As an undergrad at SUNY Poly, I first pursued mathematics as I enjoyed solving complex problems. While completing my degree in Applied Math, I got introduced to the physics program through the required courses calculus-based Physics 1 and 2. Despite the time investment and the difficulty of these courses, I found another field of study that caught my interest. I was intrigued by how well mathematics conveyed the laws of physics.

After taking the required courses, I decided to pursue the physics minor offered at SUNY Poly. At the time, not knowing what I wanted to do as a career, I wanted to explore my interests and figure out what I could make the most fulfilling career out of. My study of physics was a segway into unlocking my intellectual potential that I did not know I had. I took courses in Intermediate Mechanics 1 and 2, Electromagnetism, Modern Physics and Quantum mechanics offered by the Physics Department. These classes take a lot of independent study and discipline to get through.  Anyone who successfully gets through these courses, I believe, will obtain the critical thinking and learning skills to be successful in their career.

Not only were the courses comprehensive and challenging, they also brought the opportunity to deepen my understanding of topics of interest through projects. I worked on a project called “Gravitational field produced by an elliptical distribution of mass & the resulting dynamics” after completing Intermediate Mechanics 1. This project allowed me to explore the gravitational field of a more complex geometry than was covered in the course. It also exercised my mathematical modeling skills as it required extensive knowledge of the geometry of an ellipse and calculus.

As a physics minor, I also got the opportunity to TA for a calculus-based Physics 1 course. This was worthwhile as I got a deeper understanding of introductory classical mechanics, which was very helpful for the upper-division physics courses. More importantly, I improved my ability to explain complex concepts and problems to help my colleagues succeed. Overall, it was a fulfilling experience.

After graduating in the Spring semester of 2023, I will be pursuing a master’s degree in computer science part-time while working full-time as a Software Engineer at BAE Systems. Although I am not taking the traditional physics career path, I do not see myself straying far from my physics background. My goal is to make a career out of building and improving real-world artificial intelligence systems on the software side. Physics will play an essential role in these systems as real-world AI will have to interface with the physical world.

The physics program at SUNY Poly has played a significant role in my undergraduate education. I would recommend that upcoming engineers and mathematicians consider the physics minor offered here.

 

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My time at SUNY Poly began in August 2018 solely as a Computer Engineering Technology major. Going through my early years of education and taking a summer course in Calculus 2, it was after this I picked up my second major in Applied Mathematics and I began to gain a greater appreciation and understanding of mathematics and higher education. In my sophomore year I took an introductory course in Algebra-Based Physics (PHY 101T) and this course was enlightening, but it wasn’t satisfying enough for me. It raised more questions than answers and the formulations just didn’t make sense to me. The following semester (Spring 2020), the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and everything ended up getting thrown into chaos, but I still persevered, and it was the following semester that I really began my journey into upper-level physics.

Following the effects of the pandemic in the next semester I began taking Calculus-Based Physics courses (PHY 201) and this is when things started to click for me. Being an Applied Mathematics major, most of the things I had learned up to this point, along with what I would soon go on to learn, started to fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The explanations and derivations of physics are so logical and at times quite elegant, which is where my fascination came from. Thanks to that and the efforts of Dr. Fariborz who pushed me to challenge myself into taking more and more physics classes beyond the normal Calculus-Based Physics 1 & 2 courses. I got to take courses in: Intermediate Mechanics 1, Computational Methods of Classical Mechanics, Electromagnetism 1 & 2, and Modern Physics.

My learning was also tested through some of the associated projects which really pushed my learning capabilities and skills to their max. This also gave me crucial context to help me with my future coursework outside of physics, which I never would have obtained if it wasn’t for the help of Dr. Cobanera and Dr. Fariborz. On top of that I also got to work as a Teaching Assistant for the Physics Department, which helped to not only solidify my understanding of the subject but also allowed me to feel like I was impacting the next generations of students by helping them avoid the holes and difficulties I encountered when learning physics. Additionally, this role allowed me to help guide students, which excited me because the prospects of teaching always intrigued me.

Some work I did in my time studying was to understand how external interactions like gravitational force or gravitational potential was affected by geometry or understanding the solid-state physics of semiconductors and other electrical devices. There are no courses I would recommend more heavily than the upper-level physics courses offered at SUNY Poly. They really make you work for it and help you improve yourself in a way that is not so easy to come by.

Mars Lyukova

I want to express my gratitude for the SUNY Polytechnic Institute Physics Program. I didn’t start my undergraduate journey studying physics. Instead it was computer science, electrical engineering, and mathematics that took my interest. Only after taking a required physics course for my applied mathematics major, in which we learned about electromagnetism, did studying physics in-depth appear on my radar. I decided to continue pursuing physics afterwards, eventually obtaining the opportunity to work on publishable research on analyzing the structure of mesons through Monte Carlo methods. A reference for these publications is found at the end of this article. Alongside, the upper level physics courses required extensive projects. An example is learning to solve the amount of radiation produced from a non-trivial configuration of dipoles. I also had the opportunity to delve into studying Brownian motion as a project requirement. I graduated with a bachelors in Applied Mathematics, Computer Information Science, and a minor in Physics. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to study physics at SUNY Polytechnic as the courses were excellent in preparation for graduate studies, and the research opportunity was exceptional.

Currently I am a PhD student in physics at Stony Brook University working for the ATLAS Experiment at CERN. I research searching for dark matter through the process of Higgs Boson decays into mu mu b b. The experience in undergraduate physics research I had done in SUNY Polytechnic Institute directly applied since ATLAS research also uses a Monte Carlo method to simulate detector response to energetic particles. The considerable projects required for upper level physics courses gave a taste of research as well, so I did not feel as if I was suddenly dropped into the ocean as I transitioned into a graduate program.

At SUNY Polytechnic Institute, there were also plenty of opportunities to obtain a physics TA position. This helped grow my love for teaching, and provided experience for when I was required to TA as a physics graduate student. I hope in the future to become a professor teaching physics. I highly recommended courses taught by the physics department at SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

Publications:

A.H. Fariborz, M. Lyukova, “Spinless mesons and glueballs mixing patterns in SU(3) flavor limit,”  Nuclear Physics A 1015, 122286 (2021).

A.H. Fariborz, R. Jora, M. Lyukova, “Quark and glue spectroscopy of scalars and pseudoscalars in SU(3) flavor limit,”  International Journal of Modern Physics A 34, 1950034 (2019).

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Colin Wadsworth
Class of 2022
Nanoscale Science
Physics minor

I was a nanoscale science major with a strong interest in material science and physics at SUNY Poly. I was excited to find that the school offered advanced physics courses in quantum mechanics, classical mechanics etc, which helped me in my research during undergraduate in ellipsometry and scatterometry under Dr. Alain Diebold. When I was taking the classes, I found my interest was in gaining a deep understanding of theory to better my research. Another part of the courses was the projects in upper division physics courses at SUNY Poly,  where I was able to learn more about the subject and were excellent ways of showing what I have learned from the class as I was applying to graduate school.

After my undergraduate education, I am currently (January 2023) a graduate student at the University of Minnesota Chemical Engineering and Material Science department under Dr. David Flannigan studying ultra-fast tunneling electron microscopy. This allows us to study the dynamics of materials such as how crystal lattices respond to excitation and relation of charge carriers and the effects of interfacial forces. In my research, my physics classes at SUNY Poly  helped give me lots of background knowledge to lean on and prepare me for how difficult the course work can be in grad school. The physics department at SUNY Poly and most importantly the professors in it helped me push myself to learn more and have been an inspiration for pursuing research. I would highly recommend the physics courses in the department and to reach out to the professors.

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David Zemanek
Class of 2021
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Minors in Physics and Mathematics

Reflecting back on my undergraduate studies at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, I recall my involvement in the physics program which opened the door for me to acquire added value toward both my academic and professional careers. For one, the upper division physics coursework offered at SUNY Poly naturally complemented my core electrical and computer engineering curriculum. The addition of physics courses to my studies undoubtedly attributed to a noticeable increase in my critical thinking and problem-solving approach skills. Furthermore, working with like-minded, motivated peers seeking a thorough understanding that comes with the challenges of advanced course material as well as having a highly professional and readily available staff in the department who always offered pertinent advice certainly played a role in promoting a uniquely encouraging learning atmosphere.

Additionally, minoring in physics at SUNY Poly paved the way for me to take on exceptional physics TA positions. Conducting weekly recitations for students in Calculus Based Physics I and II courses not only encouraged further academic self-discipline for both the students and myself, but the activity challenged me to train my mind to approach problems from different angles as well as obtain a deeper level of understanding of the fundamental concepts at hand. As they say, if one can teach a subject thoroughly and coherently, then one can be confident in their mastery of that subject.

Moreover, the flexibility of the upper division physics coursework made it convenient for me to develop exciting projects at a self-paced learning rate. As a result, I was able to complete projects that included detailed analyses on generalizing the Doppler effect for wave phenomena as well as a project detailing the quantum Hall effect for a charged particle through direct application of the Schrödinger equation. All in all, I highly recommend the physics program for determined and self-motivated students seeking to take their critical thinking, job marketability and overall academic experience to the next level.   

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Jonathon Miller
Class of 2021
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Minors in Physics and Math

When I first came to SUNY Polytechnic Institute, I did not consider that the physics curriculum would have a huge major impact on life. Going through Calculus Based Physics I and II (PHY 201 and PHY 202) was only the beginning of the fun challenges I would face in the Physics Department.

The structure of the upper-level physics courses pushed students to learn material at their own pace. My favorite part about the physics curriculum is the way projects are used in the curriculum. The projects push students to explore advanced ideas. One of the highlights of my undergraduate experience was a project on electrodynamics and the mechanics of motion of charged particles I did for the course Intermediate Mechanics I (PHY 361). I am proud of the outcome, and it was only possible thanks to the structure   and the level of physics courses.

I also had a great experience being a physics TA. I was able to help others understand concepts and maintained my own understanding of the fundamentals. I enjoyed helping people learn and understand complex ideas. Being a physics TA has given me a thirst to help and mentor others.

After graduating, the physics minor (as well as the additional upper division physics courses I took beyond minor) helped me obtain my first job out of college working for the government. I struggled thinking about a graduate program I wanted to enter, but I thought about my physics experiences in undergraduate. I am currently attempting to pursue applied electrodynamics.

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Tristen Carrig

I began my studies at SUNY Polytechnic Institute as a Mechanical Engineering major. After my first year of taking physics 201 and 202 I realized how much I enjoyed the subject and chose to pick up a physics minor. The heavy reliance of mathematics in physics inspired me to double major in Applied Mathematics. I have since transferred to Brigham Young University majoring in Mathematics.

I currently do research in algebraic geometry. Particularly the study of singularities of invertible quasi-homogeneous polynomials and their generated lattices and K3 surfaces. Although my field of research does not rely on electromagnetic waves and radiation, the techniques and tools I learned in the several advanced physics courses and their projects have been invaluable for the research I do now. Also, having such extensive projects as part of my resume has been a great help. The opportunities I had to TA for PHY 201 which included grading and teaching recitations increased my understanding of the subject and helped me develop my love for teaching and how to be a good teacher. This experience motivated me to stay in academia and get my PhD.

I am applying for graduate schools in mathematics but will be focusing on mathematical physics as my specialty; particularly quantum topology. I highly recommend any student that considers graduate school in the STEM field to physics minor at SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

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Riley Christopher

Physics at SUNY Polytechnic Institute helped me decide to continue my education and pursue a graduate degree. I wasn't sure what area I wanted to work in, but as I took more classes that involved quantum mechanics and relativity, I knew I wanted to choose a subject that heavily involved physics.

My undergraduate degree is in electrical and computer engineering and we had an introduction class on transistors and device physics. These classes mainly involved how the devices we use everyday as electrical engineers work; this really intrigued me so I decided that I wanted to research device engineering. This led to my acceptance as a graduate research assistant at the University of Virginia (UVA) to get my Master’s of Engineering.

I worked on a couple of projects, one of them involving transition material such as VO2 which had special characteristics to switch from an insulating material to a conducting material. The other project I worked on, and am in the process of getting published, is called the Max Flow Optimization problem, where I used electrical circuits to solve the problem. I graduated in December 2019 and was hired at Micron in Manassas, Virginia where I work as a yield engineer looking for defects on memory chips. The best way to find defects is to use a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), this helps us locate small defects on transistors that are micron to nanometer size.

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Rebecca Sheely

I am currently a structural engineer working in Troy, NY. I design buildings as well as conduct building and structure assessments. I literally use physics everyday. I graduated from SUNY Poly with my BS in civil engineering and a minor in physics in 2017. I then went to University at Buffalo for my masters degree in structural engineering and graduated in 2018.

The physics I learned, mainly the mechanics side of it, helped me comprehend my grad school classes much better, such as dynamics and mechanics of materials. Additionally, my TA position for physics 201 at SUNY Poly greatly helped me get TA positions in grad school which saved me tens of thousands of dollars.

Being a physics TA and tutor greatly sparked my interest in teaching and I have started tutoring high school students in both math and physics as a side job.

Overall being involved in physics as SUNY Poly greatly increased my knowledge and confidence in mechanics which I need to successfully do my job. Being a TA really helped me master mechanics and mathematics and helped me learn how to help others understand and appreciate the subject as well. 

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Alden Koch

I received my BS in electrical engineering with a minor in physics from SUNY Poly and went on to obtain a MS in biomedical engineering from the university of Michigan. I now work in a materials science lab researching the nanostructure of biomineral systems using electron microscopy.

Looking back, starting a physics minor was probably the first time I really got involved in my education. The decision was sort of spur of the moment, but the mathematical modeling skills and solid foundation in basic physics that I gained has been invaluable in my continuing education. Being able to focus on a specific field early in my education was a rewarding experience and learning to tackle complex problems was not only fun but also a skill I have used a lot in engineering and science. As a TA I worked closely with my professors and learned a lot by teaching others. I think that kind of involvement and the connection I had with my studies ultimately influenced my decision to pursue a graduate degree.

I gained an appreciation for the physical world around me and the elegance of a good mathematical model. Even across different disciplines I am still able to rely on the skills I developed studying physics to tackle new problems.

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Alex DiPerna
Graduated in May 2008
Major: Electrical Engineering
Minor: Physics

During my tenure as a student at SUNY Poly I was fortunate enough to earn a minor in physics. The physics coursework I took prepared me for graduate coursework in Electrical Engineering. Courses such as Electromagnetics and Intermediate Mechanics laid the foundation for my future graduate research. As a graduate student I benefited from both the mathematical methods I was exposed to in my SUNY Poly physics courses and from the actual course material presented in the physics courses. I use the mathematical methods in my research and coursework, and I use the ideas presented in the courses as a background for my own projects. I recommend the advanced physics courses at SUNY Poly  to anyone interested in physics or interested in graduate/research work in engineering, computer science, or mathematics.