Michael Niemack, professor of physics and astronomy, works with grad student Alicia Middleton, center, and REU summer undergraduate researcher Isla Steinman in Niemack’s lab in the Physical Sciences Building.

World class physics education and training

The Department of Physics

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.

Physics News

Clock tower in foreground, snowy college campus in the distance, seen from above in low light

Five from Cornell named 2026 Sloan Research Fellows

2/18/2026

Five Cornell faculty members are among 126 early-career researchers across North America who have won 2026 Sloan Research Fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

11 new researchers become Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellows

2/06/2026

Cornell researchers interested in diverse topics ranging from peptide engineering and cellular metabolites to quantum physics and sustainable computing are among the newest cohort selected by the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellows program.

Two students connecting wires on a lab table

CTI’s ‘Art of the Lab’ faculty panel to highlight creative approaches to instruction

2/06/2026

CTI’s “The Art of Teaching” series returns Feb. 11 with “The Art of the Lab.” Faculty panelists will share creative instructional approaches for designing student-centered laboratory experiences.

Cornell's central campus with lake beyond

Four on faculty to receive DOE early-career grants

2/03/2026

Four Cornell faculty members are among 99 researchers across the U.S. who have been awarded grants by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of its Office of Science Early Career Research Program.

Three college campus buildings of various architectural types receed into the distance under a grey sky and a bare branch

College of Arts and Sciences announces 2026 Klarman Fellows

2/04/2026

The 12 early-career scholars will pursue research in the sciences, social sciences and humanities.

Overlooking a college campus under a yellow sky at dawn

$1.5M grant boosts postdoctoral research across 4 colleges

1/15/2026

In 2026, the from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation will begin funding 10 two-year postdoctoral appointments including three in astronomy, chemistry and physics in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Person pushing, on a dolly, a large red frame wrapped in plastic

The people behind the telescope: How specialized expertise is supporting science at the edge of the universe

1/05/2026

Behind a world-leading telescope bound for Chile is a team of engineers, machinists, electronics specialists and riggers at Cornell. Meet the specialized staff whose expertise is helping push cosmology to new frontiers.

Illustration showing RNA Polymerase II interacting with Chromatin

Unexpected allies: DNA packaging aids gene expression

12/19/2025

Researchers discovered that DNA packaging structures called nucleosomes, which have been traditionally seen as roadblocks for gene expression, actually help reduce torsional stress in DNA strands and facilitate genetic information decoding.

More News

Physics Links

Graduate Program Undergraduate Program Faculty Profiles Research Areas

Steven Santos ’12

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

Victoria Gao ’12

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.

David Hackett ‘12

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.

PhD student Prateek Sehgal works with shear thickening fluid in their Clark Hall lab.

Research Spotlight

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.