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Loyola Physics Newsletter

September 15th, 2026

Hi all,

The semester is in full swing, and we lots of events happening in the Department. Congratulations to several students for their recent awards and a publication! We will be hosting our annual Physics BBQ next week, so please RSVP here. Families that are visiting for Loyola Weekend are welcome to attend too. We have admissions directors visiting the Department from Columbia and WUSL Engineering at the end of the month. Mercury is shrinking?!?! Read on to find out more. 

Congratulations

  • Congratulations to Sofia Soto as this year’s recipient of the Physics Scholarship.
  • Congratulations to Lachlan Haydon, Wayne Hoppleand Davide Mazzucco on their publication with Dr. Abbasi in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. You can read the article here.
  • Congratulations to this year’s Mulcahy Fellowship awardees: Daniela Avramovich(Cannon), Ella Bricker (Cannon), Wayne Hopple (Abbasi) and Alex McClure (Abbasi).

Department Events

  • Physics BBQwill be Friday, September 25 at 4:00 PM on 3rd Floor Cudahy. All students, their families, and faculty are invited. Please RSVP here before next Monday, the 21st.
  • Sarah Campbell, from Columbia University, and Scott Crawford, from Washington University in St. Louis, will visit our Department to have brief discussions and Q&A with students in the dual degree Physics + Engineeringprogram (3+2). Mark your calendars! Regardless of your intended graduation year, I encourage all dual degree students to attend these sessions: 
  • Columbia University (Sarah Campbell)  will meet on Wednesday, Sep. 30, 3:30 pm, in CS-303 (conference room)
  • WashU. will meet on Thursday, Oct. 1, 1:30 pm, in CS-303 (conference room).
  • The Physics Colloquium will feature Dr. Gordon Ramsey on Thursday, Oct 1st at 2:30 PM in CS-200. All students are invited.
  • Join our recently launched Instagram account @loyolaphysics. 

Student Clubs

  • Physics Tutoring is available to PHYS 121 and 111 students. Monday — Thursday, 4:00 - 6:00 pm, CS-208.

Local Events

  • Cosmic Pathways Chicagois a conference for physics students that will be hosted by Lewis University on Saturday, October 17. Please see the invitation here: https://cosmicpathways.org/2026/08/28/letter-to-physics-departments-and-students-near-chicago/. This is a great opportunity to present your research and to interact with other physics students of the great Chicago area. Register by September 30th.
  • Northwestern's Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics(CIERA) is hosting their Annual Public Lecture on October 8. This year's speaker is astrophysicist Professor Sara Seager (North Star Distinguished Professor, University of Toronto/CITA; former MIT), who'll share the latest in the search for signs of life beyond Earth, from newly discovered exoplanets to surprising new questions about Venus's clouds. The lecture will be October 8, 6:00 PM at Cahn Auditorium, Northwestern University. RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1997045779686?aff=oddtdtcreator

External Opportunities

  • The North Texas Semiconductor Institutehas announced their NTxSI MS Scholar Program. This competitive graduate fellowship supports 20 Master’s students pursuing degrees in Materials Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering. To attend a virtual info session on Wednesday, September 23, register here. More information about the program in this link.
  • Wake Forest Physicsis accepting applications for Fall 2027 MS and PhD study, including their MS and certificate options in quantum information sciences. Application deadline: January 8, 2027. More information here.

Interesting Science News

The Sun’s closest planet is shrinking. This change in size is manifesting as wrinkles on Mercury’s surface. It is not the only one - Mars and the Moon are shrinking too. You can read a summary on NY Times here and check out the original article just published in the Geophysical Research Letters here.