University of Rochester

Summer 2008 undergraduate research in Physics, Optics, and Astronomy

Laura Arnold, class of '10 at the University of Rochester, worked with Steven Manly to organize and run the Pre-College Experience in Physics (PREP) program, a summer outreach program for high school girls which aims to encourage women in science. She plans to apply to graduate school for education or astrophysics.

Micaela Bagley, class of '10 at the University of Rochester, worked on simulating the effect of an evolving bar on the formation of rings in spiral galaxies with Prof. Alice Quillen. She plans on applying to graduate school in astrophysics.

Aaron Bauer, class of '09 at University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, worked with Prof. Robert Boyd on ghost imaging with a pseudothermal light source. He plans on applying to graduate school in physics.

Victoria Chan, class of '09 at Smith College, characterized the propagation of light carrying orbital angular momentum through turbulent media with Professor Boyd and Colin O'Sullivan. She plans on applying to graduate school in physics.

Brad Christensen, class of '10 at University of Rochester, worked with Prof. Yongli Gao on measuring the p-doping effect of WO₃ in organic materials such as

tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum [Alq₃]. He plans to apply to graduate school for physics.

Dustin Cote, class of '09 at Clarkson University, worked with Prof. Cindy Ebinger and Prof. Alice Quillen on spectral analysis of low-frequency events from the seismological activity in the Afar region of Ethiopia. He plans to apply to graduate school for physics.

Laura Coyle, class of '09 at Colgate University, worked with Prof. Nicholas Bigelow on characterizing the optical properties of magnesium fluoride coated window flanges. She plans to apply to graduate school in physics.

Samuel Harrold, class of '09 at the University of Rochester, worked under Prof. Dan Watson analyzing mid-infrared spectra of protoplanetary disks observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope. He is applying to graduate schools for astrophysics.

David Heaton, class of '09 at the University of Rochester, worked under Prof. Paul Ampadu on improvements to the design of a simulator for custom ballistic nanostructures. David plans on applying to graduate school in electrical and computer engineering.

Sendawula (Joel) Kajubi, class of '09 at the University of Rochester, worked with the group of Prof. William Forrest on detector array research.

Colin Kinz-Thompson, class of '10 at the University of Rochester, worked on performing molecular dynamics simulations of charge migration in DNA with Prof. Esther Conwell. He plans to attend grad school for Chemistry.

Daniel Klein, class of '10 at Tufts University, worked with Prof. Robert Boyd on light polarization effects related to artificial planar chiral nanostructures.

Jonathan Kurvits, class of '10 at the University of Rochester, worked on measuring gravitational acceleration using rubidium pressure gradients with Prof. John Howell. He plans on attending graduate school in physics.

Dan Linford, class of '09 at the University of Rochester, worked with Stephen Teitel on a simulation of granular materials in the jammed state. He plans on applying to graduate school in physics.

Sean Lourette, class of '11 at Washington University in St Louis, constructed an optical device capable of measuring the spatial coherence of a planar sample with Professor Lukas Novotny. He plans to apply to graduate school in physics.

Justin Mathew, class '10 at the University of Rochester, worked on physical modeling and acoustic measuring of a clarinet for making a synthesizer with Prof. Mark Bocko.

Heather Moore, class of '10 at The College of Wooster, worked on creating a working Atomic Force Microscopy set up for use by the Nano-Optics Group at the University of Rochester. This project was supervised by Prof. Lukas Novotny. She plans on pursuing graduate school for physics.

Julia Nelson, class of '10 at University of Rochester, worked with Prof. John Tarduno and Rory Cottrell of the Earth and Environmental Science department on a project involving the characterization of magnetization held by Archean age zircons from the Barberton Belt of South Africa. She plans to apply to graduate school for geology.

Danielle Nielsen, class of '09 at Colby College, studied the dust composition of disks of T Tauri stars in Chamaeleon with Prof. Bill Forrest. She plans to apply for graduate school in astrophysics.

Zhengqing Qi, class of '09, University of Rochester, worked with M. Zielinski and R. Demina on optimizing HCAL and ECAL energy thresholds to eliminate noise and reduce jet energy loss in the CMS detector. He plans to attend graduate school.

Roshita Ramkhalawon, class of '10 at University of Rochester, worked in Prof. Nicholas Bigelow's group to set up an optical resonator aiming at producing efficient second harmonic generation light.  She plans on applying to graduate school in physics.

Valerie Rapson, class of '10 at the University of Rochester (transferred from Florida Inst. of Technology for Fall 2008), worked with David Douglass and Robert Knox on studying volcanic eruptions and using energy balance models to analyze aerosol based geo-engineering proposals. She plans on applying to graduate school in physics.

Ben Richard, class of '09 at the University of Rochester, worked on a semi-classical approximation method to matrix algebra using Grassmann variables with Prof. Sarada Rajeev. He plans on applying to graduate school in physics.

Adi Robinson, class of '10 at the University of Rochester, worked with Prof. Frank Wolfs on the development of the advanced nuclear science education laboratory. He plans to apply to graduate school for physics and chemistry.

Chaz Ruggieri, class of '09 at The College of New Jersey, worked with Prof. Adam Frank's group on clumped-jet outflow simulations of young stars and their interaction with the interstellar medium. He plans on applying to graduate school in physics.

Patrick Sheehan, class of '11 at the University of Rochester, worked with Prof. Dan Watson on transitional disks in the Orion Nebula and water emission lines in the spectra of protostars, using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope. He plans on applying to graduate school in astrophysics.

Kyle Taylor, class of '09 at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, worked with the research group of Prof. Nicholas Bigelow to set up an efficient second harmonic generation (SHG) of Ti:sapphire laser using non-linear BBO crystal.

Chris Zhou, class of '10 at Rice University, worked with the research group of Prof. Yongli Gao and performed I-V measurements of Cs-doped copper phthalocyanine organic thin-film transistors. He plans to apply to graduate school in physics.