Department of Physics | April 27, 2026

Happy Monday! 🎉  During the summer months, the Chronicle will be sent less often than usual. We'll still share important updates and any upcoming events. Have a great week! 

Advances in Digital Innovation Across Arts & Sciences and Beyond

Friday, May 8th from 9am - 5pm | Holmes Lounge

RSVP here

On Friday, May 8, nearly two dozen faculty will discuss their research that incorporates innovative uses of data and technology. These brief presentations will provide a glimpse into the breadth of digital innovation efforts taking place across WashU and offer an ideal entry point for new transdisciplinary collaborations. Open to faculty, staff, and students. Hosted by the Arts & Sciences’ Dean’s Office.

Mikhail Tikhonov and Trevor GrandPre, along with our newest faculty member, Judith Hoeller, will be presenting at the first two sessions of the day! Please plan to attend to show our support!

Barrios awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

The award recognizes Barrios’s achievements and potential for impactful contributions to physics research early in graduate study.

Ralf Wessel awarded 2026 Newman Exploration Travel Award

Wessel will travel to Italy to deepen his understanding of mosaic art at its historical origins and its contemporary practice, which will support his academic work at the intersection of neuroscience, computation, and aesthetics.

Physics team helps NASA probe the enduring mysteries of dark matter

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope—or Roman—is a multi-year project commissioned by NASA, with a goal of collecting a wide array of data to demystify dark matter. Tansu Daylan’s research collective of over 12 post-doc, graduate students, and undergraduates is a central part of Roman. 

Our Outreach Team members (Audrey Coleman, Janna May Angeles, Joe Glichowski, Morgan Hopkins, and Nicole Osborn) had a blast visiting Oakville Middle School for their "Day of Science"! We loved sharing how physics shows up in the real world and connecting classroom concepts to hands-on demos. Thanks to the students and teachers for such a fun and engaging day - we can't wait to be back!

Physics ADAPT team members, including Jim Buckley, Richard Bose, Matt Fowlerfinn, Marion Sudvarg, and Blake Bal, took a trip to CERN to collaborate with their Italian (INFN-Bari) colleagues in advance of their upcoming balloon flight! Looking forward to hearing more upon their return. 

Faculty Development and Leadership Opportunities

These programs are part of Faculty Affairs' broader effort to support faculty development and leadership pathways across the Danforth Campus.

Faculty Transformational Leadership Institute (FTLI)
This cohort-based program is open to tenured and mid-career teaching, research, and practice faculty who currently serve or aspire to serve in administrative or academic leadership positions on the Danforth Campus. It will offer skill development in critical leadership areas and encourage professional networking for faculty across disciplines. More details, schedule, topics, and application requirements here. Application deadline May 29.

Mentoring Intensive for Faculty | May 22 | 8:30am – 5:00pm
This one-day, evidence-based workshop is designed to help WashU faculty strengthen their mentoring of graduate students and early-career faculty. Drawing on NSF-funded research by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) and tailored for WashU faculty, the curriculum offers a unique blend of theory-based exercises and case studies proven to enhance your mentoring impact. Participation meets NSF and NIH grant training requirements. More details and apply here.

Danforth Campus Faculty Writing Retreat | August 9 – 12
The Office of the Provost will host the fifth annual writing retreat for Danforth assistant and associate professors. Priority registration will be given to assistant professors and to faculty who did not attend previous writing retreats. Accommodations, meeting spaces, and meals are covered by the Office of the Provost. Attendees to provide their own transportation. More details and apply here. Application deadline May 29.

The Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg invites highly qualified scientists at all career stages from postdoc to senior level to apply for its fellowships in Germany. Applications open until July 15 at 12PM CEST.

- Apply now

The time has come for lots of office changes, from grad students who are leaving us, to first years officially joining a group and moving from the power plant. The Space Usage Committee has developed a new form for processing and keeping track of all requests and changes. You can access this form on the Intranet, or right here. 

A few things to note: 

- If you are graduating or leaving the department - please fill out this form to let us know when you are actually leaving the building and your office will become available for someone else. 
- If you would like to move offices- this form is your starting place to make this request. We will do our best to accommodate all requests and place students in an office with or close to their group. Please be aware that due to limited space, this isn’t always possible. 

Please have patience with us as we navigate multiple departures and moves. Changes may not be approved right away (we need to know when graduating students are actually leaving before we can offer their desk to someone moving)

As a reminder, students are not permitted to move offices without written approval. If you are not sure where your official assigned office space is, let Samantha know.

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