Event Archive

Reem-Kayden Center  5:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Join our graduating seniors as they present their work!


Download: Senior Project Poster session booklet S25-1.pdf

A talk by Georgia Mansell, Syracuse University
Brody Lab - Hegeman 107  12:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
The advanced LIGO (laser interferometer gravitational-wave observatory) detectors are currently in their fourth observing run, with greater sensitivity to gravitational waves than ever before, able to detect binary neutron star inspirals out to over 165 Mpc. In this talk, I will explain some of the technologies which enable gravitational-wave detection, including squeezed light, laser stabilization, and quadruple suspensions. I will also talk about the gravitational-wave instrumentation projects going on at Syracuse University, including an electrostatic violin mode damper for suspended optics.

A talk by Dr. André Isaacs, Associate Professor of Chemistry, The College of the Holy Cross
Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium  1:10 pm EDT/GMT-4
Dr. Isaacs's research is centered on a very reliable organic reaction: the copper-catalyzed cycloaddition of sulfonyl azides and terminal alkynes (CuAAC) commonly known as ‘click chemistry’. This fragmentation creates reactive intermediates which can be intercepted to synthesize nitrogen heterocycles, important structural components in a majority of pharmaceutical drugs. This seminar will also discuss strategies that capitalize on the learning styles and culture of the younger generation to broaden participation in STEM.

Dr. André Isaacs (he/him/his) is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. He moved to the US upon finishing high school in Kingston, Jamaica and received his BA from the College of the Holy Cross and his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. He then worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of California, Berkeley before accepting his current faculty position. In addition to teaching courses in Organic Chemistry, he conducts and publishes research in the area of copper-mediated organic reactions and synthesis. He is a faculty advisor to numerous student groups including the Caribbean African Students’ Assemblage and is a member of the college’s LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Alliance. He uses his online platform to challenge the normative STEM culture and demonstrate what an inclusive space could look like for the next generation of scientists, primarily those with marginalized identities.

A talk by Beth Parks, Colgate University
Brody Lab - Hegeman 107  12:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Editing the American Journal of Physics for the past 5 years has taught me more than I could have imagined about physics, writing, and publishing. I’ll share some of those lessons in this talk.

A talk by Aaron Buikema, Lightmatter
Brody Lab - Hegeman 107  12:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
While many physics undergraduates focus on academic or research careers, diverse opportunities exist within industry. I will discuss some common non-academic careers for physicists, essential skills (eg programming, data analysis), and practical advice for job searching, including insights from my own transition from academia to industry. A comparison of academic and industrial careers will be presented, along with examples of how core physics principles are applied in real-world settings. This talk aims to equip physics undergraduates with the knowledge to explore and pursue successful industrial careers.

A talk by Daniel Smith, Bard College Office of Sustainability
Brody Lab - Hegeman 107  12:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Geothermal systems (aka: ground-source heat exchange) utilize the renewable thermal energy below the Earth’s surface to provide heating and cooling in buildings. Bard College has been a leader and early adopter of geothermal, with systems on campus dating to the late 1980s. Nearly 50% of the Main Campus building area (ft2) uses geothermal technology, and there are over 630 geo-wells across campus, hidden beneath our feet. This discussion provides an overview of geothermal on the Bard campus, and an introduction to the physics and components at the heart of ground-source heat exchange, including heat pump systems and the refrigeration process.

A talk by Andrew Zwicker, Senator, 16th Legislative District

Brody Lab - Hegeman 107  12:00 pm EST/GMT-5
What role should scientists play in public policy? Do we have any more of an obligation than others to participate in the political process? While technical issues are clearly within the natural purview of a scientist, is a science background equally as valuable in dealing with the economy or education? These are some of the questions this talk will raise, including lessons learned from Zwicker's personal career trajectory to highlight his perspective on the intersection of science and public policy.

A talk by Sasha Fraser, ’24
Brody Lab - Hegeman 107  12:00 pm EST/GMT-5
A variety of techniques can be used to investigate molecular dynamics on ultrafast timescales, and most of these are relatively novel techniques. Currently, most of the techniques employed are spectroscopic techniques, which only provide information about the energetic transitions within a system. In contrast, scattering techniques can provide additional information by instead directly probing the structural dynamics over time. The ability to examine molecular structures and monitor their structural changes on femtosecond timescales is particularly useful, because it can provide information such as the structural pathways that chemical reactions pass through, which was previously not possible to obtain through experimental means. This talk will provide a survey of the ultrafast techniques employed by our group in order to create more comprehensive understandings of molecular structural dynamics on reaction timescales.

A talk from Kate Kiseeva, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, American Museum of Natural History
Brody Lab - Hegeman 107  12:00 pm EST/GMT-5
Diamonds, thought to form in the upper mantle and the mantle transition zone (410–660 km) often incorporate small pieces of surrounding material when they form. These inclusions provide a unique window into the deep mantle, giving researchers much-needed information about the composition of our planet as well as processes which took places millions and billions of years ago. Dr. Kiseeva will give an overview of deep diamonds and their inclusions: how these diamonds form, what minerals they bring, what they tell us about the composition of the deep mantle, and how they relate to the deep carbon cycle.

Kate joined the American Museum of Natural History in November 2023, moving from an academic background. Prior to that sheworked as a Senior Lecturer in Geochemistry at the University College Cork (UCC), Ireland.  In 2012 she received her PhD in experimental petrology from the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.  Kate’s main research interests include the deep carbon cycle, metasomatism in the cratonic mantle, distribution of trace elements during mantle melting, and oxidation state of the mantle transition zone.