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Disneyland for physicists: Breakthrough Prize honors scientists at world’s largest particle collider

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 15 May 2025 20:25:45 +0000

Disneyland for physicists: Breakthrough Prize honors scientists at world’s largest particle collider Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 05/15/2025 - 14:25

This year's award recognized the work of four international research collaborations at the Large Hadron Collider, including 32 current and former physicists at CU Boulder.

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Maura Barcia Figueras and Maria Martinez Named Department of Physics Employees of the Year

Veronica R Lingo — Mon, 12 May 2025 21:05:19 +0000

Maura Barcia Figueras and Maria Martinez Named Department of Physics Employees of the Year Veronica R Lingo Mon, 05/12/2025 - 15:05

Veronica Lingo

Congratulations to Undergraduate Program Professional Maria Martinez and Events and Front Desk Administrator Maura Barcia Figueras for being named the 2025 Department of Physics Employees of the Year!

Maura and Maria are often the first line of service for the department fielding both public and internal requests for service and information. As Events Administrator, Maura is tireless in her commitment to meeting continual rolling deadlines and making sure events like colloquia, student group meetings and faculty seminars are a fun, welcoming atmosphere for everyone. Maria serves as the primary coordinator of all undergraduate-related logistics in the department, from scheduling classrooms to working with faculty teaching schedules and helping students register for classes. Both Maura and Maria balance these responsibilities with steadfast kindness and professionalism.

In addition to serving as the primary contacts for the physics main office, Maria and Maura worked together to ensure an efficient and seamless transition as the main office space underwent major renovations from May 2024 through January 2025. They made sure that vital department services continued unhindered while the staff were temporarily relocated to adapted facilities in Duane.

“Thanks to both Maura and Maria for continuing to go above and beyond in supporting our students and our faculty during a disruptive time,” Department Chair Tobin Munsat said. “They do an enormous amount for the department, both in the public eye and behind the scenes, and a lot of appreciation from their colleagues came through in their nominations.”

Because of Maria and Maura’s tireless work, the main office staff is now resettled into the newly renovated Duane main office space.

Maura Barcia Figueras (left) and Maria Martinez (right)

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Physics students, staff and faculty receive recognition

Kirsten Apodaca — Mon, 12 May 2025 20:31:05 +0000

Physics students, staff and faculty receive recognition Kirsten Apodaca Mon, 05/12/2025 - 14:31

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Incoming graduate student wins prestigious innovators fellowship

Kirsten Apodaca — Tue, 06 May 2025 20:18:28 +0000

Incoming graduate student wins prestigious innovators fellowship Kirsten Apodaca Tue, 05/06/2025 - 14:18

Tuan Anh Nguyen, an incoming graduate student in physics at CU Boulder, has won the Hertz Fellowship, a prestigious recognition dedicated to empowering the promising innovators in applied science, engineering and mathematics, the foundation announced.

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Two engineering physics seniors receive College of Engineering awards

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 01 May 2025 22:04:37 +0000

Two engineering physics seniors receive College of Engineering awards Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 05/01/2025 - 16:04

Ángel Hernández

Engineering physics seniors Ángel Hernández and Denali Jah have been recognized by the CU Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science with graduating student awards. The awards celebrate student achievement in several categories including academics, community, culture, perseverance and research.

Ángel Hernández received two awards, for culture impact and community impact. These awards recognize his commitment to improving the environment both within the Department of Physics and on a broader college and campus level.

When asked what these awards meant to Hernández, he said, “these awards are for my grandparents who crossed borders with nothing but hope. They are for my parents who worked long hours and still found time to support my dreams. These awards are for anyone who has ever felt different, out of place, or overlooked when entering a new space. This recognition tells me to keep going, to keep pushing back against doubt, and to continue lifting others as I climb. This is for my family, my community, and for me."

Hernández was also thankful for others that contributed to his journey. “I’m also deeply grateful to the CU Physics Department and the many mentors and advisors who supported me throughout this journey. Your guidance helped me grow into the scientist I am becoming,” said Hernandez.

Denali Jah

Denali Jah was recognized with the Academic Engagement Award. The award honors Jah’s commitment to academic excellence and the way in which he elevated his own and other students’ learning experiences.

Jah was honored to receive the award and recognized the supportive communities and collective effort. He said, “receiving the Academic Engagement Award honors not only my pursuit of academic excellence but also the steadfast support of the communities that I'm a part of. It reminds me that success is never built alone — it's crafted through the work of people who desire to create systems that are sustainable, efficient, liberating, and flexible so that everyone progresses together.”

Both Hernández and Jah are graduating with degrees in engineering physics this spring and will be recognized for these awards at the Department of Physics Recognition Ceremony on May 9.

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Scholars aim to help women make a quantum leap

Kirsten Apodaca — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:16:40 +0000

Scholars aim to help women make a quantum leap Kirsten Apodaca Wed, 04/30/2025 - 10:16

Quantum Scholars Emily Jerris and Annalise Cabra started CU Women of Quantum to help women interested in careers in quantum to network and share experiences.

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Sean Gopalakrishnan receives top honor for plasma research

Kirsten Apodaca — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:50:58 +0000

Sean Gopalakrishnan receives top honor for plasma research Kirsten Apodaca Wed, 04/30/2025 - 06:50

Kirsten Apodaca

Sean Gopalakrishnan

Sean Gopalakrishnan, a senior physics and astrophysics student, has been recognized for his outstanding research with a Stephen Halley White Undergraduate Research Award. The award is one of the top honors for graduating students in the Department of Physics.

The award was established in 2013 by alumnus Dr. Stephen White (Phys’63) to recognize exceptional undergraduate research projects. During his undergraduate studies at CU Boulder, Dr. White’s research experiences made an impact on his future career and led him to create the award.

Studying lava tubes on the moon

Gopalakrishnan said “physics has always been a fascination of mine, ever since I learned that we can predict the motion of the planets."

Pursuing his interests, Gopalakrishnan enrolled at CU Boulder and double majored in physics and astrophysics. He joined the Institute for Modeling Plasma, Atmospheres and Cosmic Dust (IMPACT) at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) in 2023. Dr. Xu Wang, research scientist at LASP, served as Gopalakrishnan’s research advisor.

Wang said, “Sean’s work addresses the charging and subsequently the possible dust environment inside lava tubes on the moon’s surface.” Lava tubes are tunnel-like passages that are created as basaltic lava channels under the surface.

“These structures have long been thought to be natural habitats for future lunar exploration. But recent numerical simulations predicted a hazardous plasma environment inside,” Gopalakrishnan explained.

He investigated the interaction between lunar lava tubes and the solar wind. The results showed that the charging environment isn’t as hazardous as the simulation suggested, making the structures more viable for lunar habitation.

“This work is timely and important for NASA’s Artemis mission,” said Wang. The series of missions are designed to send humans to the moon and eventually establish a long-term presence.

Research project earns top honors

Gopalakrishnan’s outstanding research project received a summa cum laude designation from the College of Arts & Sciences Honors Program. The Physics Honors Council Representatives selected him to receive one of two Stephen Halley White Undergraduate Research Awards awarded this semester.

Tobin Munsat, professor and chair of physics, served as the Physics Honors Council Representative for Gopalakrishnan. Munsat said “Sean turned his work into a top-quality honors thesis, which really showed his independence on the project and his expertise in the subject matter.” He added, “I’ve also seen him present his work at a scientific conference, and it makes me proud that he’s representing our department.”

To Gopalakrishnan, the award is an incredible honor. “It's truly a gift to see my research and hard work pay off,” he said.

What’s next?

After graduating this spring, Gopalakrishnan will stay in Boulder to pursue a PhD in physics at CU Boulder. He plans to continue his research with the IMPACT group.

“I'm grateful for this opportunity, and excited for future research to come,” said Gopalakrishnan.

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Quantum magic leads to top award for Luke Coffman

Kirsten Apodaca — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:44:13 +0000

Quantum magic leads to top award for Luke Coffman Kirsten Apodaca Wed, 04/30/2025 - 06:44

Kirsten Apodaca

Luke Coffman

Luke Coffman, a senior double majoring in physics and math, has been recognized for his outstanding research with a Stephen Halley White Undergraduate Research Award. The award is one of the top honors for graduating students in the Department of Physics.

Pursuing quantum research

Coffman has always been interested in quantum. One of the main reasons he enrolled at CU Boulder was the university’s top reputation in quantum sciences.

As a first-year student, he began quantum information theory research with Graeme Smith, former professor and JILA fellow. Coffman continued research with Xun Gao, assistant professor and associate fellow of JILA, which culminated in writing and defending an honors thesis.

His research project explored “quantum magic” in fermions (e.g. electrons) which essentially measures how difficult it is to replicate a quantum state using a classical computer. The more magic a state has, the more useful it is for quantum computation, and could be used to show a quantum advantage.

States that lack magic often have "Gaussian" properties, making a quantum version of the central limit theorem a powerful tool for studying magic. “Luke has made impressive progress in exploring how the central limit theorem can be generalized to fermionic systems – a direction that bridges classical statistics, quantum information, and even has potential applications in condensed matter and quantum chemistry,” said Gao.

Earning top honors and notable recognition

The College of Arts & Sciences Honors Council awarded Coffman’s outstanding research project a summa cum laude designation. He was then awarded one of this semester’s Stephen Halley White Undergraduate Research Awards by the Physics Honors Council Representatives.

Jun Ye, professor adjoint of physics and JILA fellow, was the Physics Honors Council Representative on Coffman’s defense. “Luke wrote an outstanding honors thesis and gave a high-powered defense talk on a complex subject that connects classical statistics and fermionic quantum mechanics, with impact on quantum information and condensed matter.” Ye added, “he has the big picture and technical competence to do fun physics in the future.”

“It is an incredible honor to receive this award and a meaningful affirmation to keep pursuing the sometimes all-too-grueling process of research,” said Coffman. “I’m grateful to the physics department for cultivating a space where curiosity is not only encouraged but celebrated.”

Coffman has already received national recognition for his outstanding achievements in research. He was awarded an Astronaut Scholarship and a Goldwater Scholarship in 2024. Coffman also received a prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship which provides a three-year stipend for graduate studies and professional development opportunities.

Beyond research, building community

While an undergraduate at CU Boulder, Coffman was deeply engaged in building community in physics and related disciplines. He served as co-president of the Society of Physics Students, and vice president of the student group COSMOS in the Department of Mathematics.

Coffman has also been part of Quantum Scholars since it was established in Spring 2023. “I was excited to find community with other students that were also exploring quantum science and engineering,” he said. Coffman and other scholars have played an active role in shaping the program. “It truly feels like a program built on addressing the changing needs of its students and the broader world of quantum by ensuring students in the program are guiding its future,” he added.

What’s next?

After graduating this spring, Coffman will head to Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico to continue researching quantum magic. This fall, he will pursue a PhD in quantum science at Harvard University.

“Luke is a highly self-motivated student with strong foundations in both physics and mathematics, and it’s been exciting to see him deepen his understanding across these disciplines. I look forward to seeing what he contributes to these areas in the future,” said Gao.

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Daily Camera: Joe Romig (Phys'63, PhDAstro'75) set the example for how to succeed on and off the field

Kirsten Apodaca — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 19:01:57 +0000

Daily Camera: Joe Romig (Phys'63, PhDAstro'75) set the example for how to succeed on and off the field Kirsten Apodaca Mon, 04/28/2025 - 13:01

CU Boulder alum Joe Romig (Phys'63, PhDAstro'75) is featured in the Daily Camera, highlighting his success as a two-time All-American and Rhodes Scholar.

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Alum Dan Cole (PhDPhys'18) reflects on research experience at NIST

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 18:48:59 +0000

Alum Dan Cole (PhDPhys'18) reflects on research experience at NIST Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 04/24/2025 - 12:48

Now a quantum physicist at Infleqtion, Dan Cole reflects on his experience conducting research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as part of CU’s Professional Research Experience Program (CU PREP).

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