University of Pennsylvania Medical Physics Graduate Programs

🎓 Cheers to the Class of 2026! U. Penn MPGP Graduation 2026 highlights included inspiring remarks from our keynote and student speakers, along with several awards recognizing excellence in teaching, mentorship, and research, and celebrating each of our graduating students. We can’t wait to see all that they will accomplish next! ✨

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Calibrated, calculated, graduated! 🎓

Today we celebrated the Class of 2026 at our MPGP Graduation featuring an inspiring keynote speech by Dr. Julianne Pollard-Larkin, Professor of Radiation Physics and Physics Section Chief of Thoracic Service at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Our graduates have mastered the physics behind patient care. Their next stop: making a difference! 🌟👏🎉🎓

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Meet Rebecca, a second-year master’s student in the Penn MPGP! Originally from Red Hook, NY, Rebecca grew up in a military family and lived in many different places. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Physics from Manhattan University, with minors in Mathematics and Art History. After completing her master’s at Penn, she’ll continue her time here as a medical physics resident focused on radiation therapy!

Rebecca’s thesis focuses on the integration of machine-learning-based autosegmentation for quality assurance in head and neck cancer clinical trials. She has also participated in a nationwide research project investigating the long-term effects of proton therapy treatment in pediatric patients.

Rebecca has worked in the clinic as a PSQA assistant, as well as helping run site-specific chart rounds.

In addition to serving as the Social Media Coordinator on the program’s Student Advisory Committee, Rebecca was also the teaching assistant for the course ‘Image-Based Anatomy’

Fun fact: Rebecca is currently training for a ballet performance in June! 🩰🤍

Meet Bao, a certificate student in the Penn MPGP program! Bao is from Fujian, China. She earned her Ph.D. in Physics at Temple University, where she developed ultrafast optical spectroscopy systems to study nonlinear dynamics in quantum materials.

During her time at Penn, she has worked on developing a real-time dosimetry system based on singlet oxygen detection to enhance the precision of photodynamic
therapy. She has also contributed to a Cherenkov imaging project aimed at advancing external beam radiation therapy dosimetry by modeling tissue optical properties.

Bao has also spent time in the clinic here at PCAM shadowing clinical activities and PSQA. After completing her certificate, she will continue her time at Penn to work as a medical physics researcher in Dr. Tim Zhu’s research lab.

Fun fact: Bao enjoys hiking and relaxing with animated shows in her free time 🏞️📺

🎉Congratulations to our graduating U. Penn medical physics graduate students who matched into residency and PhD programs! We celebrated our students and their promising paths ahead at our annual Cake & Celebrate event. Their hard work and dedication have truly paid off—with the support of our committed faculty, staff, and residents. Congratulations, students!! 👏🌟🍰

Behind every acceptance letter is a team of dedicated volunteers who gave their time, insight, and care to shape the future of our Penn medical physics graduate community. 💙❤️

We celebrated our MVPs of admissions with a delicious lunch. Cheers to our volunteer all-stars! ✨

Meet Hamza, a certificate student in the Penn MPGP program! Hamza is from Mardin, Turkey and earned his Ph.D. in elementary particle physics at Temple University, where he researched proton structure through electron scattering experiments, including measurements of generalized polarizabilities. He is also a physics professor at Temple University where he teaches Physics of Medical Imaging course to medical dosimetry master students.

Hamza has also conducted research at major international facilities including Jefferson Lab and Paul Scherrer Institute, working on detector development and precision measurements in nuclear and particle physics.

Additionally, he has spent time in the clinic here at PCAM shadowing clinical activities and PSQA. After completing his certificate at Penn, he will start as a medical physics resident at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA!

Fun fact: Hamza is a big fan of soccer and supports Galatasaray and Philadelphia Union ⚽️🏟️

Meet Yue a certificate student in the Penn MPGP! Originally from Zhejiang, China, she earned her Ph.D. in Physics from Penn where she researched controlling mechanical waves in topological phononic crystals. After completing her certificate, she will be moving up to Poughkeepsie, NY as a medical physics resident at Vassar Brothers Medical Center! 

During her time at Penn, Yue gained clinical experience at PCAM, shadowing a variety of clinical activities and becoming proficient in PSQA.

Fun fact: Yue enjoys exploring new restaurants and traveling whenever she gets the chance 🍲🛩️

Our MPGP Town Hall brought students face-to-face with the leaders shaping the future of radiation oncology. Dr. Jim Metz (Department Chair), Dr. Neha Vapiwala (Vice Chair of Education), and Dr. Kevin Teo (Vice Chair of Physics) shared the stories behind their careers, offered candid advice, and reflected on what success looks like in a rapidly evolving field.

The conversation came alive during an engaging Q&A, where students explored topics ranging from leadership to the growing impact of AI and what lies ahead for medical physics. ⚛️

Meet Jack, a second year master’s student in the Penn MPGP! Originally from St. Louis, Missouri he earned his two bachelor degrees in Physics and Applied Mathematics from the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma. After completing his master’s degree at Penn, he plans on starting residency to work as a clinical medical physicist.

Jack’s master’s thesis focuses on building a treatment planning system specifically for conformal FLASH RT. He has also contributed to a nationwide research project investigating long term effects of pediatric patients treated with proton therapy.

Jack has previously worked in the clinic as a chart rounds assistant and PSQA assistant and is currently the course assistant for the Radiobiology course!

For fun, Jack competes in triathalons, recently completing Ironman 70.3 Dallas Little Elm. He also runs for the Penn Club XC and track team 🏃‍♂️💨