Fun Facts

I grew up in a small town in south central Pennsylvania and now live in small town Narberth (about 10 minutes east of campus) with my husband, Charlie, and cats (Theo and Mr. Renfro). We have two children: Alex (Haverford Math '18) who works in nonprofit administration and lives in Queens, and Sally, who just graduated from Brandeis.

I enjoy walking, hiking and biking as much as possible!

Tentative 2021-22 Courses

Physics 105, senior seminar and Physics 214, along with research of course. I offer an every-other-year course in my research area of biological physics.

Research

Suzanne's Lab Website

Our lab is a great mix of both computational research and hands-on fabrication and engineering. A lot of the computational analysis we do has to do with image processing and analysis, so if you're interested in that this lab is a great fit for you! Recently we've also been working with deep learning neural networks and pose estimation, which is also super cool! On the fabrication side of things, our projects generally require custom made equipment which we get to make! I've had a great time making super niche tools and setups for the different experiments we've done. — Theo '22 (he/him)

Read Student Q&As About Suzanne's Lab

Fun Facts

• I have 2 young kids. They are my favorite people.
• I love animals and have had dogs, cats, reptiles, and amphibians. I'm presently trying to convince my family we should raise ducks. In college, I volunteered for a nature center specializing in wildlife rehabilitation and got to work with everything from birds of prey, large reptiles, and foxes to bunnies and sugar gliders. That's where I learned what a bad idea it is to come between a turkey vulture and its food. My wife taught me how to ride horses, and in grad school I occasionally volunteered with her at an equine therapy facility in Philadelphia.
• I love to cook and bake. I maintain a sourdough starter, have built multiple smokers (one of which worked pretty well!). I love to try new cooking techniques and recipes: my kitchen is my lab at home.
• I'm starting to learn guitar with my family, despite a complete lack of musical talent.

Tentative 2021-22 Courses

Statistical physics (303), 211 (co-teaching with Walter and Paul), 106 (spring), and Soft Matter Physics (353)

Research

Ted's Lab Website

Ted studies "soft matter physics," which basically means the study of squishy materials like sand, so Ted’s lab is called "SquishLab.” Because we are studying granular materials, the research has lots of potential applications in geophysics; the experiments we do in the lab can model real world systems like fault lines during an earthquake, hill slopes during an avalanche, and sedimentation in bodies of water. The project I'm working on studies the behavior of a collection of circular particles when they are compressed or sheared (pushed in two opposing directions, like what happens to the rocks in a fault when the tectonic plates move past each other). — Ashley Schefler '23 (she/her)

Read Student Q&As About Ted's Lab

Fun Facts

I play cello. I once had to go to the ER because I injured myself after organizing a protest on healthcare issues. I speak Russian and French. I am fascinated by dark matter and the cosmic microwave background. I love the desert scenery of the American Southwest.

Tentative 2021-22 Courses

I have taught Physics 105, 213, 214, 302, 304, 308, and 354. I love all of them, but waves and optics (213) are especially fun. The time I spend doing physics, the more I realize it's all just fancy waves and optics.

Research

Dan's Lab Website

I worked with Prof. Dan Grin and his associate Andrew Benson on refining Andrew's model (Galacticus) for predicting dark matter halo concentration, or how much of the halo's mass is close to its center. Dark matter halos exist around all massive objects in the universe, including stars, planetary systems, and galaxies. The dark matter halos of a cluster of galaxies can bend light in a measurable way, creating an effect called "strong lensing" which magnifies images of distant galaxies that are behind the cluster in the same line of sight. Radial mass distribution which affects lensing properties is described by "concentration," and strong lensing events are theoretical ways to compare the predictions of dark matter halo concentration. — Turner '22 (she/her)

Read Student Q&As About Dan's Lab

Fun Facts

I have been playing the drums for about 4 years now. I'm looking for a band. Let me know if you hear of someone who needs a drummer. I ride my bike 50-100 miles a week. It's how I stay sane. I really like musicals and movies, but really more the movies that have happy endings, like the musicals. I would love your movie suggestions. I have twin teenage daughters who I love. They roll their eyes at me often.

Tentative 2021-22 Courses

I have taught (and invented!) Intro to Programming in Physics and Astronomy (PHY/AST/CS 104), and Gravitational Waves (PHY344). I have also taught 106, 204, 211, 213, and 309.

Research

Andrea's Profile Page

The research I have done with Professor Andrea Lommen has been all sorts of wonderful because of the research we do and the people who are part of it! I work closely with another student using NANOGrav pulsar data to finish a paper months in the making on simulating pulsar detections to find a sort of idea future pulsar detecting scenario. We use time of arrival of x-rays from the NICER telescope for two specific pulsars. — Samantha '22 (she/her)

Read Student Q&As About Andrea's Lab

Fun Facts

• I've been involved in writing 3 popular science books (so far).
• I like to knit, and I have knit/sewed astronomically themed items.
• I make whatever shaped birthday cake my kids ask for (if I can) - cakes I've made include a stegosaurus, a map of the Earth in the shape of a heart, a pirate ship and a castle.

Tentative 2021-22 Courses

I'm actually teaching Astro 204, Astr 352 (new 0.5 credit Extragalactic Data Science) and a new First-Year Writing Seminar "Explaining the Universe" in 2021-2022. :)

Research

Karen's Lab Website

In galaxies, neutral atomic Hydrogen (HI) is an essential gas that can form molecular hydrogen (H2) which can then initiate star formation. However, there are a few HI rich Low Star Formation galaxies that are inefficient in converting HI to stars. I am investigating ionization sources and other parameters of such galaxies to answer why. Anubhav '23 (he/him)

Read Student Q&As About Karen's Lab

Fun Facts

• My research centers on self-assembling nano-scale circuits, i.e. electronic circuits that build themselves from a liquid solution.
• I like to write songs about physics, and often perform them in classes. I run a website, PhysicsSongs.org, devoted to songs about physics, some dating back to the 1920's.
• I've written two physics textbooks, Waves and Oscillations: A Prelude to Quantum Mechanics (used in physics 213) and Experimental Physics: Principles and Practice for the Laboratory (used in physics 326, and some parts used in physics 301).
• I love board games (favorites include Dominion, Clank, Ticket to Ride, and Empire Builder) and role-playing games (mostly old-school D&D).

Tentative 2021-22 Courses

• Fall: Physics 326 (Advanced Physics Lab), Physics 211 (Lab in Electronics, Waves, and Optics)
• Spring: Physics 102 (Classical & Modern Physics II), Physics 301 (Quantum Physics Lab)

Research

Walter's Lab Website

I am working in Professor Walter Smith's lab this summer where we are researching the conductivity of a DNA-porphyrin complex. Our experimentation process involves depositing this complex onto a thin piece of silicon (a substrate) so that the DNA strands form a connection between two gold plates. We then place the sample in a sealed plexiglass chamber and observe the current's response to a combination of voltage ramps, laser illumination, and humidity. The goal of this research is to better understand the process of DNA charge-transport so that DNA can be a useful and cost-effective tool in the world of nanoelectronics. — Sarah '24 (she/her)

Read Student Q&As About Walter's Lab

Fun Facts

Paul's hobbies include hiking, camping, crafting projects, and playing PC games with the family.

Tentative 2021-22 Courses

Paul Teaches intro labs (Phys 101, 102, 105, & 106) and intermediate labs (Phys 211, Phys 301).

Research

• Paul has past experience teaching Astro 341 (Observational Astronomy) with an emphasis on visible imaging
• Assists with classroom demonstrations - personal favorite: magnets
• Organizes student workers for the department (graders, TAs)
• Past experience teaching Astro 341 (Observational Astronomy) with an emphasis on visible imaging
• Helps with training, upgrades, and repairs to Strawbridge Observatory