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THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

Department of Physics News

SEPTEMBER 2025

Message from the Chair

Steve Rolston We always enjoy the injection of vitality that accompanies the arrival of students at the start of a new academic year. And this fall, we have a bumper crop of new physics majors and graduate students to share our fascination with the workings of the universe!

Speaking of the universe, you will learn much about it in this issue of the newsletter, with stories on solar flares, satellites, telescopes, laser-made plasmas, autonomous vehicles, quantum science, neutrino detection and more. I find the diversity of research topics in our department and from our alumni to be stunning and a testament to the innate curiosity of physicists. Enjoy!

~Steve

Faculty, Staff & Research

Physicist Brings High Energy to UMD With Laser-Made Plasmas

Assistant Professor Will Fox’s lab will include a laser capable of creating and colliding plasmas, the most abundant—but least understood—state of matter. READ MORE »

A Cosmic Photographer: Decades of Work to Get the Perfect Shot

John Mather finally got to see the James Webb Space Telescope launch in 2021; it delivered both a photo album of exciting discoveries and a new chapter in his career. READ MORE »

JQI Hosts Quantum Workshop for Science Communicators

More than two dozen science communicators convened on campus for a workshop focused on the fundamentals of quantum science and the subtleties of explaining it. READ MORE »

Researchers Spy Finish Line in Race for Majorana Qubits

Sankar Das Sarma and Jay Sau used theoretical simulations to analyze cutting-edge experiments hunting for Majoranas and proposed an experiment to finally demonstrate Majorana qubits. READ MORE »

Brenda Dingus Elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Visiting research scientist and alumna Brenda Dingus (M.S. ’86, Ph.D. ’88, physics) has been elected for her pioneering work in gamma-ray astrophysics. READ MORE »

UMD Appoints Renowned Physicist as Associate Vice President for Quantum Research and Education

Gretchen Campbell will collaborate with faculty, students and campus partners to further UMD's prominence in quantum science and technology. READ MORE »

studentS & Alumni

Solving a Decades-long Solar Flare Mystery

Physics Ph.D. student Anna Fitzmaurice develops simulations of solar storms to understand why a rare helium isotope defies expectations during the sun’s most violent events. READ MORE »

From Lab Bench to Launch Pad

Senior physics major Dhruv Agarwal leads a team of undergraduate students developing satellite components that could launch deep into space with upcoming NASA missions. READ MORE »

$Jade LeSchack$

Jade LeSchack Spoke at the CMNS Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony

She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physics and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in May 2025. READ MORE » | WATCH VIDEO »

Driving AI Innovation for Autonomous Vehicles

As software engineering director of AI evaluation at Wayve, John Wyrwas (B.S. ’07, physics; B.S. ’07, electrical engineering) accelerates autonomous vehicle technology into the future. READ MORE »

Summer at Summit Station

Graduate student Aishwarya Vijai spent a month deep inside the Arctic Circle near the apex of the Greenland ice sheet. READ MORE »

In Memoriam

It is with much sadness that the department announces the passing of several members of our community. READ MORE »

Awards

We proudly recognize members of our community who recently garnered major honors, began new positions and more. READ MORE »

Events

To learn more about the events below and to see a complete list of upcoming colloquia and talks, visit umdphysics.umd.edu/events.html.

Fri & Sat
Sept
26 & 27

Physics is Phun

"The Physics of Sound"
The show is geared toward a high school audience and aims to educate and entertain. LEARN MORE »

Tues
OCT
14

Paint Branch Distinguished Lecture in Applied Physics

"Synchronization in Nature"
Speaker: Steven Strogatz, Cornell University LEARN MORE »

Tues
OCT
21

Shih-I Pai Lecture

Speaker: Eleanor G. Rieffel, Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, NASA Ames Research Center LEARN MORE »

Tues
NOV
18

Richard E. Prange Prize and Lectureship

Speaker: Vedika Khemani, Stanford University LEARN MORE »

WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

If you recently received an award or landed a new job, please send a brief description to physics-news@umd.edu so that we can share the great things you're doing with our community.

We are grateful to alumni and friends whose generosity supports current and future students. To learn more about how you can make a difference, please visit go.umd.edu/givetophysics.