Pyrotechnics and Polyphony: Balancing Physics and Music
Student Snapshot: Carys Chase-Mayoral ’26
Carys Chase-Mayoral ’26 completed three funded research internships, studied abroad in New Zealand, sings in choir, assists with Dickinson’s planetarium and is on track to complete a double major in physics and music.
Hometown:
Bethlehem, Pa.
High school:
The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts.
Majors:
Physics and music (vocal performance).
On choosing Dickinson:
I chose Dickinson because of the college’s generous financial aid and because it offers exceptional avenues for me to pursue both my love of singing and my love of physics.
Best thing about my Dickinson experience:
"The best things about my Dickinson experience are the wonderful friends I’ve made on campus and abroad."
Best thing about my major:
The music department is filled with wonderful people who support you every step of the way! The physics department offers lots of opportunities in and outside of class and sets each student up for success through the workshop physics approach and through abundant advice.
Favorite class:
Queer Literature with Associate Professor of English Sarah Kersh. Taking this class never felt like work, and it pushed me to consider identity and society in a way I’d never done before.
Favorite professor:
So many professors have been fundamental to my experience at Dickinson. Professor of Physics Hans Pfister’s unrelenting enthusiasm for teaching physics inspires me to bring excitement to my work. My academic advisors, Associate Professor of Music James Martin and Professor of Physics Lars English, have supported me in and outside of academics. Instructor of Music Eun Ae-Baik Kim, the collaborative pianist for music majors, is a privilege to work with and inspires me to approach music with deliberation and sensitivity.
On studying abroad:
I studied abroad in Dunedin, New Zealand. The Dickinson field trips were extraordinary, showing us unique natural wonders around the South Island. We visited Fiordland, the most beautiful place I‘ve ever seen.
About my internships:
The summer after my freshman year, I was a researcher for my physics advisor’s electronics project, from which we published a paper. My sophomore year, I spent the summer as an intern at New Mexico Tech in Soccoro, N.M., for a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), working on 3D printing a pyrotechnic. After my junior year, I was at Pennsylvania State University for another NSF REU, studying mechanical memory in soft matter. Conducting research at different institutions across the United States gave me a new perspective on what life after college can look like, academically and geographically.
About my research:
At Dickinson, I worked under my advisor to characterize quality factor from inductor resonance for an electronic lattice and configured lattices with nonlinear components. At New Mexico Tech, I developed a production process for 3D-printable thermite under Chelsey Hargather in the materials and metallurgical engineering department. At Penn State, I studied mechanical memories in tape under Nathan Keim of the soft condensed matter physics department. From all, I strengthened my fundamental knowledge of physics and gained experience with experimental research. These opportunities offered me valuable insight into myself and connected me with inspirational peers from around the country.
Clubs and organizations:
Phi Beta Kappa, WDCV-FM, Astronomy Club, choir and planetarium (teaching assistant).
Honors/scholarships/awards:
Provost’s Scholarship, Senior Class Sophister Prize, Richard M. Sia Memorial Prize in Physics, Trust-T Creativity Award, Joseph Middleton and Isabel Mullin Burns Memorial Prize and Landis-Mohler Prize for Excellence in Freshman Physics.
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Published January 9, 2026