The Department of Physics & Astronomy at George Mason University

09/01/2026

We’re so excited to celebrate former PhD student Natasha, who was recently awarded the Cosmos Club Scholars Prize for her outstanding dissertation research! ✨✨✨

Each year, the prize recognizes exceptional dissertation work by just four scholars from institutions across the DMV region, making this a wonderful and well-deserved honor.

Since completing her PhD, Natasha has continued her research as a NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) Fellow at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

We’re incredibly proud to see her work recognized and can’t wait to see where her research takes her next. Congratulations, Natasha! 💫

08/04/2026

✨🚀The course introduces the fundamentals of orbital mechanics for space flight and spacecraft conceptual design as well as current and future space propulsion technologies.🔭
 
🛰️It also provides a brief overview of the history of spaceflight, and of the current and projected solar system objectives as driven by scientific, military, and commercial needs. 🌟

06/02/2026

✨ Please join us in congratulating Anna Engelhardt on being awarded a 2026–27 Center for Computational Astrophysics (CCA) Predoctoral Program Visiting Fellowship in New York City! Adding to this achievement, she has also recently completed a NASA FINESST Fellowship.
Congratulations Anna! These are remarkable accomplishments! 🎉

05/27/2026

05/15/2026

It’s , and we’re spotlighting Igor Mazin from the Department of Physics and Astronomy. 🧲✨

Mazin is featured in Scientific American for his expertise on altermagnets, a newly recognized class of magnetic materials that is changing how physicists understand magnetism.

As Professor of Practice in Advanced Studies in Theoretical Physics (Condensed Matter Theory), Mazin studies the superconducting, magnetic, and optical properties of materials. His work helps scientists better understand materials that could shape future technologies, from computing to energy-efficient devices.

Read the full story:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-physicists-found-a-new-type-of-magnet-hiding-in-plain-sight/


The Department of Physics & Astronomy at George Mason University

04/06/2026

02/26/2026

Big win for the Physics and Astronomy family!

Our very own Emma Schwartzman just received the 2025 Doctoral Dissertation Award from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). Her award-winning research dives deep into the radio signals of merging galaxy clusters and dual active galactic nuclei.

Not only is she the winner of the best thesis, but she’ll also be heading to Charlottesville this spring to deliver a special colloquium and be honored by the NRAO and UVA faculty.

Join us in the comments in giving a huge "Congratulations!" to Emma!

02/19/2026

From the ice rink to the X-ray sky ⛸️✨🔭 GMU Physics PhD student, Jessye Gassel, captures 25 years of Kepler’s supernova remnant racing at 2% the speed of light 🚀🌌

Read more 🔗 https://www.gmu.edu/news/2026-02/george-mason-phd-student-jessye-gassel-captures-timelapse-supernova

02/19/2026

The new space economy starts here 🚀

George Mason University serves as the Lead Academic Partner for SpaceNEXT — connecting research, industry, policy, and investment to advance the next era of space innovation.

🗓 February 18–20, 2026
📍 Capital One Hall, Tysons, VA
🔗 https://www.spacenextglobal.com/news/george-mason-university-joins-spacenext-as-lead-academic-partner