Undergraduate Physics Research

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ESTABLISHED RECORD OF UNDERGRADUTE PARTICIPATION IN PHYSICS RESEARCH The Bucknell Physics Department is particularly proud of the opportunities we provide for undergraduate participation in ongoing faculty research. In the the years 1998-2003, 19 undergraduates have appeared as co-authors with Physics Department faculty members on articles published in scientific journals (or articles submitted for publication). During the same period 25 additional papers with undergraduate co-authors have been presented at national meetings of the American Physical Society, the American Astronomical Society, and other profession organizations, often with students attending the meeting and delivering the presentation. Some of the research on which these papers is based was conducted during special summer research programs, while some was done during the academic year (see below). Recent Papers with Undergraduate Co-Authors

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

• Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program
  This 10 week summer program gives about 10 undergraduates each year the opportunity to work full time on a research project under the supervision of a Bucknell faculty member. Most of the funding is provided by the National Science Foundation and Bucknell University.

• Summer Research at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Chicago, Illinois,
  Students participate in experiments studying elementary particles at one of the world's pre-eminent high-energy physics labs.
  Contact Professor Sally Koutsoliotas koutslts@bucknell.edu.

• Honors Program and Honors Theses
  Physics majors with a GPA of 3.5 at the end of their junior year may apply for admission into the honors program. As a part of the honors program students write an honors thesis based on research conducted under the supervision of a faculty member.

• Independent Study
  Students may register for PHYS or ASTR 350, Undergraduate Research, and receive academic credit for research conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. Interested students should contact the potential research supervisor to receive permission to register for this course.

• Non-Bucknell Programs
  We encourage students to take advantage of industrial internships and research opportunities at other institutions. In recent summers Bucknell physics majors have found positions at the Space Telescope Institute, Princeton, Dartmouth, the University of Michigan, Oak Ridge National Lab, Lockheed, and many other labs. Advertisements for off-campus positions are posted across from the Physics Department Office.

RESEARCH FIELDS

• Astronomy and Astrophysics
  Professors Ned Ladd, Jack Gallimore, and Michele Thornley
• Biophysics (Experiment)
  Professor Beth Cunningham
• Pattern Formation and Chaos (Experiment)
  Professor Tom Solomon
• Atomic Physics (Experiment)
  Professors Dave Schoepf and Marty Ligare
• Quantum Optics (Theory)
  Professor Marty Ligare
• Gravitation (Theory)
  Professor Jeff Bowen
• Condensed Matter Physics (Computer Simulation)
  Professor Katharina Vollmayr-Lee
• Elementary Particle Physics (Experiment)
  Professor Sally Koutsoliotas
• Statistical Physics (Theory)
  Professor Ben Vollmayr-Lee
• Magnetic Nanoparticles (Experiment)
  Professor Krishna Chowdary