Physics Student Ambassadors

Harrison is pursuing a B.S. in Physics and double minoring in Mathematics and Russian. He is the Secretary of the UM Society of Physics Students. He is also involved in UM’s Russian Club, and Russian Table.
Why did you choose to attend UM?
I chose to attend UM because firstly when I visited campus, I noticed how strong the physics program was despite its size. It is a tight knit community that allowed for one-on-one interactions between professors and students, especially with the number of research opportunities that were available. Secondly, I liked the beauty of the campus. Despite a seemingly insignificant detail, I think the beauty of nature allows for many new thoughts to surface.

When and how did you choose your major(s)/minor(s)?

Growing up in New Orleans, I was close to the LIGO experiment. This was very influential and was a sort of catalyst to pursue physics since I was young. And in high school, I found Russian history to be the most interesting. Despite the animosity between the US and Russia, when I found out that UM had a Russian language program, I joined and fell in love with the faculty and decided to minor.

Why is your department a special place?
Like I mentioned earlier, this department is a tight knit community. There are generally around 30 undergraduates and 40 graduates in the department a year. Combine this with the astonishing expertise of the faculty, and you find an amazing education and experience. This more one-on-one time facilitates lasting connections with professors and peers alike.

Can you tell me about a professor or a class you’ve taken that has had the most impact on you?
Actually, my answer would be two classes I attended at the same time. They were Classical Mechanics (PHYS 310) and Introduction to Dynamical Systems and Chaos (MATH 565). While most of the material would seemingly not line up, there were some deep intuitions which I gained from the mathematics of dynamical systems that I’ve been able to apply to mechanics and my physics career in general.

What do you hope to do after you graduate? What are your career goals/ plans for postgraduation?
After graduation, I intend to pursue a Ph.D. in Physics. Specifically, I have an interest in cosmology and gravitation, but I would like to use that experience to explore topics in biophysics/neuroscience, such as the solitonic model for neural action potentials (basically: why are neural impulses localized?).

Apart from school, how do you spend your time in Oxford? What are your hobbies, favorite places to go, etc.?
I’m usually eating at one of the many great restaurants in Oxford, shooting pool with friends, or taking care of my bonsai.

What is your go-to meal in Oxford?
Probably St. Leo because their ingredients are super fresh, amazing drinks, and they change the menu regularly.

Ally is a German, Physics, and Chemistry major with minors in Math and French. She has used her skills in German while on a study abroad internship where she worked at the Institute of Science and Technology in Austria. At UM, she is involved in computational chemistry and computational astrochemistry research. Ally has also contributed to a number of published research articles. 

Why did you choose to attend UM?

I chose to attend UM because of the research opportunities for undergraduate students including freshman! When I visited the University and got a chance to talk with the current students and professors. I could tell how many opportunities there were for undergraduate students and how much the students loved being here.

When and how did you choose your major(s)/minor(s)?

Coming to UM I thought that I wanted to be a Chemistry major with minors in math and French. I knew I wanted to study Chemistry because I loved the idea of chemistry research and I had been taking French since 6^th grade and I wanted to continue. The chemistry department offers emphasis for the B.S. Chemistry major so I decided to add an emphasis in chemical physis. I quickly realized that a lot of what I loved about Chemistry overlaps with Physics, and it was only a few more classes for a B. A. in Physics. The summer before my freshman year, I was accepted into the German intensive summer program so I thought I would also minor in German. After taking German classes for a few semesters, I decided that I wanted to keep taking classes and became a B.A. German major as well.

What would you tell a high school student about your major? What is most important for them to know if they’re interested in pursuing that field of study?

Physics is a lot more than the physics you might see in high school. Physics expands into quantum mechanics, astrophysics, acoustics, and other areas. It is so multifaceted that there is something for everyone. If you are at all interested in Physics, take a few classes, and see which are you like best and go from there!

Can you tell me about a professor or a class you’ve taken that has had the most impact on you?

Dr. Fortenberry is my research advisor and has always been incredibly supportive. Both through research opportunities and by supporting what I want to do in the future. Anyone thinking about undergraduate research should get involved!

What has been one of your most memorable or enjoyable moments at UM?

I loved being able to help with Spooky Physics Night last year which is a Halloween themed demo show that the Physics Department puts on every year for the community. It is so much fun to help put together the demos and see the department come together to put on the show each year.

What do you hope to do after you graduate? What are your career goals/ plans for postgraduation?

After graduation I hope to continue to graduate school for a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics. I want to go into a career in Computational Chemistry research, but a lot of the time the research I am interested in crosses into Physics, so I want to make sure I have a strong foundation.

Apart from school, how do you spend your time in Oxford? What are your hobbies, favorite places to go, etc.?

There are a lot of coffee shops around town that are fun to study at! I also love going to the local farmers market on Tuesdays!

What is one thing you wish you knew as an incoming freshman that you’d tell your past self (about the general college experience)?

I would tell incoming freshman to go for what ever you are interested in, whether that be an interesting class or an organization or a research opportunity. College is a great opportunity to try out new interests.