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Particle people

Meet some of the people who make up the world of particle physics and astrophysics.

09/27/22

An unplanned trajectory

Cameo Lance spoke at an American Physical Society meeting about her winding path from an undergraduate degree in physics to the space industry.

03/15/22

Building for science and society

The career of Elaine McCluskey, who most recently served as project manager constructing the future facility for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, has had a lasting impact.

02/08/22

Jim Gates gives back

National Medal of Science Recipient Sylvester James “Jim” Gates, Jr. has published multiple papers on theoretical physics with undergraduate and high school students.

01/27/22

The work of Elmer Imes

Physicist Elmer Imes’ careful work to capture the spectra of molecules made clear the worth of the theory of quantum mechanics.

06/08/21

A strong force for inclusion

Elena Long’s search for community as a trans scientist put her at the forefront of LGBT+ advocacy in physics.

05/04/21

On the marvels of physics

Theoretical physicist Clifford Johnson answers Symmetry writer Brianna Barbu’s questions about his work in science and outreach, including advising on movies like Avengers: Endgame.

02/25/20

Seven views of work at the LHC

Symmetry chats with scientists working at the Large Hadron Collider to hear about differences between seven different rungs on the academic career ladder.

02/18/20

Reina Reyes looks like science

Reina Reyes made headlines for her research at Princeton testing Einstein’s theory of general relativity; now she’s home in the Philippines, using her physics background to make her mark in different ways.

01/14/20

The persevering physicist

To both understand the universe and improve equity, inclusion and diversity in physics, Brian Beckford looks to one word: respect.

01/07/20

Vera Rubin, giant of astronomy

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will be named for an influential astronomer who left the field better than she found it.

12/05/19

Humans of physics

Enormous scientific collaborations are made up of hundreds upon thousands of individuals, each with their own story.

11/26/19

Get to know 10 early-career experimentalists

Junior faculty in experimental particle physics and astrophysics talk about how they got into physics, their favorite parts of the experimental process and how they spend their time outside the lab.

09/10/19

Finding happiness in hardware

Working on hardware doesn’t come easily to all physicists, but Francesca Ricci-Tam has learned that what matters most is a willingness to put in the practice.

08/15/19

Crossing fields

Karen Uhlenbeck’s pioneering work marries math with physics.

07/25/19

The thrill-seeking physicist

Chang Kee Jung almost lost his way as a risk-taking student, but after a university took a chance on him, he grew into a leader in physics.

07/16/19

Get to know 10 early-career theorists

Junior faculty in theoretical physics talk about what keeps them up at night, their favorite places to think and how they explain their jobs to nonscientists.

05/21/19

From physics to data science

Four physicists share their journeys through academia into industry and offer words of wisdom for those considering making a similar move.

02/05/19

Tenacious persistence

Fermilab’s Liz Sexton-Kennedy talks to Symmetry about her lifelong drive to learn and how it led to her current role as Chief Information Officer for Fermilab.

11/08/18

From GED to PhD

Physicist Kira Burt dropped out of school at 16. Now she teaches students that anyone can be a scientist.

09/04/18

Changing the game

Willie Rockward applied to college with pro football dreams, but a physics scholarship set him on a different path.

07/24/18

Accelerator excellence

Fermilab’s Lia Merminga talks to Symmetry about her early experiences in STEM and her drive to solve science’s unanswered questions.

03/06/18

Bring a folding chair

National Society of Black Physicists President Renée Horton talks with Symmetry about finding a place to belong in physics.

03/05/18

Q&A: Jogesh Rout

What's it like being a theoretical neutrino physicist working on the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility?

12/07/17

The PhD pioneers

Wenzhao Wei and Dan Rederth are the first to earn physics PhDs within the state of South Dakota.

11/07/17

Something borrowed

SLAC engineer Knut Skarpaas designs some of physics’ most challenging machines, finding inspiration in unexpected places.

03/21/17

High-energy visionary

Meet Hernán Quintana Godoy, a scientist who helped make Chile central to international astronomy.

 
10/13/14

Q&A: Katherine Freese

The new director of the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics talks neutrinos, women in science, and the hunt for dark matter.

08/19/14

A whole-Earth approach

Ecologist John Harte applies principles from his former life as a physicist to his work trying to save the planet.

06/17/14

Science and nature

Although the view has changed, Lucy de Barbaro still looks at life through the lens of physics.

04/28/14

Meet the next director of TRIUMF

In July, Johns Hopkins University physicist Jonathan Bagger will begin a six-year term as director of TRIUMF laboratory in Vancouver.

12/10/13

The scale of things

Geoffrey West applies his ‘physics way of thinking’ to biology and urban life.

05/21/13

Face of Fermilab

Former biology teacher Felicia Svoboda shows Fermilab visitors the ins and outs of doing science.

05/07/13

A knack for exploring

With a solid grounding in physics, Thomas Humphrey shares the fun of discovery at San Francisco’s Exploratorium.

03/19/13

Programmed for success

Former particle physicist John Mansour still creates analytic solutions—these days, for retail clients.