Widening our Cosmic View Above: Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Photo credit, NASA February 6, 2025 In a field of groundbreaking discoveries and analytical research papers, it’s easy to lose sight of the humanity behind the STEM fields. This includes the meticulous organization that goes into every project, the countless sleepless nights seeking their completion […]
Read MorePresidential Societal Impact Award Above: Tino Nyawelo February 3, 2025 Tino Nyawelo, physics, is one of five faculty members named by University of Utah President Taylor Randall as 2025-26 Presidential Societal Impact Scholars for exemplary public engagement, from eliminating health inequities to helping communities plan and prepare for disasters and mentoring STEM education students.
Read More‘Brand new physics’ for next generation spintronics January 15, 2025 Our data-driven world demands more — more capacity, more efficiency, more computing power. To meet society’s insatiable need for electronic speed, physicists have been pushing the burgeoning field of spintronics. Traditional electronics use the charge of electrons to encode, store and transmit information. Spintronic […]
Read MoreDemonstrating the magic of physics January 7, 2025 Above: Adam Beehler demonstrates atmospheric pressure by putting a student in a bag and evacuating the air. (Credit: Peter Rosen, KSL TV) At the University of Utah, Adam Beehler shrink-wrapped a student and levitated another with a leaf blower. It was all part of a day’s work […]
Read MoreThe hunt for the origins of the universe’s most energetic particles Dec 10, 2024 The University of Utah’s Cosmic Ray Research program, along with partner institutions in the Telescope Array collaboration is looking to crack the case of exactly what the mysterious particles are that carry far more energy than an Earth-bound accelerator can deliver. The […]
Read MoreTaking it to the startup slopes Above: Thomas Tang Thomas Wei-Tsu Tang, BS’94 in physics, is an extraordinary competitor. A two-time Olympian in alpine skiing (Calgary, 1988 and Albertville, 1992), he has also competed in a World Cup and a World Championship in skiing. “I am proud to be an Olympian,” says Tang. “Elite […]
Read MoreACCESS Scholar, Ella Bleak November 18, 2024 Above: Ella Bleak Ella Bleak’s journey as a self-proclaimed science nerd started at a young age. Her inner nerd was fostered by high school chemistry and biology teachers, and having a professor in developmental biology with a PhD from the U as a neighbor didn’t hurt, either. That […]
Read MoreExploring the cosmic unknown with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Nov 12, 2024 Above: TA view of DESI’s fully installed focal plane, which features 5,000 automated robotic positioners, each carrying a fiber-optic cable to gather galaxies’ light. Although the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument sounds like something used at Hogwarts to practice wizardry, it is very much something […]
Read MoreNavigating the Universe and Self Oct 14, 2024 Above: Ethan M. Hood, a third-year honors student studying physics and astronomy. By Ethan Hood “I started out as a general studies student at Salt Lake Community College. I have a wide range of interests, and it was hard to pin down what I wanted to study.
Read MorePete Johnson, An Abundant Source of Energy October 8, 2024 Above: Pete Johnson. Credit: courtesy of Pete Johnson Pete Johnson, BA’03 physics, is a source of boundless energy. At just 45, the husband and father of four has earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Stanford, founded and built several leading companies, worked […]
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