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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.
Physic researchers in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences have made robots that for the first time can sense the temperature of their surroundings and react together to change it. Inspired by termites, fireflies and cilia, the synchronized robots could enable future medical and agricultural applications.
Physicists in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences discovered that superconductivity in iron selenide is primarily controlled by disorder in the crystal lattice, not electron count. The finding adds to understanding of high-temperature superconductors and is guiding future superconductivity research.
Cornell has received a $750,000 NSF grant to study AI-powered reflection tools that build student critical thinking skills. Researchers in biology and physics in the College of Arts & Sciences, as well as in engineering, will evaluate whether personalized AI prompts improve learning.
Twenty new faculty have joined the College of Arts & Sciences this year, strengthening departments and programs with their wide-ranging expertise and filling numerous leadership roles for the College and university.
Cornell College of Arts & Sciences physicist and astronomer David Kornreich, Ph.D. ’01, died Aug. 30 in a plane crash near Ithaca while piloting his aircraft. He was researcher and science communicator known for galaxy studies and astronomy outreach.
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: Physical Sciences Building, 120
Location: Physical Sciences Building, 120
Location: Physical Sciences Building, 120
Location: Physical Sciences Building, 120
Location: Physical Sciences Building, 120
Location: Physical Sciences Building, 120