Physics Ph.D. students will collaborate with Jefferson Lab scientists to complete their graduate thesis projects
NEWPORT NEWS, VA- Five recipients of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) award for the 2024 Solicitation 1 cycle will conduct their research at DOE’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, including four from local universities in Virginia.
Each year, the SCGSR award allows U.S. graduate students to conduct their graduate thesis research at one of the DOE’s 17 national laboratories. This year’s solicitation 1 cycle grants 62 new SCGSR students the opportunity to conduct research at 14 DOE national laboratories. Of those 62 awardees, five have selected Jefferson Lab as their host DOE national laboratory, where they will collaborate with staff scientists to complete their projects.
The five students include:
Lauren Kasper
Lauren Kasper is a physics Ph.D. student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Her research project, which will begin in January 2025, focuses on improving the performance of transition radiation detectors (TRDs). The goal is to offer the TRDs relief from their historic limitations and expand their application by integrating them with micropattern gaseous detectors (MPGDs),
“Conducting this research at Jefferson Lab will provide me with a valuable set of skills and significantly enhance my educational training in experimental design, data acquisition, and measurement techniques in real experimental environments, as well as data analysis using various software tools,” said Kasper.
She adds that her progress would not be possible without the mentoring and encouragement of her adviser and Vanderbilt professor Julia Velkovska and Jefferson Lab scientists Lubomir Pentchev and Sergey Furletov.
Looking past the completion of this project, Kasper wants to continue being involved in nuclear physics projects, while also advocating for the inclusion of a diverse pool of young people being trained to take over developmental roles in physics discovery.
Jacob McMurtry
Jacob McMurtry is pursuing a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. In November, McMurtry began working on the preparation, commissioning, running, and data analysis of the GEp-V experiment at Jefferson Lab. The experiment will measure the electromagnetic form factor ratio of the proton.
McMurtry is excited to have the freedom to conduct his research at Jefferson Lab with this award.
“Being able to interact with all of these collaborators and staff scientists more easily-that will be extremely beneficial,” he said.
He is thankful to UVA professors Nilanga Liyanage and Huong Nguyen for providing support, as well as his lab sponsor, Mark Kevin Jones, for helping him focus on the GEp-V experiment.
McMurtry’s goal is to work with the DOE in the future, possibly doing energy research.
Taylor Powell
Taylor Powell is a student at William & Mary pursuing a Ph.D. in physics. His research project is on the photoproduction of the b1 resonance in pi omega using lattice QCD. More specifically, the overall goal of this project is to help resolve partial wave analysis ambiguities in experimental data from the GlueX experiment at Jefferson Lab, which aims to improve our understanding of the nuclear force that holds atomic nuclei together.
This project will mark Powell’s return to Jefferson Lab after participating in DOE’s Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program and the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, two programs that provide research experience to undergrads.
Reflecting on his selection, he is thankful for the recognition so early in his physics career. He also wants to acknowledge the support of William & Mary professors Jozef Dudek and Andrew Jackura and University of California, Berkeley professor Raúl Briceño for helping him get to this point.
“There is much more work to be done,” he said.
Powell’s postdoctoral goals include publishing more scientific research studies. While he does not know what his future research entails, he is eager to continue seeking exciting scientific opportunities.
Benjamin Slimmer
Benjamin Slimmer is pursuing a Ph.D. in physics at William & Mary. Set to begin in January 2025, his research study will seek to implement an advanced computing method called domain decomposition. This method may improve the rate at which statistical errors of lattice QCD calculations decrease with additional configurations measured.
Slimmer feels honored to be recognized by the DOE during the early stages of his research career.
“For the past two years, I’ve been mainly focused on completing coursework, so to step straight from that into fellowship-supported research is a privilege which I’m lucky to have,” he said.
Receiving this award has Slimmer feeling optimistic about completing his thesis. He credits his adviser, William & Mary professor Kostas Orginos and collaborating Jefferson Lab scientist Eloy Romero for their mentorship and guidance in crafting his project proposal.
As someone who participated in the REU program at Jefferson Lab, Slimmer says he enjoys the lab environment and wants to become a staff scientist at a national laboratory.
Alex Sturzu
Alexandru Sturzu is pursuing his physics Ph.D. at William & Mary. His research seeks to better understand the internal structure of protons and neutrons by looking at the gluonic content of these particles. Protons are made of quarks that are held together by the exchange of gluons. His research will explore the gluons’ contribution to the proton’s properties, such as its intrinsic spin and mass.
Having the opportunity to dedicate his entire focus to his thesis research is what Sturzu is most excited about.
“It is quite validating to know that the things I’m interested in are interesting to other people as well,” he said. “My lab sponsor, David Richards, and academic adviser at William & Mary, Christopher Monahan, have helped me an incredible amount in preparing this application, and the mentorship that they provided is immense.”
Sturzu is another student who has previous research experience at Jefferson Lab. He participated in the SULI and REU programs while completing his bachelor's in physics at New College of Florida.
After completing his Ph.D., Struzu hopes to secure competitive postdoctoral positions that will prepare him for a tenure track or a staff scientist position at a national lab.
“Those are very competitive roles, so right now, I’m focused on doing as much as I can, as best as I can,” he added.
Since 2014, the DOE’s Office of Science has provided more than 1,200 awards to Ph.D. students at accredited U.S. academic institutions who are conducting graduate thesis research in areas relevant to the office.
By Parish Thompson
Contact: Kandice Carter, Jefferson Lab Communications Office, kcarter@jlab.org