Rochester Institute of Technology News
Physics BS

Scientific American interviewed Meridith Joyce, assistant professor of physics, about NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and its role in dating stars in the Milky Way galaxy. 

RIT faculty members are tackling some of AI’s most pressing challenges with support from the National Science Foundation’s prestigious CAREER Award program, which recognizes early-career scholars who integrate cutting-edge research with student education.

Imaging science Ph.D. student Muhammad Akif Qadeer has been awarded the 2025 Harvey M. Pollicove Memorial Scholarship from the Optica Foundation. The award is given to one student each year who shows potential in precision optics manufacturing and lens design.

RIT has launched CMOS+X, a National Science Foundation Research Traineeship program that prepares future STEM leaders with professional skills training, including interdisciplinary collaboration, scientific writing, strategic communication, and project management skills.

RIT researchers are zeroing in on quantum photonics, the creation, control, and detection of light. Photonics has long been a specialty of the university. RIT led the team that developed the first quantum photonic wafer, which is key to the future of mass-produced quantum communication systems.

At the Undergraduate Research Symposium, RIT students share research in artificial intelligence, sustainability, health sciences, and other areas that is helping to solve global challenges.
 

Katie Malarkey's research, funded by a $15 million National Science Foundation grant, provides a comprehensive quantification of plastics used annually in U.S. agriculture. Her work aims to address the end-of-life challenges for these materials.

The award is part of the NSF’s Research Traineeship Program (NRT), a national initiative to better prepare master’s and doctoral students for the interdisciplinary talents required in semiconductor chip development. The grant will provide 20 doctoral student fellowships to advance research in the much-needed field of semiconductor technologies.

Quantum technology is poised to shape the future and improve the world, with the United Nations recently declaring the year 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. A team at RIT is at the forefront of bringing more students into quantum education and preparing them for jobs in the industry.

Microsystems engineering Ph.D. student Evan Manfreda-Schulz ’20 (physics) accomplished something many academic researchers aim for when his first paper was published on the cover of Optica Quantum.

Independent research projects can help cultivate critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Whether it’s late nights spent in a RIT lab or a field study in the mountains, research experiences can be a cutting-edge way for students to prepare for the future.

RIT's Center for Detectors has been chosen by NASA for two research programs: Early Stage Innovations (ESI) and Strategic Astrophysics Technology (SAT), with the hope of helping future spacecraft find new discoveries in the vast universe.