Opportunities for Student Research in Physics at Indiana
University
Physics graduate student Jeff Gunter and undergraduate Darius Torchinsky
discuss an analysis problem
Large-scale research is an important component of the Physics Department
at IU-Bloomington. Unfortunately, large-scale research also often conjures
up the image of a situation in which professors are too busy to bother with
students. In the Physics Department, there are many opportunities for undergraduates
to receive the sort of individual attention which one might expect at a
small liberal-arts college. Moreover, a number of undergraduates
work closely with professors and scientists (many of whom are members
of the graduate faculty) on forefront research.
One of the goals of the P221/P222 class is to give students
some of the work-skills (e.g. data acquisition and analysis) early on, to
empower them as scientists. Students also learn how to collaborate with
others and learn how to make effective presentations. At the end of the
Fall (1995-1996) semester, the students presented results of their projects
to an audience of Physics Department faculty, scientists and graduate students.
The audience was impressed with the quality of the students' work.
During the summer of 1995, a number of P221/P22 students were involved in
research. An article in the Bloomington Herald-Times,
described some of the that research. Kay Brewer worked as in intern
in a medical research company in St. Louis, MO. Troels Petersen and
David Turissini were hired by CEBAF (Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator
Facility in Newport News, VA). Andrew Brunner, Darius Torchinsky
(a senior in Bloomington North High School when he took the course) and
David Wentz worked with members of the High Energy Physics group
on particle detectors and data analysis.
