Southern Connecticut State University Physics Department

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

04/08/2026

April 8th is our Day of Caring where anyone can donate to Southern Connecticut State University and support departments, programs, and scholarships that help our students succeed!

This year, please consider contributing to the John and Nina Caragianis Research and Innovation Endowed Fund. Your donation, of any amount, helps alleviate some of the burden our STEM students face while making their way through their courses.

You can donate anytime at https://lnkd.in/e2jmhDvC - every little bit counts!

03/30/2026

April 8th is our Day of Caring where anyone can donate to SCSU and support departments, programs, and scholarships that help our students succeed!

This year, please consider contributing to the John and Nina Caragianis Research and Innovation Endowed Fund. Your donation, of any amount, helps alleviate some of the burden our STEM students face while making their way through their courses.

You can donate anytime at https://www.givecampus.com/s/4blw5f

03/23/2026

We have a packed house at Southern Connecticut State University College of Arts & Sciences today with the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the CSCU Center for Quantum and Nanotechnology. We welcome Office of Governor Ned Lamont, SCSU President Sandra Bulmer, and all of our incredible donors, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. The opening of the Center is a groundbreaking moment in Connecticut's STEM history, offering a hub for new quantum and nano-driven opportunities for students across the state.

03/03/2026

Thomas Sadowski, SCSU lead instructor for Quantum in Manufacturing, emphasized the importance of preparing the workforce for what’s next.

“By equipping manufacturing professionals with practical skills in artificial intelligence and emerging quantum technologies, we are helping today’s workforce adapt to rapid technological change while positioning Connecticut’s manufacturers for long-term competitiveness and innovation,” Sadowski said in a statement.

Read more about this exciting program at Southern Connecticut State University below!

According to state workforce data, nearly 11,000 Connecticut job postings since August 2024 have required AI skills, a 40 percent increase over the previous year.

02/03/2026

It's that time of year again! Applications for the https://ctspacegrant.org/ are open!

Interested Southern students and faculty should reach out to Dr. Dana Casetti for more information! We've had multiple recipients in the past few years, with the grant supporting our unique research opportunities for astronomy and astrophysics right here on campus!

02/02/2026

Congratulations to Southern Connecticut State University's Spring 2026 recipients of the John and Nina Caragianis Research and Innovation Endowed Fund!

The fund, established by Dr. Christine Broadbridge and her husband, Bill, supports Southern's STEM students in achieving their academic goals.

This year's distinguished recipients pictured below (from left to right), joined by Dr. Broadbridge (center), are:

André Correa
Mariaceleste Florian-Rodriguez
Siobhan Rogers
Bleu Wilson

Applications for the Caragianis Fund are submitted on a rolling basis, with announcements made via email and social media. Recipients are carefully selected by the Caragianis Fellowship Committee, with thanks to the Spring 2026 members: Dr. Elliott Horch, Dr. Todd Schwendemann, and Dr. Binlin Wu.

If you are interested in supporting the Caragianis Fund, donations will be open for the 2026 SCSU Day of Caring in April. Gifts are also open throughout the year at: https://lnkd.in/eUKKTiAz

01/21/2026

12/03/2025

On Monday December 8th 2025, please join us for our PHY and EGR 471 student research presentations in SCI 013:

10:00-10:20 am - Killian Levy presenting
Fabricating Astronomical Mirrors with Vaporized Metal
10:20-10:40 am - Aiden Kennedy presenting
Constructing Quantum Physics Modules for High School and Early College Education
10:40 - 11:00 am - Aspen Scully-Clemmons presenting
Preparing Magnetoelectric Nanoparticles for TEM Imaging

After the presentations, we invite you to join us for our annual holiday celebration from 11 am - 1pm in the Lower Level Atrium

Light refreshments will be provided, and we encourage you to bring a plate of food to share!

11/25/2025

Monday, December 8th - Save the Date to join us in cheering on our PHY and EGR 471 students presenting their capstone research projects.

Following the presentations, we will be hosting our annual holiday celebration.

Further details to come! We hope to see you there!

11/19/2025

We would like to invite you to join us in supporting MS Candidate Xavier Lesley in presentation and defense of his thesis: “New Orbit and Mass Estimates for Eight K-Dwarf Binaries”

This event will take place Monday, November 24th at 10 AM in the Science Building Lower Level Room SCI 013

All are welcome to attend, and undergraduate students are particularly encouraged if interested in pursuing a MS in the future!

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Elliott Horch
Thesis Committee: Dr. Dana Casetti, Dr. Terrence Girard

Light refreshments will follow in the lower-level atrium. We hope to see you there!