Undergraduate Research in Physics at UMBC is not only possible, but strongly encouraged
Types of Opportunities Available
Many students work on individual research projects, in collaboration with faculty members and other qualified mentors. Such research is usually performed via
- a Special Topics course for credit (via PHYS450 or PHYS499)
- as a paid research assistant or intern.
The department also offers one student a year a Donald N. Langenberg Undergraduate Research Award to support undergraduate research.
Current & Future Opportunities
Examples of Recent Undergraduate Research Projects
Below is a sample of research projects undertaken recently by Physics undergraduate students.
Year | Student | Details |
2020 | Alexandria Udenkwo | “Quantum speed limited loss of coherence” Advisor: Dr. Deffner 2020-2021 URA Scholar |
2020 | Katie Szekerczes | “Awakening Black Holes: Looking for Tidal Disruption Events in the VLA Archives” Advisor: Dr. Meyer 2020-2021 URA Scholar |
2020 | Rachel Morin | “Charge Transfer from Semiconductor Nanorods” Advisor: Dr. Pelton 2020-2021 URA Scholar |
2020 | Jacob McCready | “Quantum heat engine with interacting particles” Advisor: Dr. Deffner 2020-2021 URA Scholar |
2020 | Ellen Gulian | “Studying 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides using Density Functional Theory” Advisor: Dr. Hayden 2020-2021 URA Scholar |
2020 | Benjamin Brown | “Developing Electro-optic polymers for wideband THz sensing” Advisor: Dr. Hayden 2020-2021 URA Scholar |
2019 | Rachel Morin | “Real Time Observations of Single Particle Chemical Reactions” Advisor: Dr. Pelton 2019-2020 URA Scholar |
2019 | Ellen Gulian | “Creating a THz-TDS Imaging System to Detect Defects in Metal Armor” Advisor: Dr. Hayden 2019-2020 URA Scholar |
2019 | Omar French | “A Deep Look at Jets from Black Holes with the Very Large Array” Advisor: Dr. Meyer 2019-2020 URA Scholar |
2018 | Olivia Norman | Advisor: Dr. Zhang 2018-2019 SURE Scholar |
2018 | David Fialkow | Advisor: Dr. Pelton 2018-2019 SURE Scholar |
2018 | Arman Setser | “Quantum Error Correction Using A Gradient-Based Optimization Approach” Advisor: Dr. Kestner 2018-2019 URA Scholar |
2018 | Rachel Morin | “Microscopic Processes that Shape the High Energy Universe: An Artist View for the Rest of Us” Advisor: Dr. Georganopoulos 2018-2019 URA Scholar |
2018 | Adursh Iyer | “Searching for Gamma-ray Emission from Black Hole Jets” Advisor: Dr. Meyer 2018-2019 URA Scholar |
2018 | David Fialkow | “Characterizing the mechanical oscillatory properties of nanoparticles” Advisor: Dr. Pelton 2018-2019 URA Scholar |
2017 | Jennifer Hewitt | “Characterizing Hotspots of Extragalactic Jets and the Connection Between Jet Speed and Jet Power” Advisor: Dr. Meyer 2017-2018 URA Scholar |
2016 | Michael Wolfe | “Quantum Error Characterization for Singlet-Triplet Qubits by Randomized Benchmarking” Advisor: Dr. Kestner 2016-2017 URA Scholar |
2016 | Natalie DeNigris | “X-ray variability of Black Hole Jets on kilo parsec scales” Advisor: Dr. Meyer 2016-2017 URA Scholar |
2016 | Kevin Whitley | “TeV emission from Quasar Jets” Advisor: Dr. Meyer 2016-2017 URA Scholar |
2016 | Kyle Belluomo | “Electromagnetic modeling of metal-semiconductor nanoparticle systems” Advisor: Dr. Pelton 2016-2017 URA Scholar |
2016 | Jonathan Luckin | “Energy equipartition in radio galaxies: connecting our theoretical results to radio observations” Advisor: Dr. Georganopoulos 2016-2017 URA Scholar |
2016 | Sigfredo Soto | “Numerical modelling of the gamma-ray emission detected from extragalactic relativistic jets” Advisor: Dr. Georganopoulos 2016-2017 URA Scholar |
2015 | James Loy | “Charge Transfer from Single Semiconductor Nanocrystals to Single Molecules” Advisor: Dr. Pelton 2015-2016 URA Scholar |
2015 | John Hannegan | “Creating a Fiber-Laser Based THz System Using Electro-Optic Polymers” Advisor: Dr. Hayden 2015-2016 URA Scholar |
2015 | Michael Wolfe | “Entanglement Dynamics of Singlet-Triplet Qubits in the Presence of Inductive Coupling” Advisor: Dr. Kestner 2015-2016 URA Scholar |
2015 | Jonathan Luckin | “Understanding the Mysterious Energy Content of the Lobes of Radio Galaxies Through Numerical Simulations” Advisor: Dr. Georganopoulos 2015-2016 URA Scholar |
2015 | Ashan Mahmood | “Computational Analysis of Optical Properties of Quantum Dots Coupled With Nano-sized Silver Particles” Advisor: Dr. Pelton 2015-2016 URA Scholar |
2015 | Kevin Whitley | Advisor: Dr. Pelton 2015-2016 URAS Award |
2014 | James Loy | “Computer Interface for Optical Studies of Single Nanoparticles” Advisor: Dr. Pelton 2014-2015 URA Scholar |
2014 | Alex Eftimiades | “Quantum Mechanics in Curved Spacetime” Advisor: Dr. Franson 2014-2015 URA Scholar |
2014 | Deborah Silver | “Study of the Energy Density Ratio of Galaxy Lobes through Simulation of Radio Galaxy Populations” Advisor: Dr. Georganopoulos 2014-2015 URA Scholar |
2013 | Timothy Pillsbury | “Quasi-Phase Matching for Enhanced Terahertz Generation” Advisor: Dr. Hayden 2013-2014 URA Scholar |
2013 | David Rivas | “Determining the Multiwavelength Emission from Extragalactic Relativistic Jets in the Early Stages of the Universe” Advisor: Dr. Georganopoulos 2013-2014 URA Scholar |
2013 | John Hannegan | “Impact of a milling ball and its chemical effects” Advisor: Dr. Takacs 2013-2014 URAS Award |
2012 | Aryana Arsham | “Radiative Quenching of Large Scale Jets in the Early Universe” Advisor: Dr. Georganopoulos 2012-2013 URA Scholar |
2012 | Soutry De | “Design and Construction of a Liquid Helium Cryostat for use in Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy” Advisor: Dr. Hayden 2012-2013 URA Scholar |
2012 | Brent McBride | “Monte-Carlo Simulations of Photon Transport in 3-D Clouds” Advisor: Dr. Zhang 2012-2013 URAS Award |
2012 | Nathan Scavilla | “Causes of Strong Vertical Wind Shear in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer” Advisor: Dr. Sparling 2012-2013 URA Scholar |
2012 | David Sweigart | “Designing and Simulating Terahertz Waveguide Devices using Finite Difference Techniques” Advisor: Dr. Hayden 2012-2013 URA Scholar |
2011 | Soutry De | “Wind Energy Viability Near the Mid-Atlantic” Advisor: Dr. Sparling 2011-2012 URAS Award; (with Eliana NessAiver & Ryan Valenza) |
2011 | David Sweigart | “Field Assisted Charge Dynamics in P3HT and P3HT/PCBM” Advisor: Dr. Hayden 2011-2012 URA Scholar; URCAD2012 Presenter |
2011 | Sharon Wall | “Interferometric Autocorrelation of Femtosecond Pulses Emitted from a Widely Tunable Optical Parametric Amplifier” Advisor: Dr. Hayden 2011-2012 URA Scholar; URCAD2012 Presenter |