Starting from the previous summer of 2017, this year has been yet another important progression in my life goals. Thankfully, nothing has changed from my first year in that I still have plans of going to graduate school and getting a PhD in physics with dreams of conducting research in a national/government lab or academic setting. However, it is even more exciting in that I can now begin to see my dreams coalesce into tangible events to reach for, rather than just being some vague “big-picture”. To begin let’s preview my past summer that I spent here in Columbus.

Over the summer I took a few classes, Biology and History of Christianity in Western Africa, in order to eliminate some GE requirements and I got quite involved in my research group. Because I was only taking 2 classes (1 of which was online) I was lucky to spend 4-5 hours each day in my lab group working with a post-doctoral researcher and a new graduate student. The skills and experience I gained during this time were tremendously important to my growth as a physicist. For example, one task to reduce/understand the thermionic emission rate of the Photo-tubes proved more difficult than originally expected, for a long time it felt like I was “chasing rabbits”. Stray noise factors, including extraneous magnetic fields, were often difficult and frustrating to diagnose, but the trouble-shooting process and ultimately achieving meaningful results was rewarding. As I continued to accumulate more hours in the lab group I began to make my own, independent, contributions to the research and developed strong connections with the graduate student and post-doc in the lab too, who have provided me with much help and advice as I pursue my career goals.

Over the fall semester I took a hefty course load with 3 high-level physics major classes. Although the work was challenging I reaped the fruits of my labor and gained much knowledge and experience in skills that are extremely practical for a physicist, such as a solid foundation in python coding for data analysis, and circuitry and electronics. Unfortunately, not much progress was made in my research group, in-part because of my demanding work-load and also because that fall the post-doc was installing our prototype detector and CERN and there wasn’t any work that I could do. However, the following spring I devoted a lot of time to my research efforts and enjoyed working with and guiding three freshman who joined the research project. This past semester I’ve transitioned from an engineering aspect of the project to a heavy focus on data-analysis where I have been writing scripts to process and understand live-data from the detector. Most excitingly some of my work has even been presented in monthly meetings with researchers involved across the globe in this project.

Overall this has been an exciting year, where I’ve made many strides both personal and academic. I’ve done excellent in my classes and improved my GPA a lot, especially my major-core GPA. Additionally, my involvement in research has led to strong working connections with physics department faculty, mentors, and even letters of recommendations. The knowledge and coding experience gained from my research/coursework will be highly beneficial to my career as a physicist and I look forward to studying for the Physics GRE this summer, applying to graduate school, continuing my research, and my new job working with Dr. Richard Hughes and Dr. Brian Winer (Chair of the Physics Department) in helping to develop a new course for the upcoming spring semester.

As my sophomore year has ended, I will now reflect back on my journey and accomplishments. While my freshman semester was a year of adventure, this has been a year of exposure and discovery for me. While the terms adventure and discovery may appear similar, they have their own subtle yet important differences. Some of the major highlights include, obtaining a research position, finalizing our eminence class project, as well as diving headfirst into my Physics and Astrophysics coursework!

While my freshman year had been a period of me wandering around, not entirely sure what to do with my physics major, trying to learn as much as possible about the different fields of physics, as well as making connections with many faculty in the department. This year I have begun to reap the fruits of my labor freshman year. After conversing with Dr. Christopher Hill over the spring and summer of 2016, in the fall of 2016 I obtained a research position in his laboratory which was a very exciting time for me! I’ve gained a lot of practical and valuable experience in dealing with technical equipment, programming, and problem solving during my time spent in the lab. Additionally, I’m beginning to understand the rigor and discipline physicists have when it comes to answering questions. Over the summer I will continue working in the lab and expanding my role!

In addition to extracurricular outside of the classroom such as research and our eminence service project I’ve also thrived within the classroom. These past two semesters I have taken a headfirst dive into the core of my major. From taking higher level mathematics courses to taking intermediate physics courses on mechanics, special relativity, data analysis, and astrophysics I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every minute spent in the classroom. My excitement will surely continue into next year as I undertake an advanced study of Electromagnetism, Quantum Mechanics, and Cosmology.

However, my coursework and experiences during my sophomore year have impressed upon me what it means to be a physics major and the work that it requires from you. To be the best “physicist” one can be it requires all your effort and focus. Not just in undergrad, but as I journey towards a PhD in graduate school and beyond, honestly a lifetime of dedication. Fortunately, I believe I am ready for that and am excited to accept whatever responsibilities and challenges lie ahead!

Freshman School Year (2015-2016)

Going into my first year of college at tOSU I really didn’t know what to expect. Especially in terms of workload as a student as well as meeting people since I am an out-of-stater. However, once I got on campus I hit the ground running and never looked back. I’ve made many strong, personal friendships that have helped me grow as a person. In your first year of college you learn a lot about yourself in terms of what drives you and what shapes you as a person.  I’ve learned that I’m driven by my desire to make something of myself, to be someone important and meaningful in this world.

As a student, I couldn’t be happier with my progress. This past first year I’ve absolutely enjoyed all my courses in my core content areas of Physics and Math, and even some extracurricular courses, for example, my studies in Modern Greek language and English. This past year I’ve been fortunate enough to sit in with Dr. Beatty’s research group as well as started talking with Dr. Christopher Hill for any potential research positions he may have available for me. Finally, I studied abroad in Athens, Greece for 6 weeks this summer in an intensive Modern Greek Language Program called Thyespa. Living alone in Athens, Greece and taking classes each day has vastly improved my greek language and speaking skills. Additionally I was blessed with the opportunity to make some incredible friendships and international connections.