Newsletter 2016-17
Featured Articles
Remote Control of a Giant Telescope? Yeah, That’s Cool
Students learn by viewing a black hole using a telescope at the Lick Observatory outside of San Jose. The twist? They're settled comfortably 200 miles away on the Cal Poly campus, controlling instruments on the telescope remotely.
Students Build Detector for CERN Upgrade
Cal Poly students are building a particle detector that they will then install in the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator.
Cal Poly Goes South, Way South
Professor Stephanie Wissel and her team of student researchers contributed to an Antarctic neutrino search in December.
More News
Letter from the Chair
Bob Echols reviews the year and looks ahead to what’s next for the Physics Department in 2016-17.
NSF Grant Will Aid Search for Blazars, Dark Matter
Professor Jodi Christiansen and a team of students will work on improving gamma ray detection at the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) in southern Arizona thanks to almost $160,000 from the National Science Foundation. The improvements will help scientists observe blazars and dark matter.
Read more about Christiansen's search ›
Cal Poly Connected to Gravitational Waves Announcement
LIGO and the National Science Foundation displayed one of Professor Steve Drasco’s computer simulations at the press conference for the discovery of gravitational waves.
Read more about Cal Poly and gravitational waves ›
Faculty Updates
Student-faculty research projects spanned the globe and the world of physics. From fractal black holes on strings to insulated solar electric cooking, Cal Poly contributed to what we know about the universe.
New Faculty
The Physics Department welcomed three new faculty members this fall, including Louise Edwards, pictured at left. They bring expertise in solid state energy conversion, brightest cluster galaxies, and physics education.
Read more about the new faculty ›
Thank You to Our Generous Donors
Thank you to all the individuals, corporations, foundations and organizations who donated to the Physics Department. Private support enables our department to continue to provide exceptional Learn by Doing opportunities for today’s students.