Emeritus of Physics, passed away in August 2023. Jerry received his B.A. in Physics in […]

Three physics and engineering physics majors are recipients of 2023-24 Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR) and Maine Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) academic year fellowships, all for work in FIRST. Adam Dugré, Engineering Physics, 2023-2024 Academic Year MSGC Research Experience “Development of a Thin-Film Reactor for the Synthesis of Atomically Precise Graphene Nanoribbons,” advised by  Tomas […]

This Friday, December 1, Dr. Eric Burkholder, from Auburn University, will be presenting a Colloquium in the Department of Physics and Astronomy entitled Using real-world problem-solving to target structural inequities in introductory physics. The talk begins at 3:15 pm in 140 Bennett Hall. Refreshments will be served at 3:00 pm. Abstract Many groups of people […]