THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

Department of PHYSics News

September 2026

The arrival of students for a new academic year is always invigorating! This fall, I’m observing from a different perch, as the chair of the Department of Physics.

My predecessor, Steve Rolston, steered the department for the last decade, and we are all very grateful for his excellent leadership.

Since joining the department as an assistant professor in 2004, I’ve appreciated the breadth of our research. This issue, which highlights the adventures of UMD physicists from the South Pole to outer space, certainly reinforces that. I hope you enjoy the stories below!

~Kara

She has been on the faculty for 22 years and previously served as associate chair for undergraduate education for four years.

They were honored for their research exploring the foundations of quantum science.

In his new lab at UMD, Assistant Professor Ryo Mori is constructing a custom experimental setup that will combine diverse measurement techniques and provide an expansive view of how electrons behave inside a material.

Min Ouyang and his colleagues developed a new way to take high-resolution images called infrared torsional force microscopy.

Alaina Green, Norbert Linke, Victor Galitski and their colleagues used a variety of quantum computers to run a simple neural network­—a type of machine learning inspired by the structures in real brains.

As Quantum World Congress moves to College Park, UMD will help anchor the global convening in one of the world’s most important quantum ecosystems.

The atomic/molecular/optical, quantum, and condensed matter specialties also rank in the top 20, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Richard Isaacson (Ph.D. ’67, physics) makes a generous gift to support graduate students studying gravitational physics and honor the memory of his UMD mentor, Charles Misner.

Working on a giant subatomic particle detector at the South Pole helped physics Ph.D. student Rachel Procter-Murphy discover a new side of herself.

Junior physics major Mary Keen’s summer internship at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is a stepping stone toward a career in nuclear energy.

Jackie Townsend (B.S. ’94, physics) went on a ‘wild ride’ from UMD to project manager for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope mission.

John Biddle (Ph.D. ’13, physics) is developing smart sensing systems to ‘see’ inside packages, boxes and bags — and detect potential threats.

Meet Harkeerat Singh, who is pursuing degrees in astronomy, physics and mathematics.

A childhood spent following their father around the physics department led twins Sylvester and Delilah Gates to scientific careers researching the brain and the cosmos.

It is with much sadness that the department announces the passing of members of our community.

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