By Rebecca Davis ’15
Physics students in Siena’s Summer Scholars program collaborated with Chinese scientists in examining neutrinos, which are tiny particles with no charge and barely any mass that can pass through humans easily. Under the guidance of John Cummings, Ph.D., associate professor of physics, Jack Rogers ’15, Cody Ciaschi ’16 and Adam Dukehart ’16 spent their summers in the labs of Roger Bacon Hall examining neutrinos and looking for any discrepancies in behavior patterns.
Ciaschi came to Siena two years ago with little experience in conducting research and now he can’t imagine doing anything else. “Research has allowed me to independently figure things out and built my confidence, yet a faculty member has been by my side should I need assistance,” said Ciaschi.
Like many Siena students, these undergrads approached Cummings with an interest in learning more about his area of expertise. He was eager to share, and provide them with opportunities to expand their horizons. The students have traveled to the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, N.Y. to present their research and network in the physics community.
“Undergrad research has allowed us to see what’s going on in the greater research community,” Dukehart said. The students even learned about a physicist who took his skills to Wall Street, using physics to predict stock trends, which proved that the skills they’re developing will serve them well in whatever career field they pursue. “The analysis we’re learning to do is so transferable” Dukehart said.
