Dickinson College

+ Share

Physics and Astronomy News

Image created by Chris Steel '90 with assistance from AI.

Graduate Story: Chris Steel '90

Chris Steel '90 evaluates emerging AI and machine-learning tech and develops customized plans for optimal use, leads a team of tech consultants, and has a patent pending for an AI-based tool.

student winners of the research and writing awards

Dickinson Celebrates Outstanding Research & Writing

Dickinson honors the winners of its annual FYS Excellence in Writing Award, the Prize for Excellence in First Year Research and the Research Prize for Sophomores or Juniors.

Noah Lape '26

YouTube, Chatbots & Physics Research

“Nowhere else could I get as many opportunities as a freshman." Out of the gate, Noah Lape ’26 co-published a paper, contributed to a physics YouTube channel and coded chatbots.

Sebastian Valdez '26

Depth, Breadth and Belonging

“My goal is to return to my home country and share the knowledge and expertise I have gained." Meet Sebastian Valdez '26, an accomplished soccer player and aspiring civil engineer.

Photo of a woman in front of a bookshelf.

Dickinson to Host Senior Scientist From the National Center for Atmospheric Research

Linda Mearns, senior scientist in the Research Applications Lab of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, will discuss the uncertainties of climate change research.

Lars English in a lab

Lars English Honored by the American Physical Society

Dickinson professor of physics earns 2024 Faculty Member for Research in an Undergraduate Institution recognition.

John Mather sits in a full auditorium

NASA's John Mather Delivers 71st Priestley Award Lecture

Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist meets with students and discusses his nearly 30 years of work as the senior project scientist on the groundbreaking James Webb Space Telescope.

Portrait of John Mather

Astrophysicist for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to Give Talk at Dickinson

John Mather will receive Dickinson’s annual Joseph Priestley Award.

TJ Doyle and Ben Catanese in their office

Two Dickinsonians Raise More Than $500,000,000 in Venture Capital for New Business

The alumni's Legacy Automotive Capital Real Estate Fund focuses on growing its auto finance business in cities with NFL franchises.

Lars English at his desk

Building a Machine to Solve the 'Traveling Salesman' and Similar Problems

Working with a group from Cambridge University, Professor of Physics Lars English publishes new research in 'Nature' journal 'Communication Physics.'

Olivia Lanes in a lab

Graduate Story: Olivia Lanes '14, IBM Quantum Engineering

The former physics major followed her gut to a leadership role in tech giant IBM's quantum community.

Paul Kanev in the planetarium

Paul Kanev ’75 Provides Dickinson's Planetarium With a 'Huge Step Forward'

With a generous gift, the Kanev Planetarium allows students to look further into the universe than ever before.

This image of a star forming was one of the first pictures released to the public that were taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Evoking the Wonder of James Webb Space Telescope Through Sound

Discover the stellar inspiration behind Dickinson's fall 2022 choir concert, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 12, and Sunday, Nov. 13.

Portrait of John Mather

NASA's John Mather Named Dickinson's 2023 Priestley Award Winner

The Nobel Prize winner is the senior astrophysicist in the Observational Cosmology Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and senior project scientist on the James Webb Space Telescope.

Lia Gilmore

Student Snapshot: Lia Gilmore ’25

Meet Lia Gilmore ’25, a physics major and social-media wiz who's studying astronomical data reduction.

1
2