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

Three people cluster around a computer in a science lab

Peer recognition crucial for success in physics research

Even when women receive similar amounts of recognition from peers as men for excelling in physics classes, they perceive significantly less peer recognition, new research has found.

Solar solutions: Bio-inspired approach creates bespoke photovoltaics

What if photovoltaic panels were a hinged, lightweight fabric that was aesthetically attractive and could wrap around complex shapes to better absorb sunlight?

Two people standing at a chalk board, talking about a graphic

Mentorship series: Rebeckah Fussell and Natasha Holmes

In a series of interviews with faculty-graduate student pairs, the Cornell University Graduate School spoke with Rebeckah Fussell, a Ph.D. candidate in physics, and Natasha Holmes, Ann S. Bowers Associate Professor of physics.

X-ray study sheds light on cost-effective fuel cell materials

Cornell researchers have captured an unprecedented, real-time view of how a promising catalyst material transforms during operation, providing new insights that could lead to replacement of expensive precious metals in clean-energy technologies.

Orange red and white horizontal streaks of light under a dark blue sky, showing automobile traffic in motion at night

New Klarman Fellows to join the College of Arts and Sciences

Fellows will pursue research in the sciences, social sciences and humanities.

Light-activated micro device expands ‘green’ electrochemistry

Cornell chemists and nanofabrication experts have joined forces to create a 2 millimeter-wide, wireless, light-activated device to simplify electrochemistry for broad use.

Close up of white slats, each with a black paddle at the end

Micromachines autonomously coordinate using electronic pulses

Microscopic machines engineered by Cornell researchers can autonomously synchronize their movements, opening new possibilities for the use of microrobots in drug delivery, chemical mixing and environmental remediation, among other applications.

Three people look intensely at a small black and red machine in a science laboratory

Smallest walking robot makes microscale measurements

Cornell researchers in physics and engineering have created the smallest walking robot yet. Its mission: to be tiny enough to interact with waves of visible light and still move independently, so that it can maneuver, and take images and measurements.

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Physics Links

Graduate Program Undergraduate Program Faculty Profiles Research Areas

A Physicist is...

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.