President – Emma Steinebronn

Email: eks5667@psu.edu          Pronouns: (she/her)

Emma is a physics PhD candidate at Penn State working in Professor Nitin Samarth’s lab. Her research interests include a materials-science based approach to the physics and synthesis of topological materials, as well as quantum computing. She received her Bachelors of Science in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Florida in 2021, also graduating with a minor in physics and certification in semiconductor materials. Steinebronn hopes to not only contribute to the scientific community intellectually, but also socially by encouraging minorities to pursue futures in STEM through outreach.

Treasurer –  Julian Mintz

Email: jam8443@psu.edu         Pronouns: (they/them)

Julian Mintz is a physics PhD candidate at Penn State studying condensed matter physics and biophysics. They received a Bachelor of Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2020 with dual majors in physics and applied mathematics. They are currently researching a new method of detecting and identifying viruses using Raman spectroscopy. In their free time, they enjoy playing soccer and cooking.

Mentorship/Inclusivity Chair – Šárka Blahnik

Email: seb6087@psu.edu          Pronouns: (she/her)

Sarka Blahnik is a physics PhD candidate working with Prof. Sarah Shandera. Sarka’s current research interests are focused on intersections of quantum information and open quantum systems theory with cosmology and gravity. Šárka runs the PAW+ peer mentoring program, where in-coming first year physics PhD students are each paired with a more senior PhD student as a mentor, as they make their transitions into graduate school. Outside of physics, Šárka plays the viola\in in the Penn State Philharmonic Orchestra.

Inclusivity Chair – Arianna Nielsen

Email: akn5518@psu.edu         Pronouns: (she/her)

Arianna is an undergraduate student majoring in Astrophysics. She is currently interested in the atmospheric makeup of rocky exoplanets, and astrobiology. She is doing research on atmospheric escape of exoplanets and relating atmospheric makeup to geological makeup. She hopes to create a more inclusive space for minorities in the physics and astro departments. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, playing video games, and scrapbooking.

 Professional Development Chair – Allison Colarelli

Email: atc5357@psu.edu        Pronouns: (she/her)

Allison is a an undergraduate majoring in Astrophysics and minoring in Mathematics. She has a strong interest in black holes and is currently being mentored by Källan. She is als

o a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. In her spare time, Allison relaxes by drawing, playing video games, or chatting with her friends.

Social Events Chair – Stephen Paulini

Email: sap6091@psu.edu          Pronouns: (he/him)

Stephen is a physics PhD candidate at Penn State working with Prof. Cui-Zu Chang on Condensed matter experiments. Stephen started and run the PAW+ Tuesday Tea where members of the physics department gets together in the grad lounge to have tea, amazing snacks, conversations. Outside of physics, Stephen plays golf and soccer.

Merchandise Chair – Isabella Walters

Email: icw5053@psu.edu          Pronouns: (she/her)

Isabella is an undergraduate student majoring in Astrophysics. She takes a particular interest in Radio Astronomy and Pulsar research and would like to explore early galaxy formation research. In her free time, Isabella likes to watch football, hang out with her sorority sisters, play video games, and read.

Web Chair – Jim Kennington

Email: jwkennington@psu.edu          Pronouns: He/Him

Faculty Advisor – Doug Cowen

Email:  cowen@phys.psu.edu

Doug is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy & Astrophysics and who works in the field of experimental particle astrophysics.  He has taught all of the Physics 21x introductory courses at one time or another, and relishes the challenge of making those large lecture classes effective and enjoyable for the students who take them.  For most of his professional career Doug has studied neutrinos.  During the past 20 years or so he has been working on the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and its predecessor AMANDA, both located under the icecap at the South Pole.  His research group at Penn State provided the main physics motivation for building the IceCube Upgrade, an in-fill of IceCube that will enable us to make world-leading measurements of various neutrino oscillation properties, including muon neutrino disappearance, tau neutrino appearance and the neutrino mass ordering.  He also works on AMON, a virtual observatory project at Penn State that we hope will open up the field of multimessenger astronomy, and on a new detection technology, LiquidO.  Doug also loves tea (second flush Darjeeling from Teekampagne!), is a vegetarian, and doesn’t get to go swimming as often as he’d like.