Nada Mohamed '22 traveled with Matt Bellis, Ph.D., associate professor of physics (left), to Fermilab, the center of U.S. particle physics located just outside of Chicago for a week-long intensive data analysis school. Nada took part in a series of exercises to learn how to analyze data from the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. At the end of the week, Nada and her peers completed a full analysis in two days. They presented their work to a panel of distinguished scientists at the lab. Bellis acted as a facilitator and led a series of exercises on statistics and hypothesis testing.
Gabby Tamayo '23 (right) spent a few days in Philadelphia over winter break attending a CUWiP conference at Temple University. The Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics is run by the American Physical Society. In January, they run about 10 simultaneous conferences across North America so that as many students can attend as possible. The students learn about the challenges and opportunities that await them in physics and share their experiences with other like-minded scientists. Physics is a male-dominated field and these conferences are part of an effort to push for more diversity and inclusion.
“The CMS DAS was a very beneficial experience, and I loved being a part of it! I’m so glad I went! My favorite part, aside from all the new physics I got to learn, was the diversity. There were so many different students along with facilitators from different states and countries, and it was so great to be able to all come together because of our shared passion for particle physics. I hope I get the opportunity to go again!”
Nada Mohamed '22
"I'm so happy I had the opportunity to attend CUWiP at Temple University and not only hear from esteemed physicists from multiple universities, but also get the chance to meet some of my fellow undergraduate women in physics. As a freshman with little physics experience, it feels like I'm traveling a rocky road trying to understand physics concepts. At the conference, I made a few friends that are on a rocky road of their own. They assured me that even when nothing makes sense, I shouldn't lose hope and just hit the brakes. So even though my road may not smooth out any time soon, I'm determined to stay on it because after all, things that are in motion stay in motion!"
Gabby Tamayo '23
