News & Media Center
PhD Candidate Aaron Trigg Receives NASA's Prestigious FINESST Fellowship
Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) has awarded LSU graduate student Aaron Trigg with a fellowship to design and perform research projects that contribute to the NASA Science Mission Directorate's science, technology, and exploration goals.
Multidisciplinary Science in the Multimessenger Era
Explosive transients, such as supernova, are a key focus in astronomy and astrophysics. However, new understanding of these events requires synthesis of information across several domains of science. In order to foster multidisciplinary research in this area, LSU, the Department of Energy, NASA, and the National Science Foundation recently hosted the 'Multidisciplinary Science in the Multimessenger Era' workshop on the LSU campus.
Medical Physics PhD Candidate Awarded Best in Physics Imaging at 2024 AAPM
LSU medical physics graduate student Hunter Meyer was presented with a 'Best in Physics Award' in the category of Imaging Scientific Session: Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging at the American Association of Physicists in Medicine 66th Annual Meeting & Exhibition.
LSU PhD Candidate will Perform Thesis Research at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
LSU physics graduate student Jacob Goudeau has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science for the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) award in response to the SCGSR program's 2023 Solicitation 2 cycle.
Maxwell Cole Awarded Charles M. Smith Superior Graduate Student Scholarship
LSU's Medical Physics and Health Physics Program has announced Maxwell Cole as the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Charles M. Smith Superior Graduate Student Scholarship. Established from the estate of the late Dr. Charles M. Smith of Sulphur, Louisiana, the scholarship represents Dr. Smith's commitment to significantly enhance medical physics education and research programs by supporting graduate students to ensure a continued pipeline of highly qualified medical physicists.
LSU Graduate Student will Perform Thesis Research in Nuclear Decay Spectroscopy at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
LSU physics PhD Candidate, David He, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science for the Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) award in response to the 2023 SCGSR Solicitation 2 cycle in the Nuclear Structure and Nuclear Astrophysics Physics Division. Through world-class training and access to state-of-the-art facilities and resources at DOE National Laboratories, the SCGSR Program prepares graduate students to enter jobs of critical importance to the DOE mission and secures our national position at the forefront of discovery and innovation.
From Fields to Modeling: Navigating the Unexpected Journey to Becoming a Researcher
"Very few people know what they want to do when they get to college and, as a first-generation student, I was no exception," said Christian Foti.
LSU Boyd Professor Elected Vice President of American Physical Society
Gabriela González, Boyd Professor of Physics, Louisiana State University Department of Physics & Astronomy, has been elected vice-president of the American Physical Society.
Department Chair Jeffery Blackmon Named to SEC Leadership Program for LSU
Jeffery Blackmon, Russell B. Long Professor of Physics and Department Chair, is one of four LSU faculty members to be named a SEC Academic Leadership Development Program (ALDP) Fellows. The SEC ALDP seeks to identify, prepare and advance academic leaders for roles within SEC institutions and beyond.
Fox Foley Captures Fantastically Small Images at ORNL
Fox Foley, a PhD student in the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy, recently received the KC Donnelly Externship Award to do research at the Center for Nanoscale Materials Science at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Beatriz Elizaga Navascués Awarded Bronstein Prize
Beatriz Elizaga Navascués, originally from Madrid, Spain, joined LSU’s Hearne Institute of Theoretical Physics last year to work with professors Jorge Pullin and Ivan Agullo and continue a promising line of research—using observations of extreme and enormous phenomena, such as the beginning of the universe and black holes, to improve our understanding of physical forces and matter on an atomic level.
Mette Gaarde Named LSU Distinguished Research Master
Mette Gaarde, the Les and Dot Broussard Alumni Professor in the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy, has been recognized for her scholarship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Each year, LSU's Office of Research & Economic Development honors the exceptional research and scholarship of two LSU faculty as Distinguished Research Masters.
NASA Space Mission Named for the Late LSU Professor Arlo Landolt
Landolt Mission will launch artificial star into Earth's orbit seeking to uncover the secrets of dark energy.
Two LSU Physics Alumni Receive NSF GRFP
Jeanne Garriz and Madison LeBlanc, both 2022 LSU BS in Physics alumni, have been awarded the prestigious and highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship that supports outstanding graduate research across the country.
PhD Alumnus Dimitrios Kranas Receives 2024 Distinguished Dissertation Award in STEM
The LSU Alumni Association 2024 Distinguished Dissertation Award in Science, Engineering and Technology has been awarded to Dimitrios Kranas from Thessaloniki, Greece, who joined LSU and the Hearne Institute of Theoretical Physics under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Physics Ivan Agullo in 2018.
Joseph Giaime Named 2023 AAAS Fellow
LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy Professor Joseph Giaime has been honored with the rank of "Fellow" by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS, the world's largest scientific organization.
LSU PhD Candidate with LVK Collaboration Detects a Remarkable Gravitational-wave Signal
LSU Graduate Student Shania Nichols Research at LIGO Livingston Contributes to GW230529 Discovery
Catherine Deibel named 2024 LSU Mid-Career Rainmaker in STEM
The LSU Council on Research has named Professor Catherine Deibel as a 2024 Rainmaker Mid-Career Scholar in the category of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The "Rainmakers" honor is given to professors who stand out for their ability to secure external research funding, publish in prominent journals and for gaining national as well as international recognition for their work.
Multiparticle Nanostructures for Building Better Quantum Technologies
LSU Quantum Researchers uncover important implications for quantum technology.
Richard Lesieur Awarded Hogstrom Superior Graduate Student Scholarship
LSU's Medical Physics and Health Physics Program has announced Richard Lesieur as the 2023 recipient of the prestigious Kenneth R. Hogstrom Superior Graduate Student Scholarship. Established in honor of Professor Emeritus Kenneth R. Hogstrom's outstanding research, scholarship, and mentorship of graduate students, the scholarship supports medical physics graduate students participating in clinical research on radiation oncology at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.
2013 PhD Alumna Receives FIAP Career Lectureship Award
The American Physical Society has named 2013 PhD alumna Azadeh Keivani as the recipient of the FIAP Career Lectureship Award, which recognizes physicists in industrial and other non-academic careers for their significant contributions to the advancement of physics of a technical, industrial, or entrepreneurial nature and for their demonstrated ability to give interesting and engaging lectures to both experts and non-experts.
CALET Study finds strongest evidence yet for local sources of cosmic ray electrons
A new study using data from the CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) instrument on the International Space Station has found evidence for nearby, young sources of cosmic ray electrons, contributing to a greater understanding of how the galaxy functions as a whole.
LSU Physicist Hanyu Wei awarded $50k from DOE to support research in High-Energy Physics
Out of 80 awarded projects from the U.S. Department of Energy, LSU's Experimental Neutrino Physics Research with Liquid Argon TPCs has been recognized at the Intensity Frontier in High-Energy Physics.
NASA's Webb Makes First Detection of Heavy Element from Star Merger
LSU Astrophysicist Eric Burns Co-Leads the InterPlanetary Network to Detect Gamma Ray Bursts
Meet the astrophysicist who is working to make parking easier
Associate Professor Manos Chatzopoulos is using his skills in data analysis for something more down to earth — making it easier to find a place to park.
Physics & Astronomy Welcomes New Faculty Members
The fall semester brings many new beginnings from new students, faculty, and staff to new goals and a new academic year. This fall, the LSU College of Science welcomes new faculty members to the Department of Physics & Astronomy. Learn more about each new colleague below and make sure to give them a big LSU welcome when you see them.
Nathaniel Wrobel - Student Spotlight
Nathaniel came to LSU as an Astrophysics student, LSU Department of Physics and Astronomy, in the Fall of 2020. In the Spring of 2022, Nathaniel decided to pursue an additional dual degree in Mechanical Engineering, at the LSU Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.
Kenneth J. Schafer Honored as Boyd Professor, LSU’s Highest Professorial Ranking
Scientists Discover Light Conversion in Free Space
LSU quantum researchers demonstrate the possibility of producing different forms of light through propagation in free space-- a manifestation of the quantum van Cittert-Zernike theorem.
2022 - 2023 Department of Physics & Astronomy Annual Awards
We celebrate the accomplishments of students, faculty and staff who have gone above and beyond to advance their academic work, their research and the prestige of the Department.
LSU Physics & Astronomy Post-Doc Wins Influential PhD Dissertation Award in Spain
Adrià Delhom I Latorre, a Postdoctoral Researcher at LSU, received an award for his PhD dissertation from the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC). He was also a member of the research group UV-QG of the University of Valencia-CSIC.
Medical Physics Graduate Student Sydney Carr Shares her Research Experience
Houston native Sydney Carr is an LSU graduate student participating in "Novel X-ray Interferometry Imaging of Plant Root Systems" research and focuses on testing a portable (and removable) low-dose MPG interferometry system. She completed her undergraduate degree in physics at Houston Baptist University. While there, she also played 4 years of Division-1 Women's Basketball for the Huskies.
LSU Physics Professor Receives Esteemed NSF CAREER Award
LSU Assistant Professor Justin Wilson in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, with a joint appointment in LSU's Center for Computation and Technology, has received a five-year National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development, or CAREER, award to support his research on "Active Feedback to Control Dynamic Quantum Phases."
E. Ward Plummer 2023 LSU College of Science Hall of Distinction Honoree
The LSU College of Science's Hall of Distinction recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves in their endless pursuit of excellence and fervent dedication to scientific leadership. Through their extraordinary achievements, outstanding characters, and commitments to their communities, the college's honorees have established lasting legacies of excellence in their individual fields. On Friday, LSU recognized the exceptional accomplishments of E. Ward Plummer as a College of Science 2023 Hall of Distinction honoree.
LSU Research Professors Awarded $800K from U.S. Department of Energy
Interdisciplinary project merges nuclear theory with quantum theoretical and experimental physics.
LSU Research Professors Awarded $800K from U.S. Department of Energy
Interdisciplinary project merges nuclear theory with quantum theoretical and experimental physics.
Chatzopoulos Named a 2022 LSU Emerging Scholar in STEM Rainmaker
Associate Professor Emmanouil (Manos) Chatzopoulos has been selected as a 2022 recipient of the LSU Rainmaker Award in the Emerging Scholar for Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics category.
SOARS Scholar: Raenessa Walker talks physics hardships and rewarding research
Maryland-born Army brat and Lafayette resident, Raenessa Walker has settled into her new home at LSU as a physics major minoring in math and nuclear science.
LSU Professor Aims to Improve Radiation Therapy to Save Lives
More than half of cancer patients will receive radiation therapy. To improve radiation treatment outcomes for patients, the American Cancer Society has awarded LSU Associate Professor of Physics Rui Zhang a $786,000 grant for his research at LSU and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.
New MicroBooNE analysis takes a closer look at the sterile neutrino
The MicroBooNE collaboration at Fermilab has released a new analysis of their neutrino data. The result provides constraints on a model that assumes the existence of a sterile neutrino to explain anomalies in neutrino measurements by other experiments.
LSU Researchers Collaborate to Better Understand the Weak Nuclear Force
Physics journal PRL features LSU nuclear physics research.
LSU Boyd Professor's Legacy Elevates Research and Scholarship
Professor and Mrs. Plummer's gift will provide an endowment for a professorship and superior graduate student scholarship
New research Shows Campus Mounds as Oldest known man-made Structures in North America
New research reveals more information about the LSU Campus Mounds, including the discovery of thousands of years old charred mammal bone fragments and a coordinated alignment of both mounds toward one of the brightest stars in the night sky. This new information offers more insight into the oldest known man-made structures in North America.
LSU Physics Professor Launches New AI Space Start-up
Atlantis Industries aims to accelerate off-world technology breakthroughs.
Professor Mette Gaarde Named Chair of APS Division of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
Mette Gaarde, the Les and Dot Broussard Alumni Professor of Physics at LSU, will be Chair of the APS Division of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics (DAMOP) in 2022-2023. In this role, she will oversee the planning of the 2023 DAMOP meeting and the selection of recipients for a number of DAMOP honors and awards. Gaarde was elected to the Chair-line of DAMOP in 2020, and has served as Vice Chair and Chair Elect before she was inducted as Chair at the annual DAMOP Business meeting in June 2022.
LSU Welcomes James A. Sauls as Hearne Research Chair in Theoretical Physics
The LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy announces James A. Sauls as the new Co-Director of the Hearne Institute for Theoretical Physics, which spans research from quantum theory to gravitational physics.
LSU Astrophysicists Break Down the Impact of Newly Released NASA Images
The first images from NASA’s new space telescope unveiled this week include a new look at the universe, expanding our view of the galaxy as we know it. The images include a high resolution “window” to millions of stars through the Milky Way’s dust, a new look at galaxies lightyears away for the first time in 30 years. LSU Astrophysicists share their reactions to the photos and how the Webb telescope impacts future research and discovery.
Global Physicist Gabriela González Featured in International Women Astronomer Book
LSU Boyd Professor of Physics Gabriela González is featured in a new international book titled "The Sky is for Everyone: Women Astronomers in Their Own Words." The book is a series of 37 autobiographical essays by women astronomers showcasing their encounters breaking down barriers and changing the face of modern astronomy.
2021 - 2022 Department of Physics & Astronomy Annual Awards
2021 - 2022 Department of Physics & Astronomy Annual Awards
Octo-Tiger Awarded Access to the World's Fastest Supercomputer
Researchers who recently developed "Octo-Tiger," a breakthrough astrophysics code that simulates the evolution of star systems, have been granted access to the supercomputer Fugaku in Tokyo.