The 2023–2024 academic year has been a busy and exciting time for the Department of Physics at Adelphi University. Adelphi physics is known for having a student-friendly department that provides students with a place to grow into tomorrow’s leaders—both in and out of the lab. Last semester we began an overhaul or our curriculum to give our students even more hands-on learning opportunities.

Matthew wright, Bridget Gifford, Katie Gifford, Sean Bentle

Over the past year, our department has made some serious waves. Zahin Ritee won the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship! Associate Professor Sean Bentley, PhD, was elected as the 2024 President-Elect of IEEE-HKN—the student honors society for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Assistant Professor Kevin Liang, PhD, published three separate papers on super resolution. Brad Conrad, former director of the society of physics, and I had an article in Physics Today about how students are struggling with the aftereffects of COVID-19.

In exiting news, Katie Gifford ’22 said she completed her run as our department’s lab coordinator and has begun a PhD program in physics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her sister Bridget was also awarded the PhysTEC Local Teacher of the Year. Check out Brianna Sherry’s article about the Gifford sisters.

New to the department this year, we welcome Luis Rodriguez (lab coordinator), and Professor Tan Lee (part-time faculty).

You can keep track of many of the day-to-day departmental happenings by checking out my personal blog. Please reach out to us at mwright@adelphi.edu. The faculty in the department love chatting with you all!