Physics Program at SUNY Plattsburgh - Student Profiles

Student Profiles

Meet Some of Our Students

Ben Schultz

"I chose SUNY Plattsburgh as my college knowing it could prepare me for a career in the sciences while remaining local and affordable. The physics department is large enough to provide a fulfilling education and research opportunities and small enough to address the individual needs of its students. College has taught me skills and forged connections that I will value for the rest of my life. After graduating this spring, I plan on entering graduate school for astrophysics."

Jordyn Danforth

"I've been a physics adolescence education major at SUNY Plattsburgh since my sophomore year. I switched over from the biology department, and kept my major in biology too, but physics is my true calling. I've been tutoring physics at the Learning Center since the beginning of my junior year and absolutely love helping people learn. I can see myself in charge of a high school physics classroom that is fun and highly educational, and I hope to increase the number of students who enjoy physics and want to pursue it as their future career.

"Dr. Podolak had the biggest influence on my career path. He was incredibly supportive of my choices and allowed me to gain experience by being a teaching assistant for his general physics lab. He also invited me to work with him on instructional research. We published a paper on that research in April 2013. I've loved being a physics major at SUNY Plattsburgh. It's a small department that allows students to be involved with the professors, other students, and Physics Club. It's been a great experience and I can't wait to see how incredible it becomes in the future."

Randi Bassik

"Hello! My name is Randi Bassik and I am a junior physics major with a mathematics minor at SUNY Plattsburgh. I am from New City, New York. I came to SUNY Plattsburgh as a freshman because I loved that it was a school where I could get individual attention from professors and feel very close to the staff. I also liked that Plattsburgh was in the Northern Adirondacks because there is so much to do outside, such as skiing, hiking, and camping.

"I am the current president of Physics Club. Physics Club is open to anyone, especially those who have an interest in physics, engineering, or just want to be involved in some hands-on projects involving science. I love the physics program at Plattsburgh because it is a hands-on learning experience with professors who genuinely want to help and make sure that you succeed. I made a lot of my current friends through the physics program and it was refreshing to find students who had the same interests as me.

"I am also doing undergraduate research under the advisement of Dr. Michael Walters on the opto-mechanical properties of ballistic gels. We will be presenting our research at the regional APS meeting at Wells College with other undergraduate research students. There are many research opportunities for students who want to get involved. Many of the professors who take on research students are willing to listen to ideas and make the research interesting to the individual. After I graduate, I plan on attending optometry school where I will hopefully get my O.D."

Rick DeCosta

"My name is Rick DeCosta. I transferred to Plattsburgh State in the spring of 2011 after earning my associates degree from Clinton Community College. Plattsburgh State has offered me the opportunity to advance my knowledge in the field of physics as well as strengthen my research capabilities. I will always remember Plattsburgh State for its very helpful faculty who assisted me through courses and worked with me on research. I’ll also remember my fellow students. I have enjoyed participating in the Physics Club for 2 years. In the spring of 2012, I was inducted into Sigma Pi Sigma (physics high honor society) for my efforts. I completed my bachelor's degree in the fall of 2012 (magna cum laude) and am currently in a research internship at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs in California where I am doing parallelized programming for tomographic reconstruction at the Advanced Light Source. I am looking forward to attending graduate school next fall where I will continue my education and conduct research in particle physics and cosmology."

Tobey Betthauser

Physics Experience

"I have enjoyed many aspects of my undergraduate career as a physics major at SUNY Plattsburgh. The interaction I have experienced with the physics faculty has been energizing, supportive, challenging, and enabling. Aside from my physics studies, I have enjoyed taking an active role as secretary and president in the Physics Club. Joining only one semester after its inception, I have been involved in growing the club from a few students launching pumpkins, to a fully funded campus organization that takes on major building projects and is fueled by the excitement of the students and faculty. In my third semester I began conducting research with Dr. Ken Podolak . As a result, in January of 2013, Dr. Podolak and I published a paper in Physica B. I was awarded the Hudson Scholarship for Mathematics and Science in my junior year, and inducted into the Sigma Pi Sigma Physics Honor Society. I can’t say enough about the helpful dynamic of the student-faculty interaction within this department. I am currently in the process of applying graduate schools, and have already been accepted into the medical physics master's program at the University of Wisconsin Madison. No doubt, my research in the area of X-ray interaction with matter has helped prepare me for this next step in my academic career. I will be graduating summa cum laude this May, and am looking forward to pursuing my ambitions to become an American Board of Radiology certified medical physicist."

Questions, Comments, Suggestions?

If you would like more information about physics at SUNY Plattsburgh, please contact:

Thomas H. Wolosz, Chairperson
Office: Beaumont Hall 207C
Phone: (518) 564-4031
Fax: (518) 564-3169
Email: thomas.wolosz@plattsburgh.edu

SUNY Plattsburgh
Physics Department
Beaumont Hall 207
Plattsburgh, NY 12901