Science festivals offer a platform for researchers to demystify complex scientific phenomena and help the public better understand the relevance and importance of their work. By making science accessible to broader audiences, it can also inspire future scientists to pursue careers in STEM.

���ϲ����� postdoctoral researcher Graeme Eddolls (left) and his collaborator Andrew Spencer (right) presenting their research on gravitational waves during the Orkney International Science Festival.

Graeme Eddolls, a postdoctoral researcher in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) who works with the (CGWAA), recently attended the in Scotland. The festival regularly draws prominent scientists, historians and experts who share their research with the public in approachable ways. Notably, when it was founded in 1991, it was the world’s second ever science festival, following the renowned Edinburgh Science Festival, which was established in 1989. Eddolls and his collaborators, Andrew Spencer, a lecturer at the University of Glasgow, and Leon Trimble, an audiovisual artist and honorary research associate at the University of Birmingham, presented their “Swimming with Gravitational Waves” project, which includes creative and interactive experiences that connect water, sound and gravitational waves. During the week, they also showcased their “Music of Deep Time” project and hosted booths at an Orkney Festival family event as well as a workshop at Kirkwall Grammar School.

About the Project

Leon Trimble performing at the Swimming with Gravitational Waves event.

To a general audience, the concept of gravitational waves may seem complex and challenging to understand. However, as Eddolls explains, gravitational waves follow similar physics principles as those we observe in everyday phenomena like light, water and sound waves.

Gravitational waves are produced in the aftermath of some of the most energetic processes in the universe, like when black holes or neutron stars collide. These events produce ‘ripples’ in spacetime, a concept which was first predicted by Albert Einstein in his general theory of relativity. By the time these signals reach Earth, they are extremely faint. To detect them, researchers measure laser interference using detectors known as laser interferometers.

When a gravitational wave passes through a detector, it alters the distance that laser light travels along the detector’s two arms, changing their interference pattern. This technology, used by some of the most advanced detectors like the (LIGO) in the U.S., helped scientists make the first direct observation of gravitational waves in 2015, a monumental discovery made by an international team of physicists, including several researchers from ���ϲ�����.

Eddolls points out that a fascinating aspect of gravitational waves is that their vibration frequencies fall within the range of human hearing.

The team brought their rubber spacetime demonstrator to the cliffs of Orkney to capture a scenic photo during the festival.

“While we can’t directly hear gravitational waves with our ears, we can take the signal from our detectors and turn it into sound,” he says. “You can actually to the converted signal of the first ever gravitational wave detection.”

Participants enter a swimming pool, where they can hear sound waves through speakers positioned above and below the water. This setup creates a unique auditory experience, mimicking how gravitational waves are produced everywhere in the universe. Furthermore, by swimming in the pool, participants can experience water waves through sight which gives the audience a good physical intuition of what waves are, how waves move and how waves interfere when they pass through each other.

As technology advances, companies face a growing need to hire graduates skilled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). However, finding the ideal candidate can be difficult at times due to a limited pool of applicants. Part of the reason for this is that 1 in 3 students who originally declare as a STEM major change their field of study before they graduate, according to research from the .

Professors (from left) Abrar Aljiboury, Heather Coleman and Carlos A. Castañeda have been awarded an NSF grant to welcome undergraduate students from around the country to ���ϲ����� to conduct research over the summer. (Photo by Elise Krespan)

One way to keep STEM students engaged in their major is through hands-on research, where they can apply their theoretical knowledge to address real-world challenges. In 1987, the National Science Foundation launched the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program to help attract and retain STEM students by funding experiential learning opportunities during the summer.

Three biology faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) have been awarded that department’s first three-year , “.” , associate professor of biology, serves as the grant’s principal investigator (PI), with , associate professor of biology and chemistry, and , biology professor of practice, collaborating as co-PIs. The award will fund 10 undergraduate students per year (30 in total) from other institutions to conduct summer research at ���ϲ����� in biology and biology-affiliated labs alongside faculty.

While this is the first REU site grant in biology at ���ϲ�����, faculty from the department have collaborated on similar programs through the site in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the site in A&S. Other active REU site grants at the University include the and the programs.

According to Coleman, a primary objective of the team’s project is to promote diversity within the STEM field and offer meaningful hands-on research experiences to students who may not have access to such opportunities at their home universities. They will focus on recruiting domestic students from minority-serving institutions, primarily undergraduate institutions and community colleges.

“Students who participate in research are more likely to see themselves as scientists and remain in STEM,” says Coleman. “Through this 10-week summer program, students from diverse backgrounds will have the opportunity to conduct research, join a cohort of summer undergraduate researchers across the university, participate in professional development and present their research.”

Beginning in 2025, REU students will conduct 10 weeks of summer research with one of 14 biology and physics faculty mentors. Research will focus on using microscopy to understand form and function across biological scales. This entails developing insight into the relationship between the shape, size and structure of an organism and exploring how these characteristics enable functions that support the organism’s survival.

“Each student’s project will incorporate microscopy into innovative biological research,” says Coleman. “All REU participants will gain exposure to microscopy methods, including fluorescence and super-resolution, using state-of-the-art instrumentation to address questions that cross multiple scales of biological research.”

The team notes that this REU will take advantage of the University’s strengths in microscopy, and the core facilities and resources, including the (directed by biology professor and managed by co-PI Aljiboury) and the BioInspired Institute’s (directed by Eric Finkelstein, Ph.D.).

Potential student projects include investigating molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning neurodevelopment; identifying the connections between form, function and environment in animals that interface with and attach to surfaces; examining mechanisms driving plant responses to climate change; elucidating mechanisms of protein quality control to understand the assembly and disassembly of biomolecular condensates; and understanding how cells self-organize and develop.

The will host its first cohort of undergraduates in the summer of 2025. The program will begin accepting applications in November 2024 through the .

Maloney, a researcher who investigates fundamental questions in theoretical physics and quantum information theory, comes to ���ϲ����� from in Montreal.

Alexander Maloney

“I am delighted by the opportunity to work with the outstanding students and faculty at ���ϲ����� to help push the forefront of research in quantum science,” Maloney says.

The Walters Endowed Professorship was established by a $2.5 million gift from ���ϲ����� Board of Trustees Chair Emeritus Kathy Walters ’73 and her husband, Stan ’72. Their gift was made as part of the , which supports the recruitment and retention of high-caliber faculty.

“The commitment of the Walters family has allowed us to recruit a world-class leader for ���ϲ�����’s quantum science program,” says , vice president for research. “Professor Maloney will bring together outstanding faculty from the and the and provide new opportunities for our students to engage in cutting-edge research.”

Maloney’s research focuses on connections between quantum information theory, field theory, statistical mechanics and quantum gravity.

“Over the last century, advances in our understanding of the quantum world have underlain some of the most important scientific and technical advances that have changed both our society and our understanding of the universe,” Maloney says. “This includes deep questions ranging from elementary particle physics and black holes to materials science and engineering. Many of the most exciting current directions lie at the intersection of quantum science and information theory, where a new field of science is being created that may have profound implications, both for our understanding of fundamental physics and for the construction of quantum computers and precision devices.”

A&S Dean Behzad Mortazavi notes that health care is another area of promise in quantum information science. “For example, we can imagine the potential for much earlier detection of diseases like cancer through quantum sensing, and the creation of highly personalized, more effective treatments for those diseases based on analysis of massive amounts of DNA data,” he says. “With Professor Maloney bringing his internationally recognized expertise to join the other top researchers in A&S physics, we are excited to be on the leading edge of this frontier.”

Maloney’s previous positions include James McGill Professor of Physics and Sir William Macdonald Chair in Physics at McGill University, where he was honored with the John David Jackson Award for excellence in teaching. He was a member of the in Princeton, New Jersey, and a research associate at the . He was selected as a Simons Fellow in Theoretical Physics in 2013. He earned a Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University and an M.Sc. in mathematics and B.Sc. in physics from Stanford University.

At ���ϲ�����, Maloney will work with four new researchers—now being recruited by the University with support from and —who will grow teaching and research in quantum science, providing opportunities for students to advance understanding of nature and design the next generation of quantum technologies.

From left: Professors Bing Dong, Jackie Anderson, Ian Shapiro and Jensen Zhang (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

The University has received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to create new Building Training and Assessment Center (BTAC) to train undergraduate and graduate engineering students and build a clean energy workforce. The SU-BTAC, aligned with the vision of the DOE BTAC program, will educate and provide hands-on training for engineering students to perform assessments focused on reducing the energy burden for commercial and institutional buildings with a focus on disadvantaged communities.

The SU-BTAC will be housed at the (���ϲ�����CoE), New York State’s Center of Excellence in Environmental Energy Systems which engages more than 200 private companies, organizations and academic institutions to create new products and services in indoor environmental quality, clean and renewable energy, and water resource management.

With ���ϲ�����CoE, the SU-BTAC will create relationships and company screening opportunities to connect commercial and institutional buildings with existing programs in the region relating to unions, apprenticeships, trade organizations, community programs and others.

“I see the SU-BTAC as an expansion of the ���ϲ����� Industrial Assessment Center (SU-IAC), now SU-ITAC, and as a great experiential learning opportunity for our students. Not only are we able to help commercial and institutional buildings with reducing their energy burden, but we are also able to teach and mentor the next generation of energy engineers,” says , director of IAC and associate teaching professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering.

SU-BTAC will be led by faculty from ���ϲ����� and supported by faculty from the City University of New York. The center will be co-directed by Professor , with involvement from professors and .

Graduate students from the Experimental Neutrino Physics group with ���ϲ�����-area high school students who took part in the ���ϲ����� Physics Emerging Research Technologies Summer High School Internship Program in summer 2024.

It takes sophisticated technology to study the behavior of invisible particles like neutrinos and cosmic rays, which pass through our bodies every second before zooming back off into the universe without us even knowing. While they might be tiny, these particles have massive importance, as understanding their interactions could help scientists determine why our universe exists and why all of the “stuff” in the universe, including stars, planets and people, are made out of matter and not antimatter. Faculty and students in the ��group in ���ϲ�����’s College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) are part of an international effort to explore the secrets of neutrinos.

So, what’s the buzz about neutrinos? Neutrinos and other invisible particles such as cosmic rays are produced by some of the most extreme events in the cosmos, like the Big Bang nearly 14 billion years ago or when massive stars end their life cycles in a blaze of glory known as supernovae explosions. Neutrinos come in three flavors (electron, muon and tau) and have some mysterious characteristics, such as puzzlingly low masses and the ability to oscillate, or change from one type of neutrino to another. Scientists use cutting-edge particle detectors to study the information embedded in neutrinos and make definitive determinations of neutrino properties.

Physics Professors �����Ի�����are working with undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers on everything from detector construction to operation and analysis, both at ���ϲ����� and at larger detection sites like��. Fermilab is one of the few places on Earth where a focused beam of neutrinos can be created and aimed at a detector.

Through Fermilab’s����(DUNE), particle detectors are being constructed one mile underground in a former gold mine in South Dakota right in the path of a neutrino beam originating from Fermilab in Illinois. Once operational, DUNE scientists will be able to study a phenomenon called “neutrino oscillation,” which looks at how the three different flavors of neutrinos that make up the Standard Model (electron, muon and tau) change between types as they travel. These insights could reveal why the universe is dominated by matter and whether a fourth type of neutrino (sterile neutrino) exists, which would go beyond the Standard Model, indicating that there is more to the universe’s fundamental particle makeup than we currently understand.

Prototype Paves the Way

Physics graduate student Tom Murphy (right, in orange hard hat) working on a DUNE prototype. (Photo by Dan Svoboda)

DUNE, currently under construction, will be the most comprehensive neutrino experiment in the world. But before it comes online, scientists have been testing prototype equipment and components in preparation for the final detector installation. Members of ���ϲ�����’s Experimental Neutrino Physics group have been part of the��, which recorded its first��. While the final version of the DUNE near detector will feature 35 liquid argon modules, the prototype has four modules arranged in a square and allows scientists to validate the design.

“Our group members who are resident at Fermilab, including postdoctoral researcher Luis Zazueta and graduate student Tom Murphy, have helped with final detector construction, installation and operations,” says Soderberg. “Zazueta was the inaugural “deputy run coordinator” for the 2×2 effort, which is a leadership role important to the operation of the detector. We are anticipating more involvement in the full-size DUNE detector that the 2×2 is a prototype for.”

Exploring the Cosmos on Campus

Physics Ph.D. student Sierra Thomas is another one of the A&S scientists who has been involved in the DUNE collaboration. She is currently setting up the equipment to make observations of cosmic events at ���ϲ����� using the new prototype “pixel” Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber detector. Located on the third floor of the physics building, this hi-tech device allows researchers to make observations about the universe from the comforts of campus. What’s more, the experiments conducted with this equipment are contributing to the enhancement of larger detectors at Fermilab.

Watch the video below for Sierra’s take on the detector.

A Search for Oscillation

In addition to the DUNE project, Fermilab also hosts the Short-Baseline Neutrino Program, which is a chain of three particle detectors—ICARUS, MicroBooNE and the Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND). SBND is the near detector for the Short Baseline Neutrino Program and the newest of the three. ICARUS, which started collecting data in 2021, is the far detector. SBND will measure the neutrinos as they were produced in the Fermilab beam and ICARUS will measure the neutrinos after they’ve potentially oscillated. The neutrino interactions collected from these detectors play a critical role in performing searches for neutrino oscillations, which could provide proof of the elusive fourth kind of neutrino.

The Short-Baseline Near Detector and ICARUS are the near and far detectors, respectively, in the Short-Baseline Neutrino Program. (Photo courtesy of Fermilab)

Rohan Rajagopalan standing in the SBND building near the detector.

SBND, the final element that completed Fermilab’s Short-Baseline Neutrino Program, recently reached a key milestone as scientists identified the detector’s����earlier this year. Members of ���ϲ�����’s Experimental Neutrino Physics group played integral roles in��constructing and commissioning the detector, whose planning, prototyping and construction took nearly a decade. Current group members Amy Filkins, a postdoctoral researcher, and Rohan Rajagopalan, a graduate student, are currently based at Fermilab and working on SBND, having made major contributions to SBND’s first operations.

Amy Filkins (in yellow hard hat) working on the Short-Baseline Near Detector’s data acquisition rack.

The collaboration will continue operating the detector and analyzing the many millions of neutrino interactions collected for the next several years.

“I’m proud of the work that our team has been undertaking,” says Whittington. “I find the process of building, understanding and operating these experiments very engaging, and I’m excited to see them come to fruition over the next few years.”

Students interested in hands-on, international research and exploring the secrets of neutrinos can learn more by visiting the����group website.

Doctoral students in clinical psychology��Alexa Deyo ’21 and Alison Vrabec G’23 spent their summer testing a theory that a certain kind of therapeutic technique called motivational interviewing could improve sleep and overall health among adolescents. According to the , sleep problems can impact how people learn, think and get along with others. “If teens are sleeping better, their mental health is improved; they are more emotionally regulated and less impulsive,” says��, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, who is supervising the clinical research.

Kathy Walters

Their research is exactly the kind of promising work that philanthropic alumni��Kathy Walters��’73, H’23 and her husband, Stan ’72, had in mind when they set up the Walters Endowed Fund for Science Research in 2016. According to Kathy Walters, they were hoping to create new opportunities for research that would benefit humanity—and they left the door open for the dean and faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) to define what those benefits might be.

“Researchers tend to see things that those of us not immersed in science would never see,” says Walters, a ���ϲ����� Trustee. “I’m not a big believer in telling capable people what they should be researching.” In fact, the funding is to be used to support a vast array of academic inquiry, including “undergraduate, graduate or faculty-led research in the sciences, including departments of biology, chemistry, communication sciences and disorders, Earth science, mathematics, psychology and physics.”

The funding is awarded at the discretion of the A&S dean and associate dean for research to recognize outstanding research faculty. “Research funding is critical to supporting our academic mission,” says A&S Dean��Behzad Mortazavi. “With Kathy and Stan’s gift, we can invest in more of our stellar faculty and students, so they can contribute their enormous expertise to solving challenges in the areas of the environment and climate, health and wellness, social justice and human thriving.”

Favour Chukwudumebi Ononiwu

Since the fund was established, it has supported research by graduate students in physics, chemistry, biology and psychology. “Thanks to the Walters, I was able to spend the summer of 2023 in the lab full-time,” says Favour Chukwudumebi Ononiwu, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in cell biology and is dedicated to figuring out the cellular behavior that governs early development of human tissue. “This particular tissue helps the body organize itself. Understanding how that happens is key to understanding developmental defects.”

“Bench to bedside research” like this takes years of toil at the “bench” in the lab to reach the “bedside” where people can benefit. Ononiwu says the funding from the Walters allowed her to spend a lot more time at that bench, reduce some of the costs associated with conducting the research, and speed up the process of discovery. “It was also empowering to be in a space where I didn’t have to worry about my finances and could come into the lab and focus on the experiment. It also helped get my research to the point where I could apply for more grants and fellowships to accelerate the research.”

Ononiwu, who hopes to pursue a job in a biotechnology, pharmaceutical or biomedical company, says the Walters funding was a “catalyst for my development as a researcher and a professional.”

Kidwell says her graduate students are deepening their own clinical training through the funded research and positioning themselves to be more competitive for National Institutes of Health grants.

“Oftentimes, teaching assistantships take precedence over research assistantships because of financial need,” says Deyo, a first-year doctoral student in clinical psychology.

Professor Katie Kidwell (second from left) with members of the Child Health Lab, including graduate students (from left) Toni Hamilton, Alison Vrabec, Lyric Tully, Alexa Deyo and Megan Milligan.

The doctoral students were able to accelerate the launch of their study this past summer, recruit a significant number of teens aged 13 to 17 as study subjects, expose them to the intervention called motivational interviewing and measure the impact on their sleep using a smart watch-type of device called an actigraph.

The intent of their research, of course, is to help teens and college students problem-solve and deal with stressors that impact their well-being. The research aligns with Kathy Walters’ sensitivity to the impact of stress on health. “The world is moving at such a rapid pace that it’s difficult for people to prioritize and focus amidst the change and anxiety,” says Walters. “Helping faculty and students make the most of opportunities to improve health and humanity remains our priority.”

“We are so grateful to Kathy and Stan for their generosity and vision in establishing this fund,” says John Quigley, A&S assistant dean for advancement. “We hope others who are similarly passionate about academic and research excellence at the University will follow suit. An endowment of $100,000 or more provides the kind of annual supplemental support needed by our talented faculty to accelerate the impact of their teaching and research.”

Walters says it’s important to provide gifts that are not too restricted. “Students are developing the critical thinking skills required to pursue knowledge that answers the big questions facing our world. By supporting research, we are helping them find the answers.”

Xiaoxia “Silvie” Huang

With “Engaging Refugee and Immigrant Youth in STEM Through Culturally Relevant and Place-Based Digital Storytelling,” — an associate professor in the program—aims to engage culturally and linguistically diverse refugee and immigrant middle school students in co-designing culturally relevant and place-based STEM learning experiences through immersive, virtual reality (VR) storytelling. The goal? To support their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and career aspirations.

During this two-year project, Huang, a project investigator, will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team, including co-PIs Professor (School of Education) and Professor (). Also joining the research team are professors and () and professors and ().

“During the VR storytelling co-design process, local middle schoolers will expand their STEM disciplinary knowledge and skills in agriculture, environmental science, and entry-level computer coding,” says Huang. “This learning will be deeply rooted in their lived experience, with immersive stories that interweave their identities, cultures, and interaction with local environments. The goal of this project is to increase participants’ STEM learning, identity and self-efficacy, and to broaden their interests in STEM career pathways.”

The project team will collaborate with various community partners and organizations during its implementation, including , the , ��and interconnected projects and programs organized through the (including Natural Science Explorers and Write Out). Huang’s project also will engage 10 ���ϲ����� undergraduate and three graduate students as mentors for the middle school participants.

“This exciting and interdisciplinary research project brings together collaborators from four different schools and colleges and a host of community partners to advance culturally sustaining STEM opportunities for refugee and immigrant students in the local ���ϲ����� community,” says Professor Beth Ferri, Associate Dean for Research, School of Education. “Drawing on cultural and community assets and engaged interdisciplinary learning, the project is as ambitious as it is innovative.”

Huang expects the project will produce not only the young participants’ digitally immersive stories but also curriculum modules for facilitators and participants, supporting the co-design process, as well as a practical guide for using community-based research to involve refugee and immigrant youth in STEM.

Shikha Nangia

is professor and interim chair of biomedical and chemical engineering in the (ECS). is a distinguished professor of physics in the (A&S). They succeed outgoing co-directors and .

Nangia joined the University in 2012 as a tenure-track professor. Her work involves the creation of computational models to examine the body’s blood-brain barrier at the molecular level. Those findings help develop drugs that can penetrate the barrier to advance medicinal treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Marina Artuso

Artuso is an experimental physicist who works in experimental particle physics. Her research focuses on interesting properties of beauty and charm quarks and on the novel instrumentation needed to study their decay properties. She came to the University as a research assistant professor of physics in 1993, was appointed a professor of physics in 2005 and recently was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

WiSE faculty co-directors serve as advocates, engaging with university leadership, the campus community and external audiences. They also develop strategic vision for the organization, offer budget input, and actively participate in programming. WiSE was created by and is led by faculty. Its goals are to increase the representation and retention of women faculty members in STEM fields, to highlight women scholars and to develop advising and mentoring programs.

WiSE serves members across 18 departments in six colleges and schools: A&S, ECS, , , and the .��It presents social, academic and professional development programming for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty in tenure, tenure-track and non-tenure-track positions.

One of the programs WiSE hosts is the career-focused Future Professionals Program (top).

Faculty present workshops, act as mentors, offer portfolio reviews and serve in many capacities to support learning and teaching, says WiSE director Sharon Alestalo.

“Their active involvement helps direct how we can support faculty success. We do that through programming for them and by providing activities and events that support the students and scholars they work with,” Alestalo says.

WiSE also supports the recruitment of women faculty in STEM. When the program was founded, there were 18 women faculty members teaching in 10 A&S and ECS departments. Today, there are 174 tenure, tenure-track and non-tenure women faculty members working in 18 areas, Alestalo says. STEM women faculty in WiSE have also attracted more than $104 million in research funding during the last five years, she says.

WiSE also supports programming for Women of Color in STEM.

The organization is open to all. Undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty women and their allies of any gender, race, ability and identity who work, study or are interested in the STEM fields are welcome.

The 2024 cohort of ���ϲ�����-area high school students who took part in the ���ϲ����� Physics Emerging Research Technologies Summer High School Internship Program.

Thanks to a new National Science Foundation grant, ���ϲ�����’s physics department doubles the number of ���ϲ�����-area high school participants in their paid summer internship program.

STEM jobs are quickly becoming the backbone of America. By 2031, STEM occupations are��, while non-STEM occupations will grow at about half that rate at 4.9%. Therefore, it’s essential for today’s students to gain a solid foundation in math, science and engineering subjects. ���ϲ����� is about to see its own boom in STEM jobs, as the arrival of the Micron chip manufacturing facility will include 9,000 high-paying positions at the Central New York campus.

Federal funding organizations like the National Science Foundation (NSF) have acknowledged this workforce shift and are seeding and supporting initiatives aimed at growing a diverse STEM workforce. Since 2022, the Department of Physics has hosted one such program, bringing in ���ϲ�����-area high school students to participate in a paid research internship. In support of that program, the NSF recently pledged nearly $1 million to ���ϲ����� through their Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) campaign, which will fund the physics internship over three years.

Ruell Branch

Originally known as ���ϲ����� Research in Physics (SURPh) during its first two summers in 2022 and 2023, the program seeks to create STEM career pathways for historically excluded groups by involving them in authentic research experiences and providing mentoring and peer networks. SURPh was the brainchild of former physics student Ruell Branch ’24, who pitched the idea to his professors as a way to strengthen the University’s connection with the local community and inspire local students to pursue STEM.

“I wanted ���ϲ����� high school students who have interests in physics to see what it’s like to work as a paid scientist,” says Branch, who graduated from the ���ϲ����� City School District. “I think it’s extremely important for students to get experience conducting research in an actual science lab.”

Expanding the Program

With the help of physics professor��, Henninger High School science teacher Melanie Pelcher, and fellow ���ϲ����� alum and Henninger High School graduate Devon Lamanna ’23, G’24, SURPh was born. Now, thanks to the NSF funding awarded to Ross and fellow physics professor and department chair , the summer program will be funded through the summer of 2026.

“The new NSF support is a game-changer,” says Soderberg. “It signifies to the students who participate that not only those of us in the SU physics department and ���ϲ����� city schools, but also policymakers in the federal government, see value in helping them get excited about STEM disciplines and see the potential for them as future professionals who will someday help drive innovation and discovery.”

The three-year grant, totaling nearly $1 million, allowed the program to grow from 12 students in 2023 to 24 in 2024 and brought in additional faculty mentors. SURPh was made possible in past years thanks to funding from the John Ben Snow Foundation and internal support from the Engaged Humanities Network and the physics department.

“This program could not have achieved NSF funding without these other sources to prop us up,” says Ross.

Now called the ���ϲ����� Physics Emerging Research Technologies Summer High School Internship Program (SUPER-Tech SHIP), the program just wrapped its summer session with a closing ceremony and poster session.��Through SUPER-Tech SHIP, students were exposed to skills and concepts related to computational physics, biophysics and particle physics during the six-week program.

Read the full story on the��.

The program, NRT-URoL: Emergent Intelligence Research for Graduate Excellence in Biological and Bio-Inspired Systems (EmIRGE-Bio), will support the integration of research and education on emergent intelligence in both biological and bio-inspired systems and allow doctoral students to work and experience team-building across disciplinary and departmental boundaries.

Lisa Manning speaks at a previous BioInspired Symposium. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

“Many of society’s most pressing challenges—including food security, sustainability and supporting aging populations—will require breakthroughs in biotechnology and bio-inspired science,” says , William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), who is principal investigator (PI). “This program will train a new generation of scientists and engineers who can evaluate and harness complex systems, such as biological tissues or next-generation materials, to drive intelligent responses such as sensing, actuating and learning, leading to breakthrough technologies.”

Co-PIs are , associate professor of biology and chemistry in A&S; , associate director of BioInspired and Renée Crown Professor in the Sciences and Mathematics and associate professor of biology in A&S; , Samuel and Carol Nappi Research Scholar and associate professor of biomedical and chemical engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS); and , associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in ECS.

BioInspired director , professor of biomedical and chemical engineering in ECS, says, “the Research Traineeship Program is currently one of—if not the most—competitive funding programs at the National Science Foundation. Receipt of the award speaks to the existing strength of graduate education in BioInspired fields at ���ϲ����� and to the exciting new opportunities and programming that Lisa and the team designed and proposed and now stand poised to deliver.”

The EmIRGE-Bio program will feature advanced core disciplinary courses in areas foundational to biotechnology and bio-inspired design; the development of two new courses utilizing team-based learning paradigms; and a longitudinal professional development program. It will also include a STEM entrepreneurship course offered by the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, an internship program and a co-curricular workshop series on project management and technology transfer.

Some 115 Ph.D. students from fields that span the life and physical sciences and engineering are expected to take part in the training, which the research team says will address a STEM workforce gap identified by local and national partners in industry and academe.

“Emergence in biology and bio-inspired design is one of the University’s signature areas of strength, and we have seen that borne out by the success of BioInspired since its founding in 2019,” says Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer . “This initiative draws on that strength and supports our long-term strategic goal to transform STEM at ���ϲ����� and enhance graduates’ potential for success in a swiftly evolving marketplace.”

Adds , vice president for research: “The NRT award will advance BioInspired in ways that are core to ���ϲ�����’s identity: recruiting and retaining a diverse student population, advancing cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and education and providing our students with the entrepreneurial skills needed in the 21st century workforce.”

Three ���ϲ����� students have been awarded prestigious graduate research fellowships through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), and two students have been recognized with honorable mentions.

The fellowship recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in the U.S. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support, including an annual stipend of $37,000 and a $16,000 educational allowance.

The 2024 recipients of the NSF GRFP are the following:

• Edward (Cole) Fluker, a senior chemical engineering major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS). Fluker will be joining the Ph.D. program in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Pennsylvania upon graduation.
• Dan Paradiso, a second-year Ph.D. student in physics in the College of Arts and Sciences.
• Melissa Yeung, a first-year Ph.D. student in mechanical and aerospace engineering in ECS.

��Edward (Cole) Fluker

Fluker, who was recently named a University Scholar, initially got involved in research in his sophomore year and took on his first significant research project the following summer. Through the University’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, he worked under Ian Hosein, associate professor of biomedical and chemical engineering, analyzing a gel polymer electrolyte system as an alternative to liquid electrolytes in calcium-ion batteries. The research resulted in a paper, on which Fluker was first author, in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Physical Chemistry.

That experience led him to pursue more research opportunities in energy storage. In summer 2023, he completed the Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture REU at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied the power and energy performance of aluminum air batteries (AABs) with Ag-based cathodes.

“By the end of the project, I had successfully fabricated cathodes that resulted in power performance of 70% of the commercial option at less than 1/4,000th of the cost,” Fluker says. “I was especially interested in creative efforts to improve efficient agricultural practices, and I hope to continue contributing to them while at UPenn.”

Fluker says the NSF GRFP will give him financial resources to help broaden his research to be more sustainable and inclusive. “There is a severe underrepresentation of Black students pursuing advanced degrees, and I believe this program will help me launch a pipeline program for African American students to support their advanced degree aspirations,” he says. “On top of my research goals committed to next generation energy storage, I want to pave a path for underrepresented students that opens doors they never thought were meant for them.”

Dan Paradiso

Paradiso’s research is focused on the deaths of massive stars in the universe, known as core-collapse supernovae. These stars, which have masses of around 10 to 100 times the mass of the sun, end their life in a cataclysmic and explosive death that produces light that can be detected with ground and space-based telescopes. Decades of research, however, suggests that not all stars that undergo core-collapse result in a successful explosion and instead the star can continue to implode until a black hole is formed. These events are referred to as failed supernovae, and it is estimated that approximately 20-30% of stars that undergo core-collapse result in a failed supernova.

“In my research I focus on the dynamics of shockwaves, which are ubiquitous with core-collapse supernova physics, using analytical and numerical methods to understand these failed supernova explosions,” Paradiso says. “I then use these techniques to make predictions about observable properties of failed and sub-energetic explosions.”

“As a second-year graduate student, the generous support from the GRFP is very welcome, and I am excited to continue my research with this support,” he says.

��Melissa Yeung

Yeung works in the fluid dynamics lab of Yiyang Sun, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, where she focuses on supersonic jet engines.

High noise levels have always been associated with supersonic aircraft, restricting their flight range to over sea. “The goal of my work is to alleviate the undesired features through strategically placed small micro-jets of air. I am currently focused on optimizing these micro-jets such that they can continuously modulate themselves to adapt to various flight conditions. By doing so, the flow can be controlled even in off-design conditions and with minimal energy input,” Yeung says. “Understanding these complex flow physics is vital for the development of next-generation high-performance aircraft. Successfully controlling this flow can improve upon the aircraft’s performance and ensure the safety of nearby workers or civilians. This work is one of many steps in pushing supersonic flight for commercial use.”

Yeung says the GRFP fellowship will allow her more flexibility in her research direction, fund her research activities and allow her to attend more conferences.

Yeung also notes the tremendous amount of support she received from Sun, Professor Emeritus Mark Glauser and Gina Lee-Glauser, retired vice president for research, throughout the application process. “Their guidance has been crucial to my success and without them I would have not have the honor of being an NSF GRFP recipient, she says.

Nicholas Rubino and Elizabeth Su

Two students also received honorable mentions in this year’s NSF GRFP competition. Nicholas Rubino, a second-year Ph.D. student in mechanical and aerospace engineering in ECS who is researching robotic devices for physical rehabilitation, and Elizabeth Su, a senior graduating with a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering and neuroscience from the College of Arts and Sciences. Su will pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at Purdue University, researching enhanced visual prosthetics.

The CFSA will hold an the week of June 10-14. The bootcamp is for rising seniors and first- and second-year graduate students who are eligible for and plan to apply for the NSF GRFP this fall.

Students interested in learning more about or applying for the next NSF GRFP award cycle or any other nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships should visit the����or email��cfsa@syr.edu��for more information.

���ϲ����� City School District students work on an experiment

The initiative, ���ϲ����� Physics Emerging Research Technologies Summer High School Internship Program (SUPER-Tech SHIP), is a partnership between the Department of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences and the ���ϲ����� City School District (SCSD). , professor and chair of physics, is principal investigator. The co-principal investigator is , professor and associate chair of physics.

“This program will allow us to really increase the impact we can have on both the local community of high school students who might be interested in future STEM careers, and also on our ���ϲ����� undergraduate and graduate students who work alongside them and use the experience to develop as mentors, teachers and scientists,” Soderberg says.

Jennifer Ross

Through SUPER-Tech SHIP, student interns will be exposed to skills and concepts related to quantum information, semiconductors and biotechnology during a six-week program. It’s based on a run by the physics department during the summers of 2022 and 2023. That program, ���ϲ����� Research in Physics (SURPh), engaged SCSD students and recent graduates in six-week, paid internships, during which they worked alongside faculty researchers in physics labs and classrooms. Ross developed it after then-student Ruell Branch ’24 told her that his former classmates at SCSD’s Henninger High School would love to experience hands-on learning in the University’s physics lab.

“I am very invested in exposing people to the positives of physics and science—especially people who have been historically excluded from the field due to cultural stereotypes,” Ross says. “I want people to have opportunities, and this program is a way to give people opportunities to learn about other career paths.”

SUPER-Tech SHIP, like SURPh, seeks to create STEM career pathways for historically excluded groups by involving them in authentic research experiences and providing mentoring and peer networks. The SCSD student body is 48% Black, 15% Latino and 1% Indigenous; 85% of students are economically disadvantaged. To recruit students to the program, physics faculty members will visit SCSD classrooms to promote participation. Applications will be evaluated based on a student’s persistence and grit, rather than science experience.

Mitchell Soderberg

Following an orientation “boot camp,” interns will work in pairs on long-term research projects in the labs. Ross says interns may work on biotechnology in biophysics labs, looking at the mechanical nature of bacteria; particle detection, using semiconductor technology and novel detection schemes; or astrophysics, working to understand how black holes collide and tear apart stars.

Past participants in the SURPh project will return to serve as peer mentors and participate in research with current interns. The interns will also benefit from seminars on science topics, professional development workshops, lunch-and-learns with speakers from the University and the industry and weekly activities to introduce them to different areas of campus. The six weeks will conclude with a poster session and a celebration event attended by the interns’ friends, family members and teachers.

Ross says encouraging the next generation of creative problem-solvers to work in tech is essential in order for the U.S. to remain competitive in the high-tech industry, and that “creativity requires diversity in thought and that often comes from diversity in thinkers.”

She also notes the program’s synergy with the impending arrival of Micron Technology in Central New York. “Micron will need many workers for the fabrication and production factory, and the exposure the students will get will help them to understand the fundamental science and the cutting-edge technologies that microchips support,” she says. “It is the right thing to do to develop our local economy by training the folks in our community who have outstanding potential to make the world a better place through high-tech solutions to the world’s problems. ���ϲ����� is the right place for this development to take place.”

Quinn Qiao

Their hands-on training is underway in the lab of noted expert , professor in the . Qiao directs the , one of three National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported collaborative research energy storage centers.

That center played a huge part in the University’s recent naming as a core partner in the , one of 10 inaugural projects funded by the NSF. Hosted by nearby Binghamton University, the project aims to make upstate New York “one of America’s battery hubs.” It brings $15 million now and potentially up to $160 million total to supercharge growth and cutting-edge research. Its is to establish sites that produce new battery componentry, conduct safety testing and certification and manufacture, integrate applications and support workforce development. New forms of battery power and energy storage technologies are considered critical .

Qiao will conduct training activities and collaborate with international industry partners and local economic development agencies and governments. He’ll also coordinate with existing entrepreneurship programs for technology transfer and commercialization activities and plan training for students from primary to graduate school and for local industry employees.

New Space

Qiao’s lab is housed in expansive new facilities in Link Hall that is filled with sophisticated and state-of-the-art equipment. The space is part of an extensive renovation designed to accommodate the college’s anticipated 50% growth over the next five years, as outlined in the University’s academic strategic plan, “.” That leap is being driven by emerging technologies in energy storage, computer chip and sensor manufacturing and other technology innovations that are leading new job growth in the ���ϲ����� area.

Five-Student Lab

Students working with Qiao are , , , and .

Li tests lithium-rich cathodes in coin batteries aiming to speed synthesis processes to achieve batteries that can store more energy in the same physical space. He is working to produce materials faster and to lower the costs of production by using microwavereactors to accelerate the rate of synthesis and to monitor temperatures and pressures to observe how varying conditions affect the rate and yield of synthesis.

Hansheng Li, right, and Madan Saud, left, Ph.D. students, in the lab with Professor Quinn Qiao.

Over three years in Qiao’s lab, Li developed testing techniques and methodologies that have strengthened his preparation for a future either in industry or academia, he says. Still, his research hasn’t come without challenges, providing “a mix of pain and gain somehow,” he adds. “You’re not going to have results come out as you’re expecting them to each time, so analyzing the reasons behind those outcomes and proposing how to resolve problems is what’s helpful in building up research methodologies.”

Bilal Sattar, left, uses the ECS’s QiaolLab’s sophisticated equipment for experiments.

Sattar, who is in his second year at the University, worked three years in China before coming to the U.S. His research focuses on the chemical composition of batteries to see how they can be made more environmentally friendly. He also studies nanoscopic photochemical changes that drive instabilities in perovskite semiconductors used in solar cells, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photodetectors, lasers and other technologies, including solar panels and photo-rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

He enjoys the lab’s collegial nature and his professor’s “24/7 availability,” and is pleased at the high degree of professional activity he has experienced, he says. Sattar presented at last summer’s American Chemical Society (ACS) conference and at the 2024 American Physical Society (APS) March meeting in Minnesota. He has also been able to publish in scientific journals.

Third-year doctoral student Zhang works with an atomic-force microscope on nanoscale imaging and on mapping thin film organic solar cells and perovskite solar cells for nanoscale measurements.

Yuchen Zhang says his lab work with Professor Qiao, in which he works on solar cells at the nanoscale level, is world-unique.

“What I’m doing is world-unique,�� and no other universities can do it, so I’m very glad I have the opportunity to work here,” he says. Zhang imagines an industry career as a researcher, scientist or engineer, but is also open to an interesting postdoctoral position at a university or national laboratory.

Saud is a third-year Ph.D. student who previously taught secondary-level science in government schools in his home country of Nepal. He is working to develop a solid-state battery to meet the high energy demands of the electric vehicle and grid-scale storage sectors. His goal—and he admits it’s not an easy task—is to create an energy-dense, safer, longer-lasting solid-state lithium metal battery.

To do that, he replaces the liquid electrolytes in current batteries (which can sometimes be flammable) with a non-flammable solid electrolyte. That involves synthesizing a solid electrolyte, characterizing it, measuring its ionic conductivity, testing its stability with Li-metal anodes, then fabricating a full solid-state battery.

He has been able to synthesize a novel sulfide electrolyte that has a significantly higher critical current density at room temperature, he says. He is also working to increase the capacity retention in full solid-state batteries at higher current density. It’s a goal he hopes to achieve before he graduates in 2025.

The battery field is interesting for a researcher now, Saud says. Recognizing the hard work of his parents to assure his education, he hopes to pay his gratitude forward to help others. “The field does require basic knowledge in electrochemistry, but it offers a lot of research scope for a student who is energetic. As society transitions toward a more sustainable and electrified future, developing a new battery technology is a good way to contribute to the world.”

Poojan Kawekar is currently on an NSF intern research program at an industry lab in South Dakota.

Kaswekar, also in his third year, focuses on developing lead-free perovskite solar cells, which have significant cost advantages over conventional solar cells and align with the nation’s clean energy transition. He also works on solid-state batteries and their industrial and commercial applications and nanoscale characterization techniques. He is participating in a study away internship at Daktronics Inc. in South Dakota, supported by an NSF INTERN grant.

He says Qiao “has been an invaluable cornerstone in my pursuit of a Ph.D. He is dedicated to fostering a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment within our lab and I have grown not only as a researcher but also as a critical thinker under his mentorship.”

will explore new variations of two of the oldest problems in geometry—the isoperimetric problem and the Minkowski problem—with a , the National Science Foundation’s most competitive award for early-career faculty who may serve as academic role models in research and education.

Isoperimetric problems go back to the ancient Greeks.

Yiming Zhao

“They wanted to know how to enclose as much area as possible with a thread of fixed length,” says Zhao, assistant professor of mathematics. “The answer is you make the thread into a circle. In the second type of problem, the Minkowski, you find how to reconstruct a geometric shape when you have only partial information.”

The problems are connected. “In classical cases, they can be two sides of the same coin,” says Zhao. “If you know the answer to one, you usually know the answer to the other.”

But not always. Zhao will explore isoperimetric problems or Minkowski problems in various settings when answers to one exist while answers to the other remain elusive.

“In new mathematical variations over the last few decades, sometimes we only know the answer to one,” he says. “I want to use our existing knowledge of one answer to a problem to find the answer to the other.”

Applications of solving these problems extend beyond mathematics into engineering and design.

The CAREER award calls on faculty members to integrate their research into instruction. Zhao will organize a series of events for K-12 students, high school teachers and the public about mathematics at a local science museum, high schools and community centers. These events will expose the fun and exploratory side of Zhao’s research to young students, raise society’s awareness and interest in mathematics and promote mathematics among historically underrepresented populations.

Zhao will encourage youngsters to think about mathematics differently, conducting an educational session for K-12 students at the , a science and technology museum in downtown ���ϲ�����.

“Math is about discovery, not just about people applying a set of formulas on an exam,” Zhao says. “I plan to get kids involved in an old problem, a toy version of the Minkowski problem I’m working with, which I could easily explain to them.”

Zhao’s project will involve graduate and undergraduate students in research and educational activities. Graduate students will help plan programs for K-12 students and the public, gaining crucial training opportunities to explain research to different audiences.

Zhao’s CAREER award brings the total to 10 A&S researchers since 2022. Read about the and CAREER grant winners.

This story was written by John H. Tibbetts

Pankaj K. Jha, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, is leading a quantum technology laboratory, with members Aswini Pattanayak, Jagi Rout G’28, Amir Targholizadeh G’28, Theodore Todorov ’26 and Grisha Nikulin ’27, to understand emerging 2D materials and use their findings to develop transformative devices for applications in quantum information science.

Assistant Professor Pankaj Jha working on a home-built confocal microscope to investigate the optical properties of 2D materials and heterostructures (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

Jha is developing single-photon detectors using iron-based superconductors that could work at higher temperatures. Currently, superconducting photodetectors require low temperatures to operate. Pattanayak, a post-doctoral scholar, is leading this project to understand photodetection in iron-chalcogenide-based superconductors and investigating the interaction between these superconductors with other 2D van der Waals (vdWs) materials, exploring unique quantum phenomena at their interfaces.

“High-temperature single photon detectors will have both scientific and fundamental impact. Any application that requires sensitive photon detectors will benefit from these devices,” Jha says.

Jha with members of his research group, from left to right, Theodore Todorov ’26, post-doctoral researcher Aswini Pattanayak, Amir Targholizadeh G’28 and Jagi Rout G’28 (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

Pattanayak is also mentoring Todorov, an undergraduate student, in light interferometry. Interferometers combine light to create an interference pattern that can be measured and analyzed. “Interferometry is the basis of optics because it allows you to analyze the classical and quantum optical properties of light,” Todorov says. “The resulting interference can allow one to understand properties of the laser such as path length, wavelength and refractive index of the medium it has passed through.”

“In this era of quantum exploration, the investigation of superconductors serves as the cornerstone for unlocking unparalleled frontiers in quantum technologies and devices,” says Pattanayak.

Rout, a graduate student, is exploring heterostructures using nanofabrication techniques. Her research focuses on studying high-temperature superconductivity. In addition to working on single-photon detectors, Rout is developing Josephson junctions, devices made by placing thin, non-superconducting materials between two superconductors, and she’ll be using iron-chalcogenide-based superconductors.

Jagi Rout G’28 working on creating heterostructures with 2D materials with a fully motorized transferred setup. (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

“The interplay among topology, magnetism, and superconductivity makes our material an intriguing platform to investigate the strange yet promising interactions in the subatomic realm,” says Rout.

Rout is also mentoring Todorov and Nikulin in the exfoliation of 2D materials. Nikulin’s interest is Superconducting Qubit Architecture and Quantum Algorithms. “Superconducting-based photon detection also has significant applications towards reducing quantum decoherence in quantum computation systems,” says Nikulin.

Targholizadeh, a graduate student, is developing flat photonic devices based on metasurfaces capable of functioning at extremely low temperatures. He aims to address and solve some of the outstanding challenges that single photon detectors face, such as polarization sensitivity and near-normal incidence requirements, among other issues.

“Metasurfaces are recently introduced as a new paradigm for nanophotonic devices, and in our laboratory, we are working on conceiving, designing, fabricating and testing these metasurface-based devices,” Targholizadeh says.

In addition to research, Jha has started a at the University with support from an internal . With speakers from academia, industry and national labs, seminars are open to all and cover experimental and theoretical topics in QISE and adjacent research.

“The response to the QISE Seminar Series has been outstanding, with 60-70% student audience participation,” Jha says. “I see a bright future for quantum science at the University.”

Jay N. Zemel

“���ϲ����� Physics was and still is a vast entryway to the future.” Words by alumnus and philanthropist Jay N. Zemel when he was in his 90s and reflecting on his experiences at ���ϲ�����. He earned a B.S. in 1949, a master’s in 1952 and a Ph.D. in 1956. Such was his love for his alma mater that Zemel made the University the beneficiary of a $1.5 million estate gift in an endowed fund as part of the Forever Orange Campaign to support summer undergraduate research experiences for students studying physics.

Zemel took what he learned at ���ϲ����� and launched a career in research and teaching—much of it at the University of Pennsylvania—that brought him national renown, 26 patents, 120 journal articles and book chapters, and the endless praise of mentees, colleagues and admirers along the way. After his death at the age of 95 on July 20, 2023, one of his former graduate students Carlos Lopez Reyna wrote to his daughter Babette: “He gave me the gift of knowledge, experience and a listening ear when needed.”

Zemel was passionate about teaching and personally guiding young researchers because he knew firsthand how vital it was to one’s future. He described his undergraduate years as difficult because he suffered from dyscalculia, which limited his ability to do simple math—though he was a math major and had no problem with logic, complex variables and quantum mechanics. Zemel’s professor in geometric optics, William R. Fredrickson (who is named and honored in the gifted endowment), recognized his potential despite the challenges.

“It was Fredrickson’s decision to grant me a teaching assistantship in his remarkable course on the history of science and his approving my entrance to graduate school that I have never forgotten,” Zemel shared in an with the College of Arts and Sciences. “Indeed, that course on history has been one of my key intellectual enlightenments, as well as giving me the insight into teaching that should accompany highly technical courses.”

“As a distinguished researcher and committed educator, Dr.��Zemel��saw the immense value of undergraduate participation in faculty-guided scholarly research,” says Behzad Mortazavi, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “The benefits of undergraduate research are numerous, including helping students to apply their classroom knowledge and giving them valuable experience in working as part of a team.” The Zemel Undergraduate Research Experience Endowed Fund will provide research stipends for students who are interested in pursuing research as a career, especially multidisciplinary research.

‘Learning by doing’

Zemel had a distinctive approach, blending teaching and research to create a “unique learning environment,” according to colleague and former mentee Jan Van der Spiegel, professor of electrical and systems engineering at Penn. “At the undergraduate level, his teaching philosophy centered around the principle of ‘learning by doing and making mistakes.’ Rather than dictating precise instructions, he encouraged students to explore potential solutions independently. While maintaining a hands-off approach, he remained a constant pillar of support, readily available with an open-door policy for students to seek guidance at any time.”

Even when Zemel officially retired from his academic career directing Penn’s Center for Chemical Electronics/Sensor Technologies, he continued to mentor student researchers. “He would get so jazzed when he saw a student putting things together,” recalls Babette. She, like Zemel’s other children and several grandchildren, have become teachers and mentors. “Mentoring is, by far, the most enriching and fulfilling thing that I do,” says Babette. “Young researchers need encouragement, a sympathetic ear, professional connections and guidance on how to secure funding during these challenging times.”

Remembering his encouragement

The young researchers who worked with Zemel most remember his encouragement, empathy and warmth. “Working for his group was the best thing I could have ever done,” says Ashok Sood, president and CEO at Magnolia Optical Technologies. “He was an amazing professor,” Sood says of his thesis advisor. “I also learned from him to always stay busy, to keep your neurons working!”

Even into his 90s, Zemel challenged his neurons, continuing to analyze scientific data and contribute to meaningful research. He worked with daughter Babette’s colleagues at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania to develop a device called the Neoneur that measures the flow of fluid through a nipple in a baby bottle to characterize infant sucking behavior and help parents and physicians determine if a baby was feeding properly. And just weeks before his death, recalls Babette, he solved the problem of how to manage wrapping his oxygen tubes around his ears, while wearing glasses and hearing aids.

Jennifer L. Ross, chair of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, says Zemel’s gift is as inspiring as he was. “His passion and generous gift will fuel the physics department’s dream of having all undergraduate physics majors get hands-on research experiences,” says Ross. “The experiential learning opportunities will expose our students to the wonders of the universe and create the scientists who will make amazing discoveries of the future.”

That was clearly Zemel’s intent in setting up the endowment. Recalling that ���ϲ����� physics opened the doors of discovery for him, Zemel wrote in a letter to the physics department: “You and your colleagues are part of a great tradition that I sincerely hope continues now and into the future.” His estate gift ensures that the tradition continues.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for ���ϲ�����

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for ���ϲ����� is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit����to learn more.

As a student in the (SCSD), she was chosen for a six-week summer program that allows high schoolers to work as paid interns in ���ϲ����� physics labs. Kaputa wanted others to have the same positive research experience she had enjoyed, so, after her first year on campus, she returned to her former high school to recruit more students for the program.

The program that left an impression on was ���ϲ����� Research in Physics (SURPh), which aims to inspire students to take up science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies and potentially pursue careers in those areas. About two dozen high schoolers have participated in the program over the past two years. They work on cutting-edge research in University physics labs alongside (A&S) faculty.

, professor and chair of physics, leads the program. Assisting her have been Henninger High School science teacher Melanie Pelcher, economics master’s student Devon Lamanna ’23 and Yudaisy Salomón Sargentón, physics department operations specialist. Funding comes from the , the , A&S’s ��and the��.

Undergraduate researcher Emma Kaputa studied biofilm growth in a biophysics lab the summer before entering college.

Working With Biofilms

The program was devised by , an SCSD alumnus who is now a dual physics and economics senior at ���ϲ�����. After joining Ross’ research lab, he recognized that other city school students might have the same dream to work in a science lab, while lacking a way to get a foot in that door. Together with Ross, he formulated the program as a way to facilitate the process.

Ruell Branch originated the idea to recruit high schoolers for research internships.

A grant recipient, Kaputa had already decided to attend ���ϲ����� when she was selected for the internship. That first summer, she worked in assistant professor ’s exploring biofilms—slimy clusters of bacteria that colonize surfaces. She enjoyed the experience so much that she remained in the lab throughout her first year on campus. Eventually, Kaputa accompanied Patteson, a member of the BioInspired Institute, to SCSD’s Nottingham High School to help recruit the next cohort of interns.

��“I learned so much that first year—science skills, poster presentations, networking. I benefitted a lot from the critical thinking that was required. It was fun to go back to the high school and encourage [my former classmates] to apply. I’m really glad to have had that door opened for me and I wanted to extend that to my classmates,” Kaputa says.

A Published Scientist

Kaputa researched how bacteria colonize and spread on surfaces.

Patteson calls Kaputa “a really bright and creative student who has made remarkable progress in our group.”�� She says the program makes it possible for high schoolers to experience real science scholarship. The work Kaputa and her lab mates did—characterizing the mechanical properties of colonies of bacteria—was in the American Chemical Society Journal, with Kaputa listed as a co-author.

Kaputa’s continuing work in the lab came with additional opportunities. She presented at the BioInspired Institute’s 2023 annual symposium, winning the Most Social Impact award for her poster about the SURPh program. This semester, she will present about staining biofilms with fluorescence at the ’s annual meeting. She also mentored a new group of high school students in the biofilm lab.

Kaputa’s summary of the SURPh internship program won the “Most Social Impact” prize at the 2024 BioInspired Symposium.

Opening Doors

“One of the program’s main goals is to open doors for people who might not otherwise get into science, so it was exciting for me to mentor other women in STEM,” Kaputa says. “I enjoyed being able to show them that there is a place for you here and that you can be successful here.”

How does someone majoring in environmental engineering become deeply involved in physics research?

“There is a lot of physics in engineering,” Kaputa says. “In the coming decades, being at the intersection of these fields will be critical to finding solutions to issues like climate change. I’m hopeful that having a background in multiple fields will give me a unique and useful perspective.�� It’s exciting to be at the forefront. Life sciences blended with math and physics-biophysics is everything I love.”

It’s important that the interns are compensated, Kaputa says. “This being a paid position is a reason why someone might be able to do summer research. In some families, high schoolers are responsible for providing income, so they need to work over the summer. An unpaid role could be a huge barrier. Adding the paid internship element makes this a lot more accessible, and I think that’s amazing,” she says.

Her advice for others contemplating a science lab internship at ���ϲ�����: “When opportunity knocks, answer. Put yourself out there and show up both physically and mentally. And when given the chance, remember to thank the community that helped get you there, and try to provide the same opportunity to others,” Kaputa says.

Marina Artuso

Physics Professor has been awarded a three-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for her project, . Her co-principal investigators on the project are professors Steven Blusk, Matthew Rudolph, Rafael Silva Coutinho, Tomasz Skwarnicki and research professor Raymond Mountain.

Endeavoring to answer the universe’s biggest questions can involve working with very exotic—and incredibly tiny—particles. Specifically, in the case of the Large Hadron Collider “b” (LHCb) at the CERN laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland, exotic subatomic particles containing beauty (“b”) quarks.

These quarks are one of six quark flavors that—along with gluons, which bind quarks together—make up the hadrons that Artuso and her team observe in the laboratory. They roamed the universe freely only a very short time immediately after the Big Bang. And the way they behave and interact, what happens when they combine and after they decay, might just hold the answers to how the microworld works—and ultimately how all the matter in our universe came to be.

Professor Artuso has been working with a multinational team at CERN since 2005, and she has been the ���ϲ����� team leader since late 2021. Professors Artuso, Blusk, Rudolph, Silva Coutinho and Skwarnicki lead many complementary research efforts within the LHCb experiment, taking data at one of the four interaction points of the LHC proton-proton collider, a 17-kilometer-circumference tunnel in which proton beams are made to collide: The intense collisions produce concentrated energy that mimics the energy generated when the universe was first created.

They spent several years working to design and construct the Upstream Tracker (UT), a detector created to contribute to a precise imaging of the particle debris that results from these collisions; the current grant is going toward the development of an upgrade to the UT—an even more sensitive detector.

“The phenomena we are trying to discover are unfortunately very elusive,” Artuso says. “We can smash things with higher and higher energy, or become more sensitive, to [access] more data.”

In layman’s terms, the detector to be upgraded, known as the electromagnetic calorimeter, will be improved to be able to differentiate between events that happen all at once, effectively on top of one another. “Like with old cameras when you keep taking pictures,” Artuso explains, “and you have different pictures superimposed on the same piece of film [producing a] blurred image. You can use the time at which the image occurred to try to disentangle the various pictures. [We are trying] to develop detectors which can disentangle the time at which different photons were produced.”

Physics professor Marina Artuso inspects the first half of the detector in LHCb at the CERN Laboratory. (Courtesy of CERN)

It’s a long-term effort; the detectors Artuso and her team are working on now are expected to be installed in the mid-2030s. For this phase of the project, the grant provides funding for two graduate students; there are also opportunities for undergraduates, and this summer they’re hoping to generate some projects suitable for local high school students as well.

“It’s a very important component of [our] educational mission,” Artuso says, “to have [students] working with us. They are exposed to state-of-the-art research in physics … can connect what they are doing in class with what will happen in future, and can see machinery they would interact with if they go to work in the [electronics or semiconductor] industries. These are valuable skills.”

While the full breadth of real-world implications and practicalities of the LHCb research remains to be seen, developing techniques for faster detectors and faster-processing electronics is a goal with countless applications in industry. As one example, “[when you have] faster processing in medical imaging, such as PET scans …you don’t have to [expose patients to] as much radiation.” Advanced detectors are likely be useful in fields from biology to archeology.

Beyond those goals, however, Artuso makes the point that understanding the microworld is also a purely intellectual activity. It’s knowledge for its own sake. The LHCb experiment has so far published 700 papers and many more are in the pipeline —and every step reveals another layer of understanding.

“In the very origin of the universe,” she says, “there was a combination of matter and antimatter—particles which were equal except for their electric charge—and they kept on disappearing into light and reappearing. But now the anti-particles are gone, and mostly we have matter. We don’t really understand how it happened. We are hoping to find some pieces of evidence that will allow us to develop a better theory.”

Shining light on these and other mysteries of the universe is not fast work, she notes, but it pays to be patient.

Story by Laura Wallis��

Prof Quinn Qiao (third from left) with his research team (from left) Hansheng Li, Madan Bahadur Saud, Muhammad Bilal Faheem Sattar, Poojan Indrajeet Kaswekar and Yuchen Zhang

���ϲ����� is a core partner in the , one of 10 inaugural Regional Innovation Engines created by the National Science Foundation (NSF).��The program was Monday by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, whose CHIPS and Science Act helped create the NSF Engines.

“Up to $160 million is now on its way to supercharge Upstate New York as a booming battery research hub from ���ϲ����� to Binghamton and beyond,” Sen. Schumer says. “Thanks to my CHIPS and Science Law, Upstate New York will be the beating electric heart of federal efforts to help bring battery innovation and manufacturing back from overseas to spark the growth of this critical industry vital to America’s national and economic security. Whether it is Micron’s historic investment in Central New York or cutting-edge innovation in battery development, my CHIPS and Science Law has been the catalyst to supercharge a transformation in Upstate New York’s economy. Batteries are the building block for the next generation of technology—from cell phones to electric vehicles—and this esteemed award from the National Science Foundation shows that America’s top scientific minds believe Upstate New York universities and workforce are best-in-class for the scientific discovery and innovation to ensure this industry grows in America.”

Led by Binghamton University and its New Energy New York coalition, the Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine will bring $15 million in federal funding over two years and up to $160 million over 10 years to support research and development in battery and energy storage technologies.

The goal, according to NSF, is to establish a “tech-based, industry-driven hub for new battery componentry, safety testing and certification, pilot manufacturing, applications integration, workforce development and energy storage, including through material sourcing and recovery.” It builds on the region’s historical strengths in battery innovation and manufacturing.

“���ϲ����� looks forward to collaborating with New Energy New York to further world-renowned research and development, address next-generation energy storage challenges and inspire the future innovators of this critical industry,” says Vice President for Research .

At ���ϲ�����, the program lead is , professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the (ECS) and an expert in solid-state batteries. Qiao is the ���ϲ����� site director for the Center of Solid-State Electric Power Storage, an NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Center.

“The transportation sector produces the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Battery is a key component in electric vehicles, which will significantly reduce the amount of carbon emissions,” Qiao says. “NSF Engines funding will address the entire battery technology value chain and facilitate new battery technologies for a green world by working on the three key areas including use-inspired battery research and development, technology translation and workforce development.”

Professor Quinn Qiao works with his graduate students on testing new solid-state batteries.

Qiao will conduct use-inspired battery research and development and training activities, work with industry partners and collaborate with local economic development agencies and government. Leveraging the work of the Center of Solid-State Electric Power Storage, he will also work with faculty, graduate students and existing entrepreneurship programs for technology transfer and commercialization. Additionally, he will organize workshops and other training opportunities for students from primary to graduate school as well as local industry employees.

“The College of Engineering and Computer Science is dedicated to research that tackles the grand challenges facing our planet today: research that improves the human condition,” says ECS Dean . “The NSF Engines award speaks to the heart of our college’s mission by promoting the development of cleaner, safer and more affordable energy sources. This prestigious award will serve as a vital cornerstone as our college embarks on its 50% growth trajectory in the next five years.”

In addition to Binghamton and ���ϲ�����, core partners include Rochester Institute of Technology, Cornell University, New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium, Launch NY and Charge CCCV.

John Trimmer (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

From the drylands of Kenya to the rainforests of Suriname, civil and environmental engineering professor John Trimmer in the has dedicated his career to making a difference. After a service-learning trip to Nicaragua, where he helped with construction projects, Trimmer was inspired to pursue humanitarian engineering and improve the well-being of others. With a core research focus on water systems, sanitation and resource recovery, he strives to promote sustainable living.

As an undergraduate at Bucknell University, Trimmer was able to work with a few non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In addition to his trip to Nicaragua, he collaborated with a Peace Corps volunteer in Suriname, South America, stationed in a remote village and working on a rainwater collection system. After graduation, Trimmer continued working with the Peace Corps and spent three years in Uganda working with an NGO that specialized in constructing water tanks, latrines, classrooms and other structures.

After completing a Ph.D., which included working in Uganda on innovative approaches to sanitation systems, Trimmer joined the Aquaya Institute on their mission to improve global health through safe water and sanitation access. His work at the Aquaya Institute largely focused on research and he found himself based in Nairobi, Kenya, interacting with pastoral communities in dry regions of the country.

Trimmer and Aquaya Institute colleagues at Nairobi National Park in Kenya. (Photo courtesy of Aquaya Institute)

“Though the communities were nomadic, it seemed like they were also looking to settle, and they were open to permanent infrastructure,” Trimmer says. “It was very qualitative.��We focused primarily on asking questions regarding their current water systems and what they do for sanitation. We also did interviews and discussion groups to understand what these communities wanted and needed.”

While working with the Aquaya Institute, Trimmer also researched the effectiveness of a program that aimed to provide more durable infrastructure to vulnerable households in northern Ghana. Since unstable soil is an issue that impacts certain areas, they wanted to ensure the structures they built would last.

“If you dig a traditional pit latrine, it may collapse because the soil is unstable. Since the locals in the area didn’t have the means for a more durable structure, we were looking at different ways those systems could be supported financially,” says Trimmer. “UNICEF funded the project so durable structures could be installed.”

A completed rainwater tank in Uganda. (Photo courtesy of Aquaya Institute)

As Trimmer has traveled to different countries, he’s loved working with young researchers and found it rewarding to help them develop their skills and witness their growth. This passion for mentoring younger researchers would translate to his position as a ���ϲ����� professor, giving him a chance to continue guiding and supporting students.

While teaching courses at the University, Trimmer plans to collaborate with NGOs he’s previously worked with on upcoming projects. He hopes to collaborate with colleagues to develop a platform that models sanitation systems to implement them as a teaching and research tool in the classroom. This will enable him to share the knowledge he’s gained from his humanitarian work and educate future researchers to do the same.

Their three-year research project, , offers new insights, recommendations and data supporting the practice of “retrofitting” older buildings. The team has demonstrated how updating interior and exterior building systems for increased energy efficiency and improved air quality can achieve “” energy use—where the energy a building harnesses is equal to or greater than the energy the building consumes. Retrofitting is an integral part of energy-use and carbon footprint reductions as well as lowering demolition waste and the building sector’s overall carbon impact, says , assistant professor at the and the project’s principal investigator.

Nina Wilson

“We expect to see wide application of our findings as the state and nation move forward in their efforts to fight climate change. Given the energy and carbon impact exerted by many thousands of retrofit-ready buildings just in New York state, it is important to keep delivering physical demonstration projects and data that enable the industry to better model and predict performance outcomes of retrofit approaches,” Wilson says.

New York State has set to combat climate change, committing $6.8 billion for projects to cut on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs by 2025, reach 70% renewably sourced electricity by 2030 and achieve a zero-emission electric grid by 2040.

The Net Zero project received a from the (NYSERDA), with an additional $200,000 from ���ϲ����� as part of a commitment to its Climate Action Plan.

Two-Building Approach

Two identical residential apartment buildings built in 1972 on�� Winding Ridge Road on the University’s South Campus were used for the study. One was chosen for retrofitting and the other served as a “control” to provide near-identical, non-retrofitted building data throughout the project.

Research began in 2021 with a building assessment to diagnose conditions like poor insulation, building envelope leakage and a lack of active ventilation and cooling systems. At the same time, sensor data, digital modeling, cost criteria and performance goals drove the design process. Construction of the retrofit was completed in the summer of 2022, followed by a year of post-occupancy energy and environmental data collection. That analysis compared the retrofitted building’s energy use to the non-retrofitted building to gauge the impact of the adjustments.

More Systems, Less Energy

The retrofit plan was initially modified due to cost issues during COVID-19, but because indoor thermal comfort and improved air quality remained as priorities, high-efficiency heat pumps and heat recovery ventilation systems were installed.

So far, Wilson says, the construction modifications have exceeded expectations, producing up to 80% reduction in energy use for heating and cooling, even with the addition of fresh air and cooling systems in place of the original electric baseboard heating. Data also shows significant improvements in indoor air quality through reductions in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemicals commonly found in indoor environments that can have long-lasting health effects.

Using holistic and interdisciplinary approaches have been important, given the research team’s expectation that this type of work will continue for decades, Wilson says. “We pushed beyond the simple energy-use reduction goal to include occupant well-being and environmental quality considerations. That we were able to do that and still meet the energy target was an outcome that provided valuable lessons.”

Interdisciplinary, Academic-Industrial Alliance

Faculty, staff and students from three University schools and colleges, the and the Office of Campus Planning, Design and Construction, plus industry experts and community business partners, participated in the project.

Bing Dong

, associate professor at the and a co-principal investigator, designed and managed building data-collection systems to measure indoor air quality, energy efficiency of the spaces and various ways occupant behavior (such as opening windows) affected energy use and indoor comfort levels. He used behavior models, building energy simulation and machine learning approaches in taking those measurements.

Bess Krietemeyer

associate professor and project co-principal investigator, led the design of an interactive, 3D exhibit showing how the ���ϲ����� community would benefit from the energy savings and improved environmental quality, health and well-being advantages that deep-energy retrofits can provide. The exhibit demonstrates how retrofitting can improve thermal comfort for occupants while realizing cost savings on monthly energy bills and provide fresher air to breathe inside and out. Through interactive, dynamic features, the exhibit also locates residential buildings of all types—from multifamily to single-family homes—to show where and how retrofits can support the health and vibrancy of all ���ϲ����� neighborhoods.

Jason Dedrick

faculty members and , also co-principal��investigators, created a website that broadcasts live project data and summarizes research methods, plus an app that streams energy performance data directly to building occupants’ personal devices.

Jeff Hemsley

Students have been involved in hands-on learning opportunities during all project phases. They have evaluated data, created modeling, analyzed innovative technologies and materials, reviewed life cycle analysis tools that measure carbon impact, assessed energy-saving technologies and documented all aspects of the work.

Website, MOST Exhibit

The website illustrates all phases of the project’s three-year path, from the start of building identification in 2021 through data collection, design origination and development and construction phases.

Bess Krietemeyer, center, project co-principal investigator, discusses aspects of the 3-D exhibit she developed showing how retrofitted buildings throughout ���ϲ����� could provide energy benefits. (Photo by Shengxuan Hector Yu.)

Through the interactive exhibit designed by Krietemeyer and Wilson, visitors can explore the impacts of deep-energy retrofits across residential communities in the ���ϲ����� area. The exhibit was developed in collaboration with interactive artists and students in the School of Architecture.

The display uses 3D depth-sensing technologies, tracking and gesture-directed software and projection mapping onto a 3D-printed model of the to display the environmental, health and economic benefits that retrofits offer. It will be on display at the in ���ϲ����� through the end of January.

At the Sept. 26, Guzman will take part in a panel discussion about the expansion of STEM at ���ϲ�����. ���ϲ����� sat down with him to discuss his research, his future plans and how ���ϲ����� nurtured his interest in the STEM fields.

The Direct Transfer Admission Program Agreement guarantees eligible OCC graduates admission to academic programs in ���ϲ�����’s , , and , where they can complete a bachelor’s degree in four semesters.

“���ϲ����� is proud to partner with Onondaga Community College to offer a new pathway to prepare students for emerging careers,” says ���ϲ����� Chancellor Kent Syverud. “To fully take advantage of the economic opportunities developing in the region, we need a workforce with the training and knowledge to meet the needs of emerging industries. This new agreement makes it easier for learners from OCC to benefit from the outstanding educational opportunities available at ���ϲ����� while building a ready workforce for the region’s employers.”

“We’re honored to partner with ���ϲ����� on this Direct Transfer Admission Program,” says OCC President Warren Hilton. “As the community’s college, we are committed to giving students access to higher education pathways, and ultimately the opportunity to enjoy rewarding careers at places like Micron’s new chip fabrication facility right here in Onondaga County. This agreement gives our students a clearly defined pathway to one of the top institutions in the country, and we are proud to collaborate with ���ϲ����� for the betterment of our students and the Central New York region.”

���ϲ����� Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter says, “This partnership reflects the University’s commitment not only to expanding academic excellence in STEM and other areas, but also to growing and strengthening our local community and embracing economic opportunities for our students and alumni.”

Adds OCC Provost and Senior Vice President Anastasia Urtz: “We appreciate the tireless work of our innovative faculty who have built more than 20 new programs in health and human services, STEM and advanced technologies, and the liberal arts. Our programs respond to local economic needs and prepare people for careers across New York state and around the world.”

To be eligible for the program, OCC graduates must have earned a minimum GPA of 3.0. Those with GPAs of 3.25 or higher will be awarded a merit-based scholarship of at least $10,000.

Both OCC and ���ϲ����� will establish advising guidelines and course transfer recommendations to support students in the program and ensure their ability to complete their degrees in a timely manner. The institutions will also work together to recruit students to the program from the ���ϲ����� City School District and other regional schools.

While participants in the program may study a range of disciplines, an emphasis on pathways to STEM-related majors will serve to prepare students for careers at high-tech companies, including Micron Technology, which plans to build a $100 billion semiconductor fabrication facility in the ���ϲ����� suburb of Clay. In this way, the program dovetails with OCC’s new associate degree in and related , as well as existing degrees in engineering science and liberal arts: mathematics and science.