Physics @ WPI Class Of 2024!

Physics @ WPIClass of 2024!Doug PetkieDepartment Head &Professor of Physicsdtpetkie@wpi.eduVisit the PhysicsDepartment homepage at:www.wpi.edu/ physics

Overview of the Physics CommunityPresentations Overview of our community and programs Lyuba Titova, Associate Professor of Physics Patrick O’Mullan, Sophomore Zoe Mutton, Junior Tom Young, Senior Jake Bouchard, BS/MS Physics Student Engage with me or one of several students via email or Zoom2Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Congratulations!

A Fundamental Approach toProblem Solving Ask import questions! Discover solutions!(Courtesy: Caltech/MIT/LIGO Lab) Solve Puzzles Basis for all sciences & engineering Make a difference! Opens Doors!Aranson et al. PNAS (2010)4Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Bacteria-Powered Gear Active MatterResearch related to Kunta Wu’s group at WPI 400 μm size gearsAranson et al. PNAS (2010)5Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Academics @ WPI: Overview: The WPI Plan6Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Academics @ WPI: Overview: ProjectsGreat Problems Seminar (Dave Medich and Power the World)Humanities & Arts ProjectInteractive Qualifying Project, IQPMajor Qualifying Project, MQPIndependent Study Unit/Project7Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Humanities & Arts Project Class of 1879 Prize forOutstanding Projects in theHumanities Two physics majors win the topHUA prize! Aviv Breast: “An EthicalFramework for the GeneticEngineering of Animals,” advisor:John Sanbonmatsu Erin Morissette: “Acoustics ofthe Clarinet and SpauldingRecital Hall,” advisor: DouglasWeeks8Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Pioneering Project-Based Learning: IQPWPI was founded on the principle that students learn most effectively byapplying theory to practice. WPI has 50 years of experience integratingprojects into our undergraduate curriculum.50 PROJECT CENTERS WHERE STUDENTSARESOLVING REAL-WORLD CHALLENGES6/7CONTINENTS WHERE WPI STUDENTSARE MAKING AN IMPACT100%OF STUDENTS RECEIVEA GLOBAL PROJECT SCHOLARSHIP(AS OF CLASS OF 2022)Worcester Polytechnic Institute

ABCDE terms and IQP: Switzerland Nancy Burnham, Prof of Physics Switzerland Site Director Blake Currier, Assistant TeachingProfess or Physics Co-instructor10Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Physics @ WPI: The Community 20 physics graduates/yr ( 80 PH/PHA majors) 19 full-time faculty 2 staff, 2 administrators 25 graduate students 25 Peer Learning Assistants Several research laboratories(Soft-Matter / Nanoscience /biophysics / photonics) Most activities in Olin Hall, someat Gateway Park THE PHYSICS LOUNGE!11Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Physics @ WPI: Programs Physics (PH) major (15 physics courses, 6 other) Applied Physics (PHA) major (15 physics, 6 focused) Physics HS Teacher Preparation Program (as a PH or PHA major) Physics with Initial Massachusetts Teaching License Double majors, esp. Mathematics and ME BS/MS program in four-five years Minor in Physics (6 physics courses, w/capstone) Minor in Nanoscience (6 courses in PH, CH, BIO) Minor in Astrophysics (6 courses in PH)12Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Physics @ WPI: The Curriculum 30 courses of coordinated study in the technical fields MathematicsProvides the grammar, physics provides the literature!9 courses - 2 courses at MA3000 level or higher Physics (15 courses, includes MQP)- one course (or more) from each of the 5 principle areas (next slide) Other (6 courses) MA, ENG, CS, Business Use to ‘double-count’ for minors or double majorsBuild out additional strengths13Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Physics @ WPI: Principle AreasMechanicsElectromagnetismExperimental physicsQuantum physics14Thermal &statistical mechanicsWorcester Polytechnic Institute

Physics @ WPI: Options, Options, .cfm?id 5542&theyear /01/23/WPI UG Cat-2020-21-Final WEB.pdfWorcester Polytechnic Institute

Physics @ WPI: Career Pathways16Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The Bigger Picture of ring-physics-bachelorsWorcester Polytechnic Institute

Physics Alumni Data 2013-2016Graduate SchoolsBrown UniversityHarvard UniversityLouisiana State UniversityManhattan CollegeMIT (2)Northeastern UniversityNorthwesternTemple UniversityTufts UniversityUniversity of AlbanyUniversity ofMassachusettsUniversity of TennesseeUniversity of WaterlooWPI (3)18EmployersArrowsight, Inc.ArupAsylum ResearchComsolConBnuum Energy TechnologiesExxonMobilGeneral Dynamics – Electric Boatwww.wpi.edu/ CDCIISC BangaloreIPG Photonics (2)Juniper NetworksMIT Lincoln LaboratoryAerospace EngineeringMedica CorpBiochemistryMeditechComputer SciencePaytronixElectrical & ComputerRaytheon CompanyEngineeringThompson Public SchoolsMathematical SciencesUniversity of Arizona, School ofMechanical EngineeringInformationWorcester Public SchoolsWorcester Polytechnic InstituteWPIDouble Majors

Physics Teaching Profession Starting pay 48K, school year 9 mo base Mid-career 75K, school year 9 mo base Retire before age 60 w/ pension - 87.5% 74 days not under contract (breaks & holidays) 78% teaching in year 5† Intellectual challenge and satisfaction rated equalto or higher than private sector STEM careers†† Considerable shortage! (5.00 – 4.21) †††Spec. Ed. – Severe/Profound Disability 4.61Spec. Ed. – Visually Impaired 4.59Physics 4.53Mathematics 4.42Chemistry 4.42†201519U.S. Dept. of EdPublic School Teacher Attrition and Mobility in the First Five Years: Results From the FirstThrough Fifth Waves of the 2007–08 Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study††http://www.aip.org/statistics††† 2014 AAEE (American Association of Employment in Education)Educator Supply and Demand in the United States ReportWorcester Polytechnic Institute

Student Chapters and RankingsStudent Physics Lounge(senior -physical-sciences physics/Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Sampling of MQPs (Senior Projects)Quantum Random WalksAusten Couvertier, Swarnadeep MajumderAdvisor: P.K. AravindVIFs in cellular dynamicsYu JingAdvisor: Professor Qi WenSpatially Resolved Photoluminescence Spectroscopy of 2DNanomaterialsMembers: Patrick FitzgeraldAdvisor: Lyubov TitovaHydrogen Peroxide Propulsion System for Small SatellitesFinn O’Brien PH/AE, Kevin Martin AE, Eric Pereira MEAdvisors: Nikolaos Gatsonis, Germano IannacchioneSponsor: MIT Lincoln LaboratoryLudwig (ECE), Lyubov Titova and Alex Zozulya (PH)21Applying Cluster Computing With Raspberry Pi's toNumerical General RelativityZachary ChesterAdvisors: Shanshan Rodriguez and Leo RodriguezHigh Accuracy Electrodynamic Calculations using Hermite FiniteElementsSiddhant PandeyAdvisor: L. R. Ram‐MohanExperimental measurement of anisotropy for an Iridium‐192 sourceusing gafchromic dosimetryGroup: Nicole Beinstein and Kenneth FongAdvisor: David MedichDevising an Optimal Procedure to Study the Relationship BetweenCytoskeletal Stiffness and Contractile Force in CellsAline TomasianAdvisor: Qi WenSimulation of the propagation of Terahertz waves in linear andnonlinear mediaMiguel ArandaAdvisors: Reinhold Ludwig (ECE), Lyubov Titova and Alex Zozulya (PH)Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Hearing from and Engaging with ourPhysics CommunityPatrick O'Mullan(PH/CS) '22pjomullan@wpi.edu22Tom YoungPhysics Teacher Programtayoung@wpi.eduJacob BouchardBS, MS, PhD Studentjnbouchard@wpi.eduWorcester Polytechnic Institute

Hearing from and Engaging with ourPhysics CommunityCaroline JaegerPhysics/Env&Sustainability Studies '22cojaeger@wpi.edu23Megan Varney, She/her/hersB.S., M.S. Physics 2021Research Assistant ‐ Wu LabResident Advisor ‐ Institute HallSecretary – SIAMmevarney@wpi.eduZoe MuttonSociety of Physics Students - PresidentKetones A Cappella - Music Directorzmmutton@wpi.eduWorcester Polytechnic Institute

Professor Lyubov Titova: Research andOutreach24Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Patrick O'Mullan25(PH/CS) '22pjomullan@wpi.edu

Zoe MuttonSociety of Physics Students - PresidentKetones A Cappella - Music Directorzmmutton@wpi.edu26

Tom Young27Physics Teacher Programtayoung@wpi.edu

Jacob BouchardBS/MS, PhD Studentjnbouchard@wpi.edu28

(AS OF CLASS OF 2022) WPI was founded on the principle that students learn most effectively by applying theory to practice. WPI has 50 years of experience integrating projects into our undergraduate curriculum. . Phy