The adaptable physicist
Edgar Marrufo Villalpando went from Mexico to the United States and from computational physics to astronomical instrumentation to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a physicist.
Edgar Marrufo Villalpando went from Mexico to the United States and from computational physics to astronomical instrumentation to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a physicist.
Bahcall’s scientific legacy is visible across the field of astrophysics
Raphael Granier De Cassagnac recently put his scientific skills to use creating a physics-themed video game.
A scientist tried using machine-learning techniques from particle physics to analyze data from astronomy—and in the process discovered a new exoplanet.
A former retail worker finds the confidence to pursue a career in STEM thanks to an internship program designed for students at small colleges.
Margaux Lopez is one of a team of engineers preparing the Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile for the arrival of the largest digital camera ever built for astrophysics and cosmology.
The first Indian scientist to join CERN was recently recognized with the highest honor of India for overseas citizens.
Kétévi Assamagan's contributions to physics go beyond his research at the Large Hadron Collider.
Cameo Lance spoke at an American Physical Society meeting about her winding path from an undergraduate degree in physics to the space industry.
Symmetry chats with scientists and engineers about doing important work in physics without a doctoral degree.
Ximena Cid found her place in STEM by embracing her identity. Now she helps others do the same.
Building international research communities is a cornerstone of Murayama’s physics career.
Patty McBride was recently elected the next leader of an experiment at the LHC. But her proudest moments remain seeing her collaborators succeed.
The career of Elaine McCluskey, who most recently served as project manager constructing the future facility for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, has had a lasting impact.
National Medal of Science Recipient Sylvester James “Jim” Gates, Jr. has published multiple papers on theoretical physics with undergraduate and high school students.
Physicist Elmer Imes’ careful work to capture the spectra of molecules made clear the worth of the theory of quantum mechanics.
Heymans, the first woman to be appointed to the role, hopes to give kids and others the chance to appreciate the stars.
Elena Long’s search for community as a trans scientist put her at the forefront of LGBT+ advocacy in physics.
In recognition of his own past, Azwinndini Muronga has brought STEM enrichment opportunities to youth in remote, underserved towns and villages.
Theoretical physicist Clifford Johnson answers Symmetry writer Brianna Barbu’s questions about his work in science and outreach, including advising on movies like Avengers: Endgame.
Steve Tammes’ love of physics began with his grandfather’s tales about Fermilab.
Sal Wanying Fu knows there’s more to science than numbers.
Even world-famous theorist Juan Maldacena wasn’t sure at first whether he should pursue a PhD in physics.
Symmetry chats with scientists working at the Large Hadron Collider to hear about differences between seven different rungs on the academic career ladder.
Reina Reyes made headlines for her research at Princeton testing Einstein’s theory of general relativity; now she’s home in the Philippines, using her physics background to make her mark in different ways.
The first undergraduate on the Event Horizon Telescope to receive junior collaborator status thrives in the unknown.
To both understand the universe and improve equity, inclusion and diversity in physics, Brian Beckford looks to one word: respect.
The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will be named for an influential astronomer who left the field better than she found it.
Enormous scientific collaborations are made up of hundreds upon thousands of individuals, each with their own story.
Junior faculty in experimental particle physics and astrophysics talk about how they got into physics, their favorite parts of the experimental process and how they spend their time outside the lab.
Early-career physicist Jonathan LeyVa is helping to build one of the world’s most sensitive dark matter detectors.
Working on hardware doesn’t come easily to all physicists, but Francesca Ricci-Tam has learned that what matters most is a willingness to put in the practice.
Fermilab scientist Jessica Esquivel donned a superhero costume to celebrate diversity in STEM, nerdiness and science at Wakandacon in Chicago.
Karen Uhlenbeck’s pioneering work marries math with physics.
Chang Kee Jung almost lost his way as a risk-taking student, but after a university took a chance on him, he grew into a leader in physics.
Maria Elena Monzani prepares an international team to search for clues to one of the biggest scientific mysteries.
Junior faculty in theoretical physics talk about what keeps them up at night, their favorite places to think and how they explain their jobs to nonscientists.
Physicist Tor Raubenheimer explores the world by climbing rocks and designing particle accelerators.
Two brothers with very different career paths land on the same project at CERN.
Four physicists share their journeys through academia into industry and offer words of wisdom for those considering making a similar move.
Building a particle physics laboratory requires more than physicists.
Meet three scientists connected by the Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-PhD Bridge Program.
Science writer Sibusiso Biyela aims to bring science back to South Africa’s Zulu communities.
Fermilab’s Liz Sexton-Kennedy talks to Symmetry about her lifelong drive to learn and how it led to her current role as Chief Information Officer for Fermilab.
A graduate student looks for belonging inside and outside academia.
Physicist Kira Burt dropped out of school at 16. Now she teaches students that anyone can be a scientist.
Willie Rockward applied to college with pro football dreams, but a physics scholarship set him on a different path.
Fermilab’s Lia Merminga talks to Symmetry about her early experiences in STEM and her drive to solve science’s unanswered questions.
Sometimes teenage rebellion means going for a degree in physics.
Meet four physicists who have found different ways to apply the skills they learned through their studies of the Higgs boson.
Approaching retirement, Jean Deken describes what it’s like to preserve decades of collective scientific memory at a national lab.
National Society of Black Physicists President Renée Horton talks with Symmetry about finding a place to belong in physics.
What's it like being a theoretical neutrino physicist working on the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility?
Wenzhao Wei and Dan Rederth are the first to earn physics PhDs within the state of South Dakota.
Fantastical designs elevate physics in works by Fermilab’s first artist.
SLAC engineer Knut Skarpaas designs some of physics’ most challenging machines, finding inspiration in unexpected places.
Grace C. Young is fascinated by fundamental questions about realms both quantum and undersea.
This experimental physicist has followed the ICARUS neutrino detector from Gran Sasso to Geneva to Chicago.
Meet Hernán Quintana Godoy, a scientist who helped make Chile central to international astronomy.
Physicist Jennifer Gimmell shares her love of physics with her students.
Scientist Marcelle Soares-Santos talks about Brazil, neutron stars and a love of discovery.
What’s it like being the machinist at the deepest machine shop in the world?
Noether's theorem is a thread woven into the fabric of the science.
Scientist Helen Quinn has had a significant impact on the field of theoretical physics.
Particle physics inspires Arizona State University professor Klaus Lackner's work on climate change.
The former head of the ATLAS experiment at the LHC will be the first female leader of Europe's largest particle physics laboratory.
The new director of the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics talks neutrinos, women in science, and the hunt for dark matter.
Ecologist John Harte applies principles from his former life as a physicist to his work trying to save the planet.
After 10 years as a theoretical particle physicist, Larry Abbott discovered a new passion.
Although the view has changed, Lucy de Barbaro still looks at life through the lens of physics.
Sam Waldman uses skills gained through physics research to ensure safe travels for the Dragon spacecraft.
In July, Johns Hopkins University physicist Jonathan Bagger will begin a six-year term as director of TRIUMF laboratory in Vancouver.
Michelangelo D’Agostino taps his physics ingenuity daily as a data scientist.
A pair of scientists who have been at CERN since almost the very beginning still often find themselves in the laboratory’s cafeteria, arguing physics.
Geoffrey West applies his ‘physics way of thinking’ to biology and urban life.
Munir Muniruzzaman has used his physics know-how to help in hospitals and war zones alike.
Years of particle physics study helped shape immunologist Judy Lieberman’s unusual approach to protecting against devastating diseases.
Perlmutter chats with Symmetry about the fate of the universe and a certain phone call from the Swedish Academy.
Gunnar Maehlum is a businessman who retains the innovative and critical thinking he learned in particle physics.
Cherie Goodenough finds joy in seeing science research develop into products and applications.
Former biology teacher Felicia Svoboda shows Fermilab visitors the ins and outs of doing science.
With a solid grounding in physics, Thomas Humphrey shares the fun of discovery at San Francisco’s Exploratorium.
Arturo Gomez has spent more than 40 years working with visiting astronomers at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.
Former particle physicist John Mansour still creates analytic solutions—these days, for retail clients.
Math whiz Wim Klein, born a century ago, moved physics forward with his calculations as computer developers worked to catch up with him.
