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The College of Arts & Sciences
Uniquely versatile undergraduate and graduate programs, an unrivaled breadth of research training, and Nobel Prize-winning work in world class facilities, defines the Department of Physics at Cornell University as a national and global leader in physics training and education. The department has more than 40 active professors, approximately 180 graduate students and 65 undergraduate majors, and offers a full range of university-level work in physics, from general education courses for nonscientists to doctoral-level independent research.
Brad Ramshaw, associate professor of physics in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, led a team measuring the movement of soundwaves rather than the flow of heat in Majorana fermions. The team discovered the thermal Hall effect in these particles was caused by chiral phonons.
Georg Hoffstaetter de Torquat, professor of physics in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, is leading a $2.9 million Department of Energy grant to teach AI to operate particle accelerators. Based at Brookhaven National Laboratory, the collaboration will train AI systems on computer models of two hitherto human-run accelerators.
Lawrence Gibbons, professor of physics in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, is among muon g-2 researchers awarded the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. Working with Fermilab, Gibbons led measurements of a particle called the muon with implications for understanding the subatomic world.
Cornell University celebrates April 9 inauguration of Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope in Chile. President Michael Kotlikoff marked milestone enabling wide-field submillimeter surveys to study dark energy, early universe conditions, and galaxy evolution.
The first phase of Cornell University’s upcoming reaccreditation process with Middle States Commission on Higher Education is underway, with the naming of a steering committee that includes several College of Arts and Sciences faculty members and an invitation to the community to provide input.
Cornell admits the Class of 2030 emphasizing real-world impact, enrolling 5,776 students from 102 countries.
At Cornell University, the diverse cohort reflects the land-grant mission and applied learning goals across multiple colleges.
Nobel Laureate physicist John M. Martinis will headline a quantum mechanics lecture April 8 at Cornell University. The talk launches the Cornell Undergraduate Research Board’s Frontiers of Discovery Lecture Series.
Education researcher Dr. Susan Singer will discuss the future of active learning and discipline-based education research on April 7 at Cornell University’s Fiske Room, Uris Library. Hosted by the Center for Teaching Innovation, the event highlights her national leadership in STEM education reform and evidence-based undergraduate teaching innovations.
BA Physics and Math
Financial Analyst, Soccer Fan, Physicist!
Steven (he/him) turned his physics analysis skills to the field of finance. His path has led him through several different companies in various roles managing data and using complex forecasting models to inform financial decisions like product pricing, budgeting and strategic planning. In his free time, Steven enjoys reading non-fiction, soccer, and running his own stock portfolio.
The analytical and problem-solving skills from physics have been of much use to him in the corporate world
BA Physics and Art History
Art Historian, Photographer, Physicist!
Victoria (she/her) followed her physics degree with a PhD in visual and cultural studies from the University of Rochester. She then became Director of the Bannister Gallery and Adjunct Professor of Art History at Rhode Island College. Through her career, Victoria has been able to turn her passions into her work. In her free time, she enjoys baking.
The critical thinking skills she developed as a physicist have always helped her along the way.
BA Physics and Economics
Lawyer, Boston Sports Fan, Physicist!
David (he/him) went from Cornell physics to Boston College where he earned degrees in law and business administration. He held several positions in both marketing and law and then became a lawyer for a biological engineering lab at Harvard. In his free time, he enjoys working on his house.
Physics has been his most valuable degree, developing his problem-solving and creative thinking skills.
Research in the department is organized in two laboratories, the Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics (LASSP) and the Laboratory for Elementary Particle Physics (LEPP). Explore the links below to learn more about the major research areas of the department and the facilities available to researchers.
Location: Rockefeller Hall, 201, Schwartz Auditorium
Location: Rockefeller Hall, 201, Schwartz Auditorium
Location: Rockefeller Hall, 201, Schwartz Auditorium