News and Events

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Clara Sousa-Silva Gives Talk on the Search for Alien Life

Clara Sousa-Silva, assistant professor of physics at Bard College, delivered the presentation “Alien Life, and How to Find It” for the D&H Canal Historical Society in High Falls, New York. Sousa-Silva’s research looks for signs of life elsewhere in the universe using astronomical tools to detect faint signals emitted by potential alien biospheres. In her presentation, she discusses how molecules interact with light so that they can be detected on faraway worlds, and breaks down how those interactions can broadcast much about a planet—including how any molecule associated with life can leave specific signatures. “You can think of our atmosphere and its light as a planet-sized message communicating to the galaxy that we have oceans and forests and varied ecosystems with rich life cycles,” she said. “What are we looking for when we look for a planet and try to find out if it’s inhabited by something, anything? Well, we know the laws of physics are universal, and we know that chemistry is universal. We can and have tested many of these physical and chemical boundaries of the universe, and we know the rules that bind them. But what might be the universal laws of biology?  Well, we don’t know, but we can start with what we do know.”

Post Date: 02-18-2025

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Bard Professor Antonios Kontos Awarded $351,951 Grant from the National Science Foundation

Antonios Kontos, associate professor and director of physics at Bard College, has been awarded a research grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Kontos’ proposal, titled “Stray Light Control for Cosmic Explorer,” has been awarded a total of $351,951 in funding over a period of three years, which will also cover student salaries, travel, and equipment.

“Try to imagine a telescope that can hear every collision between two stars in the universe. That is what we are creating with the Cosmic Explorer detector,” said Kontos. “This award will allow students at Bard the opportunity to contribute to this remarkable project over the next three years.”

Gravitational-wave astronomy, a subfield of astronomy focusing on the detection and study of gravitational waves emitted by astrophysical sources, has now opened a new window to the universe, which—along with conventional telescopes—significantly broadens our understanding of astrophysics and cosmology. The Cosmic Explorer project is a concept for a next-generation gravitational-wave observatory in the US, which will enable the detection of nearly every black-hole collision in the observable universe. The NSF award will allow a team of scientists and engineers to produce this initial conceptual design, and to develop technologies to facilitate the eventual realization of the Cosmic Explorer. The project will be undertaken in collaboration with the California Institute of Technology, which received a separate grant for the initiative.

The NSF is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and US territories. It was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science, advance the nation’s health, prosperity and welfare, and to secure the US national defense. Its investments account for about 25% of federal support to US colleges and universities for research driven by curiosity and discovery. NSF aims to keep the US at the leading edge of discovery in science and engineering, to the benefit of all, without barriers to participation.

Post Date: 09-10-2024

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Bard Physicists Paul Cadden-Zimansky, Li-Heng Henry Chang ’23, Ziyu Xu ’23, and Shea Roccaforte ’21 Coauthor Cover Story in the American Journal of Physics

Associate Professor of Physics Paul Cadden-Zimansky and three recent Bard graduates in physics and mathematics Li-Heng Henry Chang ’23, Ziyu Xu ’23, and Shea Roccaforte ’21, have coauthored the cover story in the July 2024 issue of the American Journal of Physics. Their peer-reviewed research article, “Geometric visualizations of single and entangled qubits,” presents a new way of visualizing the phenomenon of quantum entanglement between two interacting objects. Intended for a range of audiences—from students just starting to learn about concepts in quantum mechanics to active researchers who are using quantum bits ("qubits") to create new types of computers, sensors, and secure communication systems—the article focuses on visual tools and maps that can be used to complement the formal mathematics and algebra of quantum mechanics.

Post Date: 07-09-2024

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Bard Professor Paul Cadden-Zimansky Interviewed on the Quantum Spin Podcast

Paul Cadden-Zimansky, associate professor of physics at Bard College, was interviewed on the Quantum Spin podcast by host Veronica Combs about his work as a physicist, as well as his role as a member of a committee convened by the Physical Society to coordinate the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, a global initiative that will celebrate 100 years of quantum mechanics in 2025. The year-long initiative will celebrate the profound impacts of quantum science on technology, culture, and our understanding of the natural world. “Quantum mechanics over this past hundred years has become the central theory for our understanding of the physical world,” Cadden-Zimansky told Combs. “It is our best physical theory, it is our most well tested physical theory, it applies to things that aren’t just small, you can see effects of quantum mechanics on galactic scales. And so, I think most physicists have an understanding of that—they didn’t appreciate that when they first constructed quantum mechanics.” He continues, “I think over the course of a hundred years, the story has kind of been, ‘No actually, this is really this grand framework for understanding everything around us.’”

Post Date: 04-09-2024

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Bard Alumnae Michelle Reynoso ’22 and Julia Sheffler ’22 Honored by National Science Foundation

Bard alumna Michelle Reynoso ’22 (BHSEC Manhattan ’18) has been awarded a Graduate Research Fellowship by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in support of her graduate work in materials research at Columbia University. The program aims to ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the US, and the five-year fellowship provides three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $37,000. Julia Sheffler ’22 has also been awarded an honorable mention by the NSF for her work in astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Post Date: 04-09-2024

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Two Bard Students Named as Recipients of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship

Bard College is pleased to announce that Bard students Reed Campbell ’25, a junior biology major, and Emma Derrick ’25, a junior physics major, have been announced as recipients of the 2024 Barry Goldwater Scholarship. The Goldwater scholarship supports college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.

Campbell, who is currently studying abroad at the University College Roosevelt in the Netherlands, has conducted research with his advisor, Dr. Cathy Collins, as well as at the University of Delaware's College of Earth, Ocean, and Environmental Ocean Sciences during an REU internship. He hopes to earn a PhD in Marine Ecology and conduct research in marine conservation at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. 

Derrick has conducted research with her advisor, Dr. Antonios Kontos, on Laser Interferometric Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) to analyze the effects of annealing on the development of defects in mirror coatings.  After Bard, Emma aims to earn a PhD in Experimental Gravitational-Wave Physics, after which she hopes to secure a faculty position, conduct research, and mentor and collaborate with students. 

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 goldwaterscholarship.gov/

Post Date: 04-03-2024