A&S Student News

Fall 2020

Physics Undergrads Publish in Astrophysics Journal

The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array west of Socorro, New Mexico; photo courtesy of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Undergraduates Connor Grandorf, Joe McCarty, Priya Rajkumar and Heather Harbin, along with graduate student Arvind Balasubramanian, all students in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, have successfully led a scientific paper that has been accepted in the Astrophysical Journal and will be published soon. The paper, "Search for radio remnants of nearby off-axis Gamma-Ray Bursts in a sample of Swift/BAT events," is available now at this link. Their work, part of a new era of astrophysics, is based on the multi-messenger discovery of gravitational waves and light from the binary neutron star merger GW170817, associated with Gamma-Ray Burst 170817A and kilonova AT2017gfo. The students also were co-investigators of the approved Very Large Array programs via which the data reported in the paper were collected. Texas Tech astrophysicist Alessandra Corsi guided the students' work.

Kuzmack Wants to be Catalyst for Change

Stephanie Kuzmack, a sociology student and 2020 Truman Scholar, is driven to be a catalyst for change. With her sights on law school, she wants to alleviate the challenges facing her hometown.

Jodeiri-Farshbaf Wins First Place in 3-Minute Thesis

Mohammad Jodeiri-Farshbaf, a doctoral biology student in the Department of Biological Sciences, has taken first place in the 2020 Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) competition. The 3MT is an opportunity for students to be evaluated on their presentation and communication abilities—a crucial skill in landing future research funding. Jodeiri-Farshbaf won for presenting his research on the hormone irisin, showing that the hormone secreted during exercise can suppress stress-induced memory deficit. Follow this link to read the complete account of Jodeiri-Farshbaf's award.

Hekkert Saddles Up as 59th Masked Rider

Cameron Hekkert, a fourth-year major in the Department of Kinesiology & Sport Management, shares her journey from Colorado to Texas Tech, where she discovered a passion for collegiate athletics and earned a spot as the 59th Masked Rider.

Robledo Receives Fulbright Award

David Robledo, a graduate student working on his doctoral degree in technical communication and rhetoric through the Department of English, was named a recipient of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program Open Study/Research Award and will work with marine scientists in Costa Rica. "Receiving a Fulbright award is a little like getting a ticket to the moon," Robledo said. "You are not sure what to expect, but you know it is going to shift your perspective in irreversible ways." Robledo is planning to head to Costa Rica in February to work with marine scientists on how the role of small-scale fisheries promote biodiversity. Follow this link to read the complete story about David Robledo.

Browse Our Archive of Student News Briefs