Research
We encourage all students to gain research experience in Physics, regardless of their specific academic focus. Gaining insights into research methodology affords a unique perspective into how only how "the scientific method" operates in practice, but also into how Physics operates as an enterprise in critical thinking.
Research Possibilities
- On-campus over the summer with Juniata faculty - Laser physics; Optical trapping; Astrophysics
- Off-campus with Juniata faculty at Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) in Hanford, Washington - Radiological detection supporting national security efforts
- Off-campus research at other sites. Recent students have conducted research at:
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- National labs, including Jefferson Labs, Virginia; National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland; Pacific Northwest National Labs (PNNL) in Hanford, Washington and Oak Ridge, Tennessee
- Academic sites, including Rochester, the Pennsylvania State University, Duke University and University of Washington).
- Students with interdisciplinary interests coupling Physics with a second academic area have earned prestigious summer internships at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI); and other sites.
- Students may also do research during the academic year, either on a volunteer basis or for credit. We encourage students to propose projects investigating a problem of interest to them in physics or engineering.
To develop their speaking and professional skills, we strongly encourage students who conduct research to present their research work publicly. We offer a number of opportunities to do so, including our Physics Seminar course; local, regional and national physics conferences; and the annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research.
Student Research
Sarah Bender '07 and Allison Earnhart '07, "A Method to Determine the Minimum Energy Threshold and Coarse Low Energy Calibration for PVTbased Detectors," 2006, with Jim Borgardt.
Michael Best '06, "High Precision Measurement of the Speed of Light," 2006, with Jamie White and Mark Pearson.
Nicholas Daddario '06, "Determining the Acoustic Length-end Corrections for Open-open Pipes," 2006, with Jamie White and Mark Pearson.
Dan Sidor '07, "Developing a Non-Invasive Imaging System for Blood Flow Through Small Vessels of the Nailfold," 2006, with Mark Pearson.
Available Projects
- Dr. James D. Borgardt - radiological detection
- Dr. Mark Pearson - optical trapping
- Dr. Norm Siems - astrophysics
- Dr. James D. White - rubidium-laser
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