Physics

PHYSICS - Far from home, Eric Torrence, a physics professor at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences, will spend the next year and a half being the ATLAS Run Coordinator at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). After being elected to the position fall 2024, Torrence ensures the largest particle accelerator in the world continuously produces usable data from May 2025 to July 2026.

PHYSICS - Physics Professor Richard Taylor blends art and science to create award-winning nature-inspired designs for indoor environments. In collaboration with designers in Austria, Taylor has been using computer-generated fractal patterns, which have been shown to reduce people’s stress levels by up to 60%.

Celebrate the class of 2025 with a slideshow featuring some of their favorite moments!

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY, PHYSICS - One mathematical equation can open a world of possibilities. And that's what this College of Arts and Sciences graduate student is finding. Jesse Hall, a physics doctoral candidate, worked with theoretical physical chemistry professor Marina Guenza to develop the new model that could help advance the development of new drugs and sustainable materials.

PHYSICS - Professor Tien-Tien Yu is one of nearly 400 scientists and engineers awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the US government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers.

PHYSICS - The National Science Foundation has awarded a one-year, $1 million grant to a team led by University of Oregon researchers exploring practical applications for emerging quantum technologies and working to move discoveries beyond the lab. “Oregon has a small group of proficient researchers leading the way globally in quantum technology," said Brian Smith, a professor of physics and director of the Oregon Center for Optical, Molecular and Quantum Science.

PHYSICS - Could life exist elsewhere in the Milky Way galaxy? A group of College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate planet hunters are helping NASA discover unknown worlds beyond our solar system. Read more in the December sci-fi issue of CAS Connection.

Three College of Arts and Sciences researchers have received the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious honor for early-career faculty members in the past year: Luca Mazzucato (biology, mathematics and physics), Brittany Erickson (computer science and earth sciences) and Julia Widom (chemistry). Known as the CAREER Awards, the organization recognizes and fosters rising stars by funding innovative research.

PHYSICS - A team led by College of Arts and Sciences professor Richard Taylor has developed an artificial intelligence tool that can help authenticate Jackson Pollock’s paintings with 98.9% accuracy, giving art experts a new, science-backed method for detecting forgeries.