Physics Illinois

"Looks like the future of the quantum industry is right here!"

One of the best parts of Illinois Physics is the people who help make the department feel like a community.

This summer, TA Randy Owen will complete his Ph.D. before heading into the quantum information industry, and his students wanted to celebrate with some pictures before he left 🥳

Congratulations, Randy, and thank you for everything you’ve brought to the classroom and the department. We can’t wait to see what’s next!

More than a decade after the discovery of the Higgs boson, Illinois Physics researchers are helping answer some of the questions that discovery left behind. 🔬

Professor Mark Neubauer and Illinois Physics alumnus JianCong Zeng were part of an international team that observed semi-leptonic vector boson scattering for the first time, a rare process that is closely connected to how fundamental particles acquire mass.

Using data collected at CERN's Large Hadron Collider and advanced machine learning techniques, the team confirmed long-standing predictions of the Standard Model while opening a new window into the study of electroweak symmetry breaking.

“This is a new playing field we've opened up,” Neubauer said. “It allows us to look for physics beyond the standard model in novel ways.”

The result marks a significant milestone in particle physics and provides researchers with a powerful new tool for exploring some of the universe's most fundamental questions.

👉 Learn more here: https://physics.illinois.edu/news/neubauer-zeng-semi-leptonic-decay-channel

Illinois Physics Professor Sangjin Kim has been selected for a 2026 National Science Foundation CAREER Award, one of the NSF's highest honors for early-career faculty. 🏆

A biological physicist, Kim studies how living cells are organized at the most fundamental physical level. Her research examines everything from the behavior of entire chromosomes down to the workings of individual molecules, combining experimental and computational approaches to better understand the dynamics of life inside cells.

Her CAREER project, “Decoding active and passive mechanisms driving bacterial chromosome dynamics”, seeks to uncover how bacterial chromosomes move and reorganize within living cells. While chromosomes are often thought of as carriers of genetic information, they are also highly dynamic structures that constantly shift as cells grow, divide, and respond to their environment.

By bringing together physics, biology, and computational modeling, Kim's work aims to reveal the physical principles that govern chromosome behavior and could ultimately inform future biotechnology applications and new approaches to understanding genome regulation.

Join us in congratulating Professor Kim on this well-deserved recognition and the exciting research it will support.

👉 Learn more here about Professor Kim's award and the work that led to it: https://physics.illinois.edu/news/Sangjin-Kim-receives-NSF-CAREER-Award

✨Celebrating graduating senior, Ivan Holt! ✨

Majoring in Physics with a minor in Secondary Education, Ivan’s journey has been shaped by both heart and perseverance. Growing up with his dad as his high school principal in Mount Carmel, IL, Ivan knew early on that he did not want to be a teacher. He excelled in science and math and loved working with kids, but he imagined a different career path for himself than teaching.

When his dad’s health declined, Ivan felt called to pursue something meaningful and challenging, and decided to major in biophysics. Engineering courses quickly showed him just how tough the field could be, but Ivan didn’t give up. His resilience and determination carried him forward.

An opportunity to student teach in Monticello while an ELA in the Illinois Physics Learning Assistant Program (https://physics.illinois.edu/academics/undergraduates/learning-assistants) changed everything. Ivan discovered how much he loved being in the classroom, building strong relationships with students and finding creative ways to bring lessons to life. His experience as a Learning Assistant gave him valuable early field experience, preparing him to thrive during his student teaching experience.

What is one of the most important lessons he’s learned? Teaching is all about preparation and flexibility. You should have a solid lesson plan but be ready to pivot. Sometimes those unexpected moments lead to the most engaging, hands-on ways to demonstrate a concept.

After graduation, Ivan will begin his career as a launch engineer for North American Lighting, but his story in education isn’t over. He plans to return to the classroom in a few years. When he returns, Ivan will bring with him real-world experience and the same dedication that has defined his journey so far.

We are so proud of you, Ivan! Your future students will be lucky to have you! 🚀📚

Illinois Physics is part of Pint of Science tonight at Gallery Art Bar! 🍻🔬

From the Microscopic to the Planetary brings together researchers for an evening of science that stretches across scales, from living cells to the Amazon to clean-energy materials.

Illinois Physics faculty Ido Golding and Ben Hooberman are among tonight’s speakers. Golding will discuss predicting the behavior of a living cell, while Hooberman will share how quantum physics can help find materials for clean energy. The event also features Francina Dominguez, who will explore how much rainfall in the Amazon comes from evaporation from the forest.

Doors open tonight at 6:00 PM, and the event runs from 6:30 to 9:00 PM at Gallery Art Bar, 119 W Main St.

👉 Learn more about the event and how to attend: https://pintofscience.us/event/from-the-microscopic-to-the-planetary/

As we approach the end of the academic year, we’re recognizing this year’s undergraduate and graduate award winners from Illinois Physics. 🎓🏆

These students have helped make it a remarkable year through their accomplishments in research, academics, leadership, and service. Their contributions reflect the strength of the Illinois Physics community, and the impact students are making across the department.

To all of our award winners, congratulations, and thank you for helping make this such a successful year!

And to our students graduating this weekend, congratulations on reaching this milestone. You did it! 🎉

We're so proud of all of you 💙🧡

Illinois Physics Ph.D. candidate Bryce Cousins has been awarded a 2026 Jump Fellowship, a major honor recognizing outstanding doctoral students in the mathematical, computing, and physical sciences. 🏆

Cousins conducts research in astrophysics and cosmology under the supervision of Professor Nicolás Yunes. A central focus of his work is developing new ways to use gravitational waves to study how the universe is expanding. He has also led work on the “stochastic siren,” a method that uses unresolved gravitational waves to help measure the universe’s expansion rate.

The fellowship provides support for students whose research demonstrates exceptional originality, rigor, and potential for high impact.

👉 Take a closer look at Cousins’s work and this recognition: https://grad.illinois.edu/news/bryce-cousins-awarded-2026-jump-fellowship

Illinois Physics undergraduate student Aidan Andrews has been named the recipient of the 2026 Illinois Innovation Award, while Hajara-Yasmin Isa received the 2026 Fiddler Innovation Fellowship! 🏆

The Illinois Innovation Award recognizes University of Illinois students for groundbreaking innovation and translational research that addresses real-world problems and has the potential to make a significant impact. Andrews, co-founder of AgAnswers.ai, was recognized for developing AI and autonomous agent systems designed to help farmers manage complex agricultural operations more efficiently. As part of the award, he received a $20,000 prize from Illinois Grainger Engineering.

The Fiddler Innovation Fellowship, awarded through the eDream Institute at NCSA, recognizes interdisciplinary work addressing societal and global challenges. This year’s recipient, Hajara-Yasmin Isa, was honored for creating the first comprehensive programming logic and design textbook in Hausa, helping make computing education more accessible to millions of speakers across West Africa.

Congratulations as well to this year’s finalists. Illinois Innovation Award finalists included Hyungyu Lee, Alexander Smith, and Jiadiao (David) Zhou, while Fiddler Innovation Fellowship finalists included Kazuma Kobayashi and Lauren Hyde.

Together, these recognitions highlight the range of innovation and problem-solving happening across the University of Illinois community, including within Illinois Physics.

👉 Learn more here: https://tec.illinois.edu/news/82729

The Illinois Physics community came together this weekend for the 2026 Physical R***e, continuing a nearly 35-year tradition that celebrates the creativity and talent of graduate students.

This year’s AB-BA–themed event brought in a record crowd of more than 300 students and faculty, filling the Illini Union ballroom and expanding into the South Lounge for the first time. Organized by members of the Illinois Physics PGSA, the evening featured a wide range of musical and comedic performances, along with weeks of preparation behind the scenes to bring the event to life.

In addition to the performances, the event also supported the broader community, raising approximately $2,200 for the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen in Champaign.

The Physical R***e remains an important part of Illinois Physics, offering graduate students a space to showcase their creativity beyond the classroom while strengthening the sense of community across the department.