Wolfgang Zober | 5th Year, Cosmic Ray Astrophysics (Prof. Rauch)
Hello there, I'm from California, Pennsylvania, a small college town, an hour south of Pittsburgh. I did my undergrad at Wheeling Jesuit University, a tiny college in northern West Virginia. While I was there I majored in physics and math and minored in theology. Currently, I'm a member of the cosmic ray astrophysics group working under the guidance of Prof. Rauch. As a member of the group, I'm involved with data analysis for CALET, and part of the SuperTIGER, HNX, and APT collaborations. I'm also the current department rep for the graduate student senate, so I tend to be involved with many things outside the department. In my spare time, I like to listen to and play music, do photography, and play intramural sports. I'm glad you're joining us. I hope you enjoy your time here and if you need anything feel free to reach out.
Ali Arra | 4th Year, Biophysics (Prof. Mukherji)
Hello! I’m from Naperville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. I went to University of Illinois Urbana Champaign for my undergraduate degree. Here at WashU I’m working in the Mukherji lab. I’ve been slowly exploring all the restaurants and dive bars of St Louis. (Slow because I’m also a dedicated member of the book of the month club). So if you want to get a Budlight, talk about the latest murder mystery, or have any questions at all, feel free to reach out.
Lindsey Lisalda | 5th Year, Astrophysics (Prof. Krawczynski )
I’m a non-traditional student and a St. Louis native who now lives about 30 minutes west of campus. A lot of my free time is spent stargazing, playing too many video games, and watching the Blues at the best (worst?) dive bars around. If I had to poorly define myself, I would say that I love doing research, I’m a member of the Physics DEI Committee, and I name my pet rats after scientists! My research with Prof. Krawczynski involves both theoretical and experimental projects like QED birefringence in black hole and neutron star accretion disks, testing and design of the XL-Calibur truss, and simulations for the IXPE and XL-Calibur collaborations. Stop by my office in Compton 269 and you’ll find a great place to get advice, vent, or just shoot the breeze!
Andrew West | 5th Year, Astrophysics (Prof. Krawczynski)
I am a prototypical Saint Louisan, I've lived here almost all of my life and know the city inside and out. I began my collegiate career at CU Boulder where I studied astrophysics and physics. For reasons that are not all that interesting, I decided to take a break from school to do some manual labor (zero stars, do NOT recommend) and explore the country before finishing up my bachelors here at Wash U in Mathematics. In my spare time I like to write incredibly depressing music, drink beers on patios, hang out with my dog, and go on adventures in the great outdoors. I also like feeding people, so expect to see me at our weekly BBQs and Nerdsgiving in the fall! If you have any questions about the trials that await you in your first year, the best spots to eat and drink in the city, or you just want to chat about life, the universe, and whatever, don't hesitate to holler at me!
Matheus Schossler | 5th Year, Condensed Matter (Prof. Seidel)
I grew up in a small countryside city in Brazil, near the region of the Amazon rainforest (not the company). At the age of sixteen, I went to the state of Sao Paulo for my undergrad and masters. Moving to a large city like St. Louis brought me new experiences, and soon I learned this is a very enjoyable place. Forest Park, known as the Heart of St. Louis, is one of my favorite locations and I like to explore it with my bike or jogging. Perhaps this brings me the perception of living in another small city. I currently work with Professor Seidel with theoretical condensed matter, more specifically with fractional quantum Hall effect. When in the department, I'm usually in Compton 375. Knock on my door or send me an email about anything and I'll be happy to chat.
Shixing (Simon) Wang | 5th Year, Biophysics (Prof. Mukherji)
I'm from Linyi, a small city in eastern China. I got my bachelor's degree in Wuhan University. Currently I work in the Mukherji lab with great colleagues and small yeasts. I still remember and appreciate the help I received from those friendly mentors when I first came to this city and was unsure and anxious about the challenges in front of me. I want to be as helpful and pass their kindness along.
Nic Dronchi | 3rd Year, Nuclear Physics (Prof. Sobotka)
Welcome to St. Louis! While I’m not originally from here, it still has that midwestern vibe that I grew up with in Michigan. Some of the things I love about St. Louis is finding all the great beer and all the beautiful parks that I can take my dog Curie to. Before WashU, I got my undergraduate degree in chemical physics from Michigan state. I had a great undergraduate research experience working on positron emission tomography which lead me to find the Sobotka research group here. I am now interested in the excited/resonance states found in light nuclei which can only be found using nuclear accelerators such as Texas A&M’s or MSU’s cyclotron facilities. If we have a class together make sure to say hi, otherwise, I can also be found in the radiochemistry building somewhere.
Jonah Hoffman | 3rd Year, Astrophysics (Prof. Buckley)
I'm from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I did my undergrad in physics at Louisiana State University. I'm now in my second year at WashU, and I'm currently working with Jim Buckley on the microwave electronics for a dark matter search. I like to cook, read, watch movies, play games, and go to art museums (when there isn't a global pandemic).
Ephraim Gau | 3rd Year, Astrophysics (Prof. Krawczynski)
Hiya! I grew up in Cupertino, California, near San Francisco. I went to undergrad in upstate New York, where I majored in physics and history (I used to say that both subjects allowed me to really explore all of time and space xD). I'm now part of Prof. Krawczynski's astrophysics group and am still trying to struggle through all the incomprehensibilities of physics and also life as a whole. Beyond physics, I still love learning all sorts of other things, chatting with people, watching tv, going for runs, starting to explore new places in the city, participating in activities at my church, as well as travelling (… but, hm, that's temporarily on hold). I would love to hear your life story and what brought you here. If there's anything I can do to make your time here feel more welcoming--or if life in general is just being annoying and you want to chat--let me know!!
Furqan Dar | 5th Year
Jason Bub | 3rd Year, Nuclear Physics (Profs. Piarulli and Pastore)
I am a St. Louis native who has lived here my entire life. I grew up 20 minutes south of the city and did my undergraduate studies at Saint Louis University. My research is in theoretical nuclear physics with Profs. Piarulli and Pastore, where we are studying fundamental nuclear interactions. Outside of research, I enjoy reading, the occasional jog, playing piano, and creating bad art. When I am not secluding myself to such lonely pursuits, I am always open for a chat which will probably last too long. So don't hesitate to find me in Compton 374, send me an email, or contact me in some other way if you have anything you want to talk about, be it advice, venting, or to simply take a break for a little bit.
Nicole Rodriguez | 2nd Year, Astrophysics (Prof. Krawczynski)
Welcome to our department! I am from Lima, Peru and I moved to the states to do my undergrad in physics and math at Westminster College in Utah. When I am not binge watching series, I like to play soccer and the ukulele. I also love traveling or getting lost in nature from time to time. Like you, I am relatively new to the program and I am still trying to figure out classes and research. So reach out if you want to chat or hang, I am always a text away.
Meruyert Iskakova | 2nd Year, Astrophysics (Prof. Ogliore)
Hi, I am Meruyert (but please call me Mary), I am from Kazakhstan and I am a second year student, which means that I started grad school at the most unfortunate time. Everything here is still new to me, so I may not be of much help with questions about the department, but if you have questions about being an international student, want to feel validated as you complain about how hard starting grad school is or need help with settling in, let me know!
Fang Yu | 2nd Year
Hi all! I’m from Hefei, a city in the east central part of China. I enjoy a wide range of stuff in this universe (Are there other universes? Multi-universe hypothesis is fascinating!), but chose to study Physics with the hope that ‘physics can explain everything.’ Now I still don’t understand everything but enjoy staying foolish. I’m working with Prof. Tikhonov in theoretical biophysics (although I’d say it’s more about math and computing). Besides physics, I like playing and am open to new games, stories, philosophies, and arts. So feel free to bring me interesting things and we can play with them!
Liam Brodie | 2nd Year, Nuclear Physics (Prof. Alford)
Welcome! I was born and raised in New York. I received my B.S. in Physics with a minor in Mathematics from the Rochester Institute of Technology. I am attempting to understand how elementary particles talk to each other when smushed way too close together (personal space?). Coming to St. Louis in the middle of a pandemic was not easy, but the mentors were so awesome and helped me and my classmates instantly feel at home. Besides physics, I like to ride my bike all around the city and county. If you need reassurance that you belong here or just want to go on a ride, email me and we can talk anytime.
JR Cruise | 2nd Year, Condensed Matter Theory (Prof. Seidel)
Hey! My name is JR, and I'm originally from Berwyn, PA (about an hour west of Philadelphia). I went to Reed College in Portland. Oregon for my undergrad where I majored in math/physics. Here at WashU, I split my time between researching quantum statistical models with Prof. Alex Seidel and familiarizing myself with the people and places that make up our department. Even though I'm already a second year, our "peculiar circumstances" mean that I, like you, have quite a bit of exploring ahead of me this coming year. With that said, hit me up if you like silly movies, loud concerts, rock climbing, chess, walking around aimlessly, sitting around chatting aimlessly for hours at a time, complaining about books, long walks on the beach, etc. I can't wait to meet you! :')
Natália Calleya | Mentor Emeritus, 6th Year, Nuclear Physics (Prof. Dickhoff)
Hello! I was born and raised in Brasil (yes, with an “s”) and that’s where I got my B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Physics before I joined WashU in 2016 to start my PhD. I come from the Brazilian state called “Big Southern River” that you may know from Brazilian BBQ places or where Tom Brady’s wife was born, too. I’m working with Professor Dickhoff trying to figure out how nuclei do stuff when they’re not in their comfort zones (#relatable) and other nuclear physics things. I very much like to spread knowledge whenever possible, as the head of the outreach committee; and share resources I find useful during this journey, as a mentor. Find me at the Power Plant building, where I do most of my work or around Crow 404 where I certainly don’t do it – I’d love to have a chat and find out more about you and which part of physics caught your eye first!
Kainen Utt | Mentor Emeritus, 6th Year, Astrophysics (Prof. Ogliore)
I grew up just across the state in Kansas City, Missouri. On my way to St. Louis, I stopped off at the University of Arkansas to study physics and mathematics. Currently, I work with Professor Ryan Ogliore studying extraterrestrial material in the laboratory. Outside of the lab, my hobbies include cooking, listening to podcasts, hiking, watching sports, and hanging out with my two cats. I'm always happy to help out, so don't be shy to shoot me an email if you have any questions or just want to chat!