Home Institution: Juniata College
Research Project: Ultracold Atoms and Quantum Gases
UW Mentor(s): Deep Gupta

Q: What are your physics/science interests?
I am specifically interested in Atomic Molecular Optics (AMO) within physics. This stems from a desire to better understand the fundamentals of the universe. I enjoy learning the building blocks and developing my understanding from there.

Q: What are your other interests?
Outside of physics I enjoy Ultimate Frisbee, hiking, and any activity with friends. In general I enjoy outdoor activities that keep me active. With that being said, I also spend a decent amount of time playing video games and watching TV.

Q: What would you like to do after college?
After college I intend to go to graduate school and pursue a Ph.D. I would like to start on a path to being a tenured professor at a university that will allow me to focus on teaching.

Q: Tell us one strange but interesting fact about yourself.
One strange, maybe not too interesting, fact about me is that the fingers on my right hand are partially webbed.

Q: What first sparked your interest in Physics?
I enjoy problem solving and I have found physics research follows a logical, yet creative, process in order to solve problems. This, combined with my love for numbers, initiated my interest in physics.

Q: If you could have any pet what would it be?
I would have a pet rock because it would not be very needy, it would always be there for comfort, and it will not pass away before me. That or a tortoise for the same reasons.

Q: If you had a free month and unlimited funds, how would you spend your time?
I would spend that time traveling the world with my closest friends. While traveling I would like to try some of the more expensive activities available in those places, such as skydiving or just staying in luxurious housing.

Q: If you could get a grant to study anything what would it be?
I would get a grant to create, or work in, an AMO lab in space to help increase the lifetime of experiments. Also so I could be an astronaut because that's the dream.