Undergraduate Students

Our undergraduate students are an important part of our department, for these are the physicists of tomorrow and much of the reason we are here. They are the building blocks of our profession. We challenge, motivate and support our students to their highest abilities, laying a steadfast foundation for the rest of their lives.

Recent News:

May 2017
Sam Borer
Samuel Borer, a physics and mathematics major at the University of Maine, has been selected to serve on the National Council of the Society of Physics Students. The Society of Physics Students (SPS) is an international professional association operating within the American Institute of Physics, an umbrella organization for ten other professional science societies. With the goal of shaping students into contributing members of the professional scientific community, SPS is the only physics organization specifically focused on serving undergraduates interested in physics.
The National Council is the main governing body for the Society of Physics Students and the sub-organization, Sigma Pi Sigma Physics Honors Society. For the past year, Samuel has served as the President of the University of Maine’s Chapters of SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma. Under his leadership, the UMaine Chapter was able to send 8 members to PhysCon, the largest undergraduate physics conference in the world, develop relationships with local middle and high schools to promote STEM education, and host a regional physics conference on campus.
“Being involved in our local Chapter at UMaine has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my college career,” Borer says. “Everyone is so passionate and committed to excellence, it made every day an absolute joy. I hope to continue serving the Society of Physics Students at the international level and provide value to every undergraduate member.”
Borer will begin his appointment to the National Council starting June 1st.
April 2017
Graham Van Goffrier

We are proud to announce that Graham Van Goffrier, one of our juniors, was chosen as a recipient for the Goldwater Scholarship. The scholarship program was created to honor the memory of Senator Barry Goldwater and is given out to top performing sophomores and juniors in the United States. A total of 240 scholarships were awarded for the 2017-2018 school year, with another 307 listed as honorable mentions.

Graham is double-majoring with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, along with a minor in Mathematics, all while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Congratulations, Graham!

 

April 2015

Physics Department undergraduate, Julia Sell, recently was awarded a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation. Julia will begin her graduate studies this fall at the University of Maryland, working toward a Ph.D. in experimental condensed matter physics. UMaine media recently published an article announcing the award, which can be read here. Congratulations, Julia!

January, 2015

  • Jenni Lilieholm and Hannah Kavanaugh spent the weekend of January 16-18th at Yale University for the APS Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics. Almost 200 female physicists attended the conference, some traveling from universities as far away as Spain! The conference featured talks and panels from Yale’s female physics faculty, as well as presentations from women in other areas of the physics field, including medical physicists and high school physics teachers. Hope you had a great time, ladies!
  • Julia Sell, along with Dr. Robert Lad and his graduate students,  recently attended the 61st International Symposium and Exhibition held in November 2014, in Baltimore, MD. Julia gave a presentation on “Electrically Stable Pt-ZrB2 Nanocomposite Thin Films for High Temperature Applications,” a project she worked on with grad student, Davey Stewart, Dr. Lad and Dr. Bernhardt.
  • Robbie Fasano and Julia Sell were both awarded a grant from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Fellowship. The money received went toward lab expenses and helped pay for Robbie’s trip to present his project at the AAS meeting in Seattle, Washington in January. Congratulations to both of you!

November, 2013

  • Engineering Physics major, Michelle Beauchemin, was featured in an October 2013 article as one of six undergraduate students who were awarded Center for Undergraduate Research Fellowships for 2012-13. The fellowships provide $1,000 for the student to work with a faculty member on their research. You can read the full article here. Congratulations, Michelle!