Brian Mahoney ’09: Research Update

briand_mahoney.jpgBrian Mahoney will graduate this year with degrees in both chemistry and physics.  His research has been in the chemistry department with Wade Downey, and he spent his summer developing a new way to synthesize propargylic alcohols.  These compounds are frequently used as starting points for further sythesis of drug compounds by the pharmaceutical industry, and Brian has worked to make the sythesis faster and more economical.  Brian began working with professor Downey during his freshman year.  This fall, he will present his work at a chemistry conference in Nashville, TN. 

Garrett Graham ’10 travels to China

garrettcookgraham.jpgJunior Garrett Graham just spent a year in China.  While there, he participated in a Mandarin immersion program at Nanjing University, traveled for two months, and then volunteered with a school for migrant laborers’ children and a Chinese sustainable development NGO.  A math and physics double major, this year he plans to work with Dr. Ovidiu Lipan researching mathematical biology.

Alex Cooke ’10: Research Update

alexmilescooke.jpgJunior Alex Cooke, together with sophomore Adam Hake, spent his summer doing research with professor Ovidiu Lipan in biological physics.  Alex, a physics major, has been emersed in wet-lab molecular biology this summer, which has whetted his appetite for the study of genetics in the biology department.  He currently plans to major in interdisciplinary physics with a concentration in biology.  He has been studying iron uptake system in the bacteria E. Coli, which is usefule for understanding the general problem of iron regulation in cells.  He will continue his research with professor Lipan this year.

Calina Copos ’10 travels to Scotland

calinaanamariacopos.jpgPhysics major Calina Copos, ’10, spent her spring semester studying at University of Edinburgh in Scotland. She studied Archeaology and Mathematics while she was there, and also had a chance to travel around Europe, enjoying digestives and tea as often as possible, and hiking around the Highlands with the Hillwalking Society of Edinburgh.  Calina has been active in research at UR since the summer before her first year, studying nuclear physics with professor Con Beausang.

Students travel to AAS meeting in St. Louis

Four physics students traveled with professor Ted Bunn to the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society in St. Louis, Missouri this summer, to present their work.  Pictured below are (from left to right) Austin Bourdon, Brent Follin, Ben Rybolt, Ted Bunn, and Jeff Zheng. 
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Matt Jordan, '11: Research Update

mattb_jordan.jpgSophomore Matt Jordan spent his summer working with professor Jerry Gilfoyle to analyze the systematic uncertainties in measurements taken at the CEBAF particle accelerator at Jefferson National Lab.  They are are part of a large, international collaboration studying the structure of the deuteron particle, and the results of their experiments will ultimately be used to test current theoretical models of nuclei.  The bulk of their work was performed here at UR on the physics department’s powerful supercomputer cluster.   Matt began working with professor Gilfoyle during his freshman year.  Their research continues this academic year, and in October the two will travel to to present their work at a conference in Oakland California.

Nathanial Mason, ’10: Research Update

nathanielsaulmason.jpgPhysic major Nat Mason did research over the summer with professor Ovidiu Lipan in the field of Biological physics.  Nat is working on the heat shock system in mammalian cells. He is looking for ways to undderstand the response of the cells to a double heat pulse. This research will open new perspectives on heat shock memory (thermotolerance).  Nat has worked with professor Lipan since his first year, and continues his research this fall.

Adam Hake ’11: Research Update

adamm_hake.jpgSophomore Adam Hake spent his summer doing research with professor Ovidiu Lipan in biological physics.  Although Adam has been emersed in wet-lab molecular biology, he is also highly interested in the theoretical aspects of biological systems.  He has been studying iron uptake system in the bacteria E. Coli, which is usefule for understanding the general problem of iron regulation in cells.  He will continue his research with professor Lipan this year.

Brent Follin ’09 travels to Scotland

brentt_follin.jpgBrent Follin, a double major in physics and philosophy, spent the spring of his junior year in Scotland, at the University of Edinburgh.  While he was there, Brent studied optics and condensed matter physics, and reports developing a fondness for Scotch Whiskey.   He also spent some time traveling in Italy and Spain.  This semester, Brent continues his research in Cosmology with professor Ted Bunn.

Cosmin Pancratov ’10: Research Update

cosminpancratov.jpgCosmin Pancratov ’10 is first author on a series of three articles just published in the journal Computing in Science and Engineering.  The articles describe the optimization of a numerical routine used for image analysis, work done with physics professor Matt Trawick, computer science professor Kelly Shaw, and Jake Kurzer ’10, all coauthors.  Cosmin and Jake both began doing research with Trawick during their freshman year.   

Class of 2009

Current senior physics majors:

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Sara Atwater

East Aurora, NY

Research: Polymer Physics (since 2nd year)

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Whitney Brooks

Chesapeake, VA

Research: Cosmology (since 2nd year)

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Berta Darakchieva

Plovdiv, Bulagaria

Research: Nuclear Physics (since 1st year)

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Mila Evtimova

Sofia, Bulgaria

Research: Nuclear Physics (since 1st year)

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Brent Follin

Jefferson, MD

Research: Cosmology (since 1st year)

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Brian Mahoney

East Aurora, NY

Research: synthetic chemistry (since 1st year)

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Ben Rybolt

Hixson, TN

Research: Cosmology (since 2nd year)

   

Class of 2010

Current juniors

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Alex Cooke

Newfane, VT

Research: Biological Physics (since  pre-3rd year)

 

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Calina Copos

Voorhees, NJ

Research: Nuclear Physics (since pre-1st year)

 

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Austin Bourdon

Lexington, VA

Research: Cosmology (since pre-2nd year)

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Garrett Graham

Brevard, NC

Research: Biological Physics (since 3rd year)

 

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Colin Lincoln

Hingham, MA

Research:

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Nat Mason

Jacksonville, FL

Research: Biological Physics (since 1st year)

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Cosmin Pancratov

Galiti, Romania

Research: Polymer Physics (since 1st year)

(actually a C.S. major, but we still like him)

 

 

 

Class of 2011

(This is our best guess about the sophomore class.  Some of these pictured haven’t declared yet; others not here may still declare later.)

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Cain Bonniwell

Belle Haven, VA

Research:

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Adam Hake

York, PA

Research: Biological Physics (since pre-2nd year)

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Matt Jordan

Columbus, MS

Research: Nuclear Physics (since pre-2nd year)

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Mark Moog

Downingtown, PA

Research: Nuclear Physics (since pre-2nd year)

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Nicol Traynor

Basking Ridge, NJ

Research:

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Jordan Wolfinger

Cary, NC

Research:

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Haoxuan “Jeff” Zheng

Nanjing, China

Research: Cosmology (since 1st year)