Illinois Physics | The Grainger College of Engineering | UIUC

Gravitational waves unveil previously unseen properties of neutron stars

A better understanding of the inner workings of neutron stars will lead to a greater knowledge of the dynamics that underpin the workings of the universe and also could help drive future technology, said University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign physics professor Nicolas Yunes. A new study led by Yunes details how new insights into how dissipative tidal forces within double — or binary — neutron star systems will inform our understanding of the universe. 

Illinois Physics alumnus Gregory Sullivan named UMD 2024 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher

University of Maryland Physics Professor Gregory Sullivan has been named a 2024 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher. Established in 1978, the Distinguished Scholar-Teacher title is awarded to a select number of faculty members who have blazed trails in their classrooms and their areas of expertise. Honorees receive $5,000 to support their professional activities and are asked to give a public presentation on a topic relevant to their fields.

Vishveshvara selected for U of I System's Public Voices Fellowship program

The U of I Office of the Provost has selected Illinois Physics Professor Smitha Vishveshwara for the 2024-25 cohort of the Public Voices Fellowship program of the University of Illinois System, now in its sixth year. The fellowship is a unique opportunity led by The OpEd Project. The program is part of a national initiative to help faculty amplify their expertise in ways that can contribute to public conversations about pressing issues. 

The 20 faculty in this cohort will attend four sessions during the 2024-25 academic year and will be paired with a journalism mentor who provides one-on-one editing and coaching, to publish two or more op-ed pieces during the program.

Eduardo Fradkin awarded Feenberg Memorial Medal

Eduardo Fradkin has been awarded the Feenberg Memorial Medal for pioneering applications of quantum field theory to the understanding of emergent, many-body physics of quantum systems, in particular composite fermions, and electronic liquid crystalline and pair density wave phases of correlated electronic systems.


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Research Highlights 

Click on a research highlight to vote for your favorite submission to the Research Highlight Science Writing Contest for graduate students.

Donor support for undergraduate research is funding student participation in cross-disciplinary study of dark matter

Donor support for undergraduate research is funding student participation in cross-disciplinary study of dark matter

Illinois Physics rising junior David Balut, the 2024 A.C. Anderson Undergraduate Research Scholar, has been a member of the Peter Abbamonte research group since November 2022. This summer, his donor-supported research includes collaborating with the Yoni Kahn group on the physics of dark matter, using organic scintillators for anisotropic detection. He will also continue to study strange metals in the Abbamonte lab. In addition to the AC Anderson Award, Balut is a recipient of the T.R. Schlaeder Engineering award, the Robert M. Stephens Engineering award, and has been a James Scholar since Fall 2022.

The A.C. Anderson Undergraduate Research Scholar award is made possible by Illinois Physics donors. The award is named for Ansel C. Anderson, an alumnus (PhD, 1961), faculty member (1962-1992), and department head (1986-1992) who  made seminal contributions to low-temperature physics, particularly on the thermal properties of metals and glasses. 

Learn more about how to become a donor and support initiatives like undergraduate research opportunities!

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ENGINEERING VISIONARY SCHOLARSHIPS 

Give to the Engineering Visionary Scholarship.

EVS attracts the brightest students, ensures a diverse and talented class, and helps reduce student debt.

“I love cosmology—the study of the large structures of the universe, the Big Bang, and the questions of dark energy and matter. I have a strong interest in developing astronomy instrumentation—telescopes, satellites, and sounding rockets. The Engineering Visionary Scholarship freed me up to pursue these interests while exploring the fundamentals of the universe through physics.”

— Kayleigh Excell, Class of '24, EVS Scholarship recipient

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Kayleigh Excell
Kayleigh Excell, Class of '24

 

Watch Illinois Physics and Astronomy Professor Charles Gammie on The UIUC Talkshow. From the origins of black holes to the nature of time itself, enjoy this captivating odyssey through the cosmos, guided by a brilliant scientific mind. 

 

Watch "The Physics PhD," a parody of the Barbie movie's "I'm just Ken" scene, created by graduate students in the Fahad Mahmood research group with support from the Illinois Physics graduate student community. Earning a PhD in physics is long road that can leave one feeling like they are living in a world of plastic... or maybe a graphene lattice.

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I am working on my science fair project- I am freezing orange juice and soda to see which will freeze faster. My orange juice froze before the soda- is it because of the carbonate water in the soda or the sugar?

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