Southern Connecticut State University Physics Department

09/08/2026

Attention Southern Connecticut State University Astronomers and Physicists!

This Friday, September 11th at 8pm - join us in the Morrill Hall Planetarium for a LIVE Domecast, coming to you live courtesy of NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center!

We will be live streaming "Too Big, Too Bright, Too Soon: Can Cosmological Simulations explain JWST's Surprising Discoveries? ft. Michelle Park, Stanford ICME"

The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed galaxies that appeared far earlier, brighter, and larger than astronomers ever expected.

So how did they form?

Join special guest Michelle Park from Stanford's Institute for Computational & Mathematical Engineering as we journey into a simulated universe.

Discover how gravity, exploding stars, and other powerful forces shape the first galaxies and how astronomers compare these virtual universes with real JWST observations to uncover the physics behind our cosmic origins.

This event is FREE - no registration required. Food and Drink are not allowed inside the Planetarium. All are welcome.

09/08/2026

What can you do with a BS in Physics from Southern Connecticut State University?

According to the American Institute of Physics (AIP), your career prospects are enriched with your degree, with 48% of graduates joining the workforce, and 45% going onto graduate study, in Physics or other STEM-related fields.

At Southern, we believe in ensuring that our students are given as many opportunities as possible to be set up for future success. That's why our department focuses on promoting undergraduate research opportunities, internships, scholarships, and research funding wherever possible.

Visit us at www.southernct.edu/academics/physics to learn more!

09/03/2026

What is the value of a BS in Physics at Southern Connecticut State University? The writing is on the wall! In 2024, Physics Graduates had the fifth-highest starting salaries, with a median of ~$75,000 per year.

Interested? Visit us today at www.southernct.edu/academics/physics to learn more!

09/01/2026

Congratulations to James Suarez, winner of the Southern Connecticut State University Physics Week of Welcome Raffle!

Thank you to Southern's Student Involvement team for supporting our event! We can't wait until the next one!

08/27/2026

TODAY!!!

Physics Students - join our office for our Week of Welcome reception!

From 2pm to 4pm in the Science Building Lower Level Atrium, join our faculty, staff, and students for the Fall Meet and Greet.

Refreshments will be provided, and we have a free raffle for all students attending!

Remember to register your attendance at https://cglink.me/28A/s20 to enter the student involvement raffle for more prizes!

08/26/2026

Tomorrow Southern Connecticut State University Physics Students - join our office for our Week of Welcome reception!

From 2pm to 4pm in the Science Building Lower Level Atrium, join our faculty, staff, and students for the Fall Meet and Greet.

Refreshments will be provided, and we have a free raffle for all students attending!

Remember to register your attendance at https://cglink.me/28A/s20 to enter the student involvement raffle for more prizes!

08/25/2026

Congratulations Southern Connecticut State University MS Applied Physics student, Fiona Powers Özyurt, on the successful completion and defense of her thesis on Thursday, August 20th!

The Physics department would also like to thank Fiona's family and current/former SCSU Physics students for their attendance and support. Well done, Fiona!

08/24/2026

The Southern Connecticut State University Physics Department is proud to announce that CSU Professor Elliott Horch has just received a new collaborative research grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to use his innovative stellar intensity interferometer as the prototype for a new a six-telescope array to be built in Israel. .

The new instrument will be capable of imaging the surfaces of distant stars in unprecedented detail. Partnering with Dr. Nick Konidaris (Carnegie Observatories) and Dr. Sagi Ben-Ami (Weizmann Institute of Science), the total grant award is $1.8 million, with $427,000 coming directly to SCSU.

The effort is called “The Sephira Project.” Congratulations to Dr. Horch and the Sephira team!

07/21/2026

Exciting news is on its way — even though our social feed has been quiet lately, the good news certainly hasn't stopped!

Congratulations to Nano and Quantum Innovation at Southern CT and Dr. Christine Broadbridge on this incredible achievement.

From Southern Connecticut State University News:
⚛️ $2 million is headed to New Haven to help build Connecticut's quantum workforce.
As part of the National Science Foundation's $15 million Regional Innovation Engines award, Southern will lead workforce development for QuantumCT — expanding research opportunities, experiential learning, and career pathways for students across the state.

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Learn more:

Southern Connecticut State University (Southern) will serve as a central leader in shaping Connecticut’s future quantum workforce through QuantumCT, a statewide initiative selected to receive a two-year, $15 million award through the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines...

05/07/2026

Congratulations to Riley Barrett for receiving 3rd place in the poster competition last Saturday during the Southern Connecticut State University Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference!

"My poster is a demonstration of the work I've been doing for the past year on studying binary star systems that are difficult to resolve using typical methods." Riley said, describing her research.

"Our process, speckle imaging, includes taking many short exposure frames of a system, using autocorrelation to create an image from those frames, then identifying companion stars through visual analysis and spatial frequency analysis. This process is proving to be very useful in studying the properties of these systems as well as reconstructing their orbits."

Riley's project relied on data from the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument (DSSI) which was built right here at SCSU!

For more information about our Astronomical instrumentation and projects, visit https://www.southernct.edu/astronomy/astronomical-instrumentation