Dendrochronology at Bemidji State University
It is uncommon to find field-based teaching in the study of ecology. However, at Bemidji State University, with support from the MN Space Grant, undergraduate students in the Center for Sustainability Studies are given the opportunity to learn material, such as patterns in the growth rings of trees to interpret environmental changes, through hands-on learning. […]
Researching Experimental Plasma Physics at Concordia College
Amy Ott (’21) and Noel Geiger (’22) worked with Dr. Matthew ArchMiller in developing computational tools to support experimental plasma physics. While developing these tools, the students became proficient in Python programming with emphasis placed on specific techniques that are useful for physical modeling. Amy wrote a spectral analysis program that allows the user to […]
Gabe Holum
Gabe Holum is a senior physics and mathematics double major at Concordia College and is from Grand Rapids, MN. He is also the president of Concordia College’s Society of Physics Students chapter. During the summer of 2020, Gabe was involved in a project on machine learning. In collaboration with Dr. Luiz Manzoni, he studied the […]
Researching Spectroscopic Characterization of Low-Mass Stars at Carleton College
At Carleton College, students Freja Olsen and Adam Ickler developed and tested methods for measuring the chemical abundances of nearby low-mass stars using high-resolution spectra from the Habitable Zone Planet Finder. Their techniques, implemented in modular Python programs, have enabled the measurement of atomic absorption lines with improved precision, and are currently being extended to […]
Dr. Ryan Terrien
Ryan Terrien is an assistant professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at Carleton College. He works on instrumentation and techniques for high-precision Doppler spectroscopy and exoplanet detection, including the Habitable Zone Planet Finder (HPF) and NEID spectrographs. He also studies the spectroscopic characterization of low-mass stars. His current collaborations with students involve the analysis […]
River Beard
River Beard is a physics student at Bethel University in the class of 2021. River is driven to learn how the universe works and wants to use science and engineering to improve the lives of individuals and societies. River is researching the 5S – 5D two-photon transition in Rubidium as an optical frequency standard. The […]
High Altitude Ballooning Team at St. Catherine University
The High Altitude Ballooning (HAB) Team at St. Catherine University is an all-women’s research team devoted to exploring the stratosphere through a multitude of experiments. This research has been conducted at St. Catherine University since 2009 and the collaborative undergraduate research is presented at conferences throughout the year. These experiments are conducted through weather […]
Dr. Cindy Blaha
Cindy Blaha is the George H. and Marjorie F. Dixon Professor of Physics & Astronomy at Carleton College. She obtained her B.S. and Ph.D. in physics and astrophysics at the University of Minnesota and has been teaching and doing research with students at Carleton since 1987. Her astrophysics research centers on a galaxy-wide census of […]
Taylor-Couette Flow Apparatus Formation at Bethel University
At Bethel University, student Jake Stein worked to build three Taylor-Couette flow apparatuses for their Physics department. The creation of these apparatuses required research and prototyping to be done beforehand in order to best understand the math and science behind these physical devices. After the Taylor-Couette apparatuses have been assembled, future fluid mechanics students and […]
Thunder Rocketry Club at Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College
The Thunder Rocketry Club at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College has been building and launching high power rockets for over ten years. Their first experiences were with the First Nations Competition in Wisconsin but, as of late, they have also been attempting the MnSGC Midwest Competition, which is closer to home. The […]