Student Testimonials
Find out about what some of our current and former students think about the physics program at MU. The combination of great teaching, excellent research opportunities for undergraduates and the unique atmosphere of Columbia leads to a rich college experience for our students — both academically and socially.
Five physics majors describe their experience as undergraduates in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Sophomore Daniels Van Hoesen, and junior Nathan Frey describe their research experience while seniors Laura Hosmer, Mike Jaris and Cody Allard describe how the physics degree helped them with their engineering degree. Watch and listen to what our students have to say about majoring with a degree in physics.
Student Testimonials
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Brandon Lee Major: Physics and Chemical Engineering What made you decide to study physics? I was curious about what makes the universe tick on a fundamental level. Favorite part of being a physics major |
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Cierra Presson Major: Physics and Mathematics What made you decide to study physics? I have always been interested in why things work, not just how. I started out pre-med, but I really enjoyed my Physics classes and I eventually realized I enjoyed my Physics classes more than my pre-med classes. Now, I couldn’t imagine doing |
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Corrine Fletcher Corrine Fletcher is a senior physics major who wanted to share her summer research experience at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory with other students. Read her account of a summer spent doing research. “This past summer I had a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Charlottesville, Virginia. My advisor was Violette Impellizzeri, a post doctoral fellow. I spent |
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Ian Miller Major: Physics / Computer Science What made you decide to study physics? I’ve been curious about how things work for as long as I can remember, and since I am fortunate enough to have a very math-oriented mind, physics seemed like the natural choice. Favorite part of being a physics major Of the many things I love about this department, nothing can top the sense of |
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Lauryn Williams Major: Physics (emphasis Astronomy), and Mathematics What made you decide to study physics? I wanted to study physics because I’m a huge sci-fi fan (or just a big nerd in general), and whenever I watched space movies specifically I was mesmerized by the visuals and I really wanted to know how and why it worked! I was super excited to know that |
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Matthew Dygert Major: Physics What made you decide to study physics? I have an intense curiosity, innate to my being. What better way to satiate such a desire than to be on the absolute edge or our understanding of reality? In my effort to understand and expand the knowledge pool of what exists |
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Mike Jaris Major: Physics and Electrical Engineering “As a graduating senior I have spoken with many students, universities, and employers about prospective work (graduate school, industry, etc.) and can confidently say that the dual degree in physics and electrical engineering has given me opportunities that would have never been possible otherwise. Employers and schools love people with a strong physics background because |
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Rory Butler Major: Physics What made you decide to study physics? There are a few reasons. Our world faces immense and emerging challenges that we are only beginning to understand. Physics offers a powerful tool to understand these challenges and how best to respond to them. Research and development lead to action that can alleviate human suffering and make the world a better place for everyone. |
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Troy Schneider Major: Physics and Mathematics What made you decide to study physics? I was in eighth grade and was taking my first physics course ever. My teacher was this really passionate, wonderful lady who talked about how physics can show you all the secrets of the |