Physics Students Present Poster in Gravitational-wave Conference in Louisiana
Prottoy Samir and Emma Derrick attended the LIGO-Virgo-Kagra March 2024 Conference in Louisiana, where they presented their work on optical coating studies. The poster was titled "Surface and Defect Characterization of a Ta2O5-separated GeTiOx/SiO2 coating vs Annealing". The conference is an opportunity to explore new areas of research in optics, connect with colleagues and students that do similar research, and experience a scientific conference.
We are also thrilled that Emma's dedication to research was recognized in 2024 with the highly prestigious Goldwater Foundation Scholarship award!
Physics Student Presents Poster in Conference in Toyama, Japan
Left: Kace Colby is a Junior in the Physics Program at Bard. He has done extensive research in experimental Optics. Here, Kace is presenting his poster the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA September 2023 Meeting, at the Toyama Conference Center in Japan.
Right: 3 kilometer (1.9 mi) tunnel in the Kamioka mines. The tunnel is one of two long tunnels housing the KAGRA Gravitational-wave detector.
Physics students publish work in Optics
Physics students working in the Gravitational-wave Optics Lab (GOLab) publish in a peer-reviewed journal their work related to making better mirrors for future gravitational-wave observatories. The paper describes a novel technique to measure the size of defects on mirrors used in precision experiments such as GW interferometers and quantum optics. These kind of measurements lead to the development of new material that will allow precision experiments to reach new limits in metrology. The article in the journal Applied Optics can be found here.
For more information: contact Antonios Kontos at akontos(at)bard.edu
News from the Physics Program
Bard College Junior Lauren Mendoza ’26 Wins Goldwater Scholarship
The scholarship supports college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
Bard College Junior Lauren Mendoza ’26 Wins Goldwater Scholarship
Mendoza currently conducts research in astrophysics with Professor Clara Sousa-Silva and had previously conducted research in nanofabrication with Professor Paul Cadden-Zimansky. After graduating from Bard, she hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in astronomy with a focus on the solar system and instrumentation, and aims to promote effective scientific communication between academics and the wider public.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, established by Congress in 1986 in honor of Senator Barry Goldwater, aims to ensure that the U.S. is producing highly-qualified professionals in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. Over its 30-year history, Goldwater Scholarships have been awarded to thousands of undergraduates, many of whom have gone on to win other prestigious awards such as the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Fellowship, Rhodes Scholarship, Churchill Scholarship and the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship that support the graduate school work of Goldwater scholars. Learn more at https://goldwaterscholarship.gov/
Post Date: 04-02-2025
Bard Physicist Paul Cadden-Zimansky Asks “What is Quantum?” at QuantumFest 2025
Professor of Physics Paul Cadden-Zimansky hosted a video tour of the Global Physics Summit with the American Physical Society.
Professor Clara Sousa-Silva Interviewed About the Disappearance of Scientific Datasets
“To climate science, this is absolutely disastrous.”
Professor Clara Sousa-Silva Interviewed About the Disappearance of Scientific Datasets
Post Date: 03-04-2025