The Bryn Mawr College Computer Science and Physics Departments sponsored tickets to see the film Hidden Figures at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute on Wednesday, February 8. The film stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe as real life NASA mathematicians Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson who were involved in calculating the US’s first trajectories into space in the 1960s.
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Tag Archives: physics
LILAC Lunch with Dr. Natalie Gosnell & Allison Schill
In a rare series of events, I have managed to eat at Wyndham for lunch 2 times in 1 week! Make that 2 times in 2 days! Thanks to LILAC for their stellar lineup of successful women in the working force, I had the opportunity to eat lunch with Dr. Natalie Gosnell on Thursday November 17 and Allison Schill (BMC ’99) on Friday November 18. Dr. Gosnell is an observational astrophysicist and visiting assistant professor at Colarodo College. Schill is the Regional Brand Director at Enbrel, Pfizer Latin America.
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Dr. Meltem Izzetoglu on fNIR Technology
The Department of Physics Colloquium Series continued on Monday November 7th with a presentation by Dr. Meltem Izzetoglu of Drexel University School of Biomedical Engineering on “Functional Optical Brain Monitoring: Principles and Applications.” Dr. Izzetoglu spoke about an emerging neuroimaging technology called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRs) and its applications to detecting anything from fatigue and awareness in critical jobs like pilots to learning disabilities in children.
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Testing Microsoft Hololens in Class
The Bryn Mawr College Physics Senior Seminar class was in for a special treat on Monday October 24. Education specialists from Bryn Mawr College’s Blended Learning Initiative and Pearson Education Corporation brought in the latest Microsoft Hololens for students to test and give feedback on. Lucky for us, Pearson contacted Bryn Mawr College first about this demo opportunity because it turns out two Bryn Mawr alum work for Pearson! While the product is still in development, educators, gamers, and enthusiasts alike are already brainstorming uses in and out of the classroom. 
Dr. Anne White of MIT on Nuclear Fusion
On Monday October 3, the Physics Department invited Dr. Anne White of MIT to Bryn Mawr College to give a colloquium talk on nuclear fusion. Dr. White also spoke to physics students during the physics senior seminar, and presented her public presentation on her research later that day. She is the Cecil and Ida Green Associate Professor in Nuclear Engineering at MIT.
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Dr. Naomi Halas MA ’84, Ph.D ’87 on Solar Steam Generation
On Thursday September 22, Dr. Naomi Halas MA’84, Ph.D’87 gave a public talk on her research in solar steam technology and its applications in energy, sterilization, clean water, and medical treatment. Halas is currently Rice University’s Stanley C. Moore Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Professor of Bioengineering, Founding Director of the Laboratory for Nanophotonics, and Founding Director of the Smalley Curl Institute.
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Physics Picnic & Cats
Last Tuesday was the Physics End of Year Picnic. Faculty and students gathered for dinner, a department photo, and friendly conversation. In an effort to get to know my department better, especially my underclassmen, I attended.
8 senior physics majors, 10 junior physics majors, and a whopping 17 sophomore physics majors!
Pen Y Groes Lunch with Elizabeth Niemeyer ’94 and Emily McNabb ’07
On Friday March 18, Elizabeth Niemeyer (Physics ‘94, University of Texas JD) and Emily McNabb (Mathematics AB/MA ’07, Wharton MBA) came to Bryn Mawr to talk about their career paths as part of the Pen Y Groes lunch series hosted by President Kim Cassidy. Niemeyer is a Patent Lawyer at Finnegan in D.C. and McNabb is a consultant at McKinsey & Company, Philadelphia. Most of the student attendees were Math majors. There were three Physics majors present.
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Between Physics and Theater
Last week, Bryn Mawr Communications interviewed Theater major Samantha Wall’17 about her experience taking welding lessons in the Park Science Machine Shop. Coincidentally, I am having the reverse experience as a Physics major, also class of 2017, taking the Physics Electronics Lab and the Fundamentals of Technical Theater classes this semester.
Learning to tape the stage floor.
Trip to Boeing with Society of Physics Students & Engineers and Makers Club
On Friday, the Society of Physics Students and the Engineers & Makers Club sponsored a trip to Boeing in Ridley Park. This past week was Engineers Week at Boeing, and Friday was dedicated to women in engineering. Women engineering students from Temple and the University of Delaware were also present. We attended a tour, a panel discussion on career paths from top executives in the company, and a lunch learning session on Morphing Aerostructures.