Home Institution: Union College
Research Project: Ultracold Atoms and Molecules
UW Mentor(s): Subhadeep Gupta

Q: What are your physics/science interests?
Experimental work by far trumps any other kind of research, in my opinion. The act of getting my hands dirty and tackling problems head on is a lot of fun. I plan to study atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics because I find the quantum physics that arises interesting and I enjoy working with lasers.

Q: What are your other interests?
I'm a double major in physics and computer science, and I enjoy all things computer/gaming related. I also play the piano and started learning when I was four.

Q: What would you like to do after college?
I plan on going to graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. in AMO physics and then go on to find a position as a researcher at a university, government lab, or in industry..

Q: Tell us one strange but interesting fact about yourself.
I like to meet well known classical musicians that play at my college or at the nearby performing arts center. So far I've met Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, and many more!

Q: What first sparked your interest in Physics?
The New York education system requires high schoolers to take a series of specific tests and pass each of them before they are allowed a high school diploma. Part of this process involves all students taking a year of biology, chemistry, physics, etc. This, in some sense, offered me a sampling of the many different sciences out there. Naturally none of the sciences, besides physics, truly felt interesting or really important, so I continued to take physics courses in high scool and went to college a declared physics major. That combined with an excellent and entertaining high school teacher and friendly and supportive college professors proved to me that I made the right choice.

Q: If you could have any pet what would it be?
An elephant and an octopus.

Q: If you had a free month and unlimited funds, how would you spend your time?
I would travel across the country and enjoy the diverse sights there are to see.

Q: If you could get a grant to study anything what would it be?
Imagine all the technology and science in Star Trek (or Star Wars if you're so inclined). I would spend my time studying and researching that technology because I would love see that come to fruition in my life time.