Outreach

Outreach events hosted by or within the Physics Department

UConn STARs Brings Physics to Hartford Public High School

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The UConn STARs program has been visiting local Hartford public schools every Spring since 2022, bringing physics demos and enthusiasm directly to Hartford students!

In 2026, as part of the UConn STARs program, 18 UConn undergraduate students visited Hartford Public High School (HPHS) over the course of the week of May 18-22, 2026. These students taught eight classes in the classrooms of Mr. Joe Scalercio and Mr. Dave Babbitt and also held two lunchtime solar observing sessions. We estimate that the STARs outreach program reached about 150 high school students total, with many exciting conversations about space and careers in the sciences.

During the academic year, the STARs program ran 27 events on professional development, community building, and mentorship for the 20 members of the program. Members of the STARs program developed four interactive physics lesson plans in coordination with the HPHS teachers on the topics of: 1) Mechanics, 2) the Physics of Sound, 3) Thermodynamics, and 4) Electricity. The lesson plans were designed to cater to a variety of student learning needs and background levels. Each lesson plan had a short lecture component, hands-on demos, and stations for small group activities. STARs also hosted a table at the Hartford Public Library at an event on June 6th, 2026, engaging with many members of the local community.

Below are some photos highlighting the events, please see more on our webpage.

  • UConn STARs Outreach at HPHS Spring 2026

Professor Vladan Vuletić, Pollack Distinguished Lecturer

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The University of Connecticut, Department of Physics is proud to announce Edward Pollack Distinguished Lecture will be on Friday, November 7th, 2025. The speaker is Prof. Vladan Vuletić, Department of Physics, MIT. The title of his lecture is “The Quantum Age: From Atomic Clocks to Quantum Computers” For the time and the location of the lecture see the Web Calendar post.

Vladan Vuletic photoProf. Vladan Vuletić, Lester Wolfe Professor of Physics at MIT, is a leading figure in atomic, molecular, and optical physics, with pioneering contributions to quantum science and technology. Born in Peć, Serbia (then Yugoslavia), and educated in Germany. In 1992, he earned his Physics Diploma with highest honors from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and in 1997, a Ph.D. in Physics (summa cum laude). He then conducted postdoctoral research with Nobel Laureate Steven Chu at Stanford University as a Lynen Fellow of the Humboldt Foundation. After faculty appointments at Stanford and MIT, he rose to the rank of Full Professor at MIT in 2011. Vuletic is Director of the MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms and Chair of the Division of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Science of the American Physical Society.

Prof. Vuletić’s research spans ultracold atoms, laser cooling and trapping, tests of physics beyond the Standard Model, quantum metrology, many-body entanglement, and quantum
simulation and computing. He has published over 150 refereed articles and is internationally recognized for his breakthroughs in harnessing quantum entanglement for precision measurements and for advancing neutral atom quantum processors. He is a co-founder of QuEra Computing, a leading quantum computing company developing scalable neutral-atom-based quantum platforms.

His honors include a Sloan Research Fellowship, Fellowship of the American Physical Society and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Marko Jarić Prize of Serbia, Membership in the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and, most recently, the 2025 Arthur L. Schawlow Prize in Laser Science.

Prof. Vuletić continues to push the frontiers of quantum science, exploring novel ways to control and entangle quantum systems for both fundamental discovery and next generation quantum technologies.

The abstract of Prof. Vuletić lecture: Atom-light interactions are at the heart of atomic and quantum physics, enabling new applications ranging from precision measurements and quantum sensors to quantum information processing. Many of these applications rely on, or benefit from, quantum entanglement between particles, the “spooky action at a distance” loathed by Einstein. I will discuss two such applications, spin squeezing for improved atomic clocks, and quantum computing with neutral atoms.

UConn Honorary Degree Awarded to Alumnus, Manasse Mbonye, PhD 1996

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R. Mallett and M. MbonyeManasse Mbonye (UConn Physics PhD 1996, Advisor: Ron Mallett) was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science degree, and was the Commencement Speaker at the UConn Commencement ceremony in Gampel Pavilion on May 12, 2025. Manasse has had a remarkable career in physics, politics and scientific administration since completing his PhD in Physics at UConn in 1996. He was named the Outstanding UConn PhD graduate of 1996, in recognition of his scientific work and his efforts to assist his home country, Rwanda, after the tragic genocide period in 1994. After leaving UConn, Manasse held postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Michigan and as a National Research Council (NRC) Senior Associate Researcher at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. He subsequently held an Assistant Professor position at Rochester Institute of Technology. In 2011 he returned to Rwanda to lead the post-genocide reconstruction of the National University of Rwanda (NUR) and of the scientific, education and research sectors in Rwanda. He served as Vice Rector for Academics (Provost), and later Acting Rector (President) of the National University of Rwanda (NUR) 2011-2013. During his tenure NUR received over 55 million dollars in grants, in part from SIDA (Swedish International Development Agency), and NUR established academic relations with several international universities. Prof Mbonye also founded the Rwanda Space Agency, and is President of the Rwanda Academy of Science.

In collaboration with Gerald Dunne (UConn Physics), Prof. Mbonye is working to establish academic exchanges, for both faculty and students, between UConn Physics and the Physics Department at the University of Rwanda. This has the support of the UConn Administration. As part of this effort, Prof. Dunne visited the University of Rwanda in 2024, and met with a wide variety of leaders there. Prof. Dunne was hosted by Prof. Joseph Ntahompagaze, Head of the UR Physics Department. Prof. Dunne gave a physics colloquium, and had meetings with the UR Vice Chancellor and Provost, and with the Physics faculty and students. He toured the Physics teaching laboratories, and visited the Univ of Rwanda College of Education, hosted by Prof. Lakhan Lal Yadav, Professor of Physics and Physics Education. Dr. Yadav is Director of the African Centre of Excellence for Innovative Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science. Prof. Dunne also met with the leaders of the Rwanda Space Agency, and of the new Regional Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Engineering and eHealth (CEBE). Prof. Mbonye played key roles in these educational and scientific initiatives.

Prof. Mbonye is planning to visit UConn Physics for 3 months during the Fall 2025 semester, working on research in his field of cosmology and astrophysics, and on the further development of the relationship between UConn and URwanda. He is keen to interact with students, staff and faculty. We look forward to hosting our distinguished alumnus, and encourage everyone to reach out and make him welcome.

  • Rwanda Space Agency

An article in Earth.com describes the research and the life story of Prof. Mallett

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A recently published article describes the research and the life story of Prof. Mallett.

“Now approaching 80, Dr. Mallett remains steadfast. “I believe my work will show time travel is possible,” he asserts. “Future generations will build on it in ways we can’t yet imagine.”

His equations, though yet to physically bend time, have bent our collective imagination. Ongoing public interest, evidenced by his continued media appearances and Spike Lee’s film adaptation of his memoir, underscores his ideas’ profound impact.

More than a scientific pursuit, Mallett’s story testifies to human resilience, intellectual courage, and hope’s enduring power. Whether his theoretical time machine ever materializes, his legacy is immeasurable—inspiring countless individuals to challenge conventional limits and perceive time not as an unyielding barrier, but as a boundless frontier awaiting exploration.”

UConn STARs Visits Hartford Public High School in May 2025

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The UConn STARs program had its annual outreach event at Hartford Public High School (HPHS) during the week of May 12-16, 2025. We taught four specially-crafted lesson plans to eight classrooms of students and hosted two lunchtime solar telescope observing sessions. The outreach event was a huge success. We estimate that we reached about 170 students at HPHS during our visit, sparked many curious minds and encouraged considering a career in STEM.

During the academic year, the STARs programs ran 27 events focused on professional development, community building, and mentorship. Members of the STARs program also developed four engaging lesson plans for high school students on the topics of: 1) Mechanics, 2) Light as a Wave, 3) Light as a Particle (Quantum), and 4) Electricity. These topics were selected in consultation with the teacher to re-enforce important concepts from each class. The lesson plans were designed to cater to a variety of student learning needs and background levels. Each lesson plan had a short lecture component, hands-on demos, and stations for small group activities. STARs also hosted a booth at the Hartford STEM fair on May 5, 2025, engaging with many members of the local community.

Below are some photos highlighting the events, please see more on our webpage.

  • STARs group photo
    PXL 20250513 151734872

 

UConn Physics Department hosted the 2025 conference for Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities in Physics

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The Physics Department hosted the 2025 American Physical Society Conference for
Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities in Physics in January 24-26. This was
achieved with the support of the College of Liberal Arts and Science, the Provost’s Office, and the
Office of Sponsored Programs, the College of Engineering, the Institute of Material Sciences, the
APS and generous donors (the Ed Eyler and Karen Greer fund, the Mark Miller Fund Sponsorship
provided in memory of City College of New York Physicists William Miller and Myriam Sarachik,
Mirion Technologies, the Del Boca family gift, AAS, the New England Section of the APS and
the Startorialist Science and Fashion Shop).

The conference’s goal was to help undergraduate women and gender minorities pursue their
goals in physics by providing them the opportunity to learn about different physics research areas,
career tracks, graduate studies and various professions in physics. The conference brought
undergraduate students and scientists together to share experiences and concerns and receive
feedback and advice. It has been established that students’ experience at a professional conference
enables them to build community through peer networks and interacting closely with speakers and
panelists. The conference provided the students with feedback about their current work and were
mentored about career paths. UConn, which has a strong Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy
made every effort to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all. The conference
program had speakers and panelists from several institutions around the country, faculty, staff and
students from UConn as well as former UConn students who graduated with Bachelors, Masters
or PhDs. The link to the CU*iP conference program is https://physics.uconn.edu/cuwip/program/

The local organizing committee consisted of faculty, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate
students (Sarah Trallero, Lea Ferreira dos Santos, Shohini Bhattacharya, Luchang Jin, Matt
Guthrie, Peter Schweitzer, Alan Wuosmaa, Simone Columbo, Cara Battersby, Tom Blum, Erin
Scanlon, Elena Dormidontova, Asli Tandogan Kunkel, Cameron Brady, Meg Davis, Dani Lipman,
Jessica Mitlehner, Juliette Stecenko, Kaley Wilcox, Andrea Mejia, Liam McDermott, and George
Gibson) led by Nora Berrah. In addition, volunteers ─ faculty (Sylvanie Wallington), staff (Adam
Kolano, Carrie Chichocki, Dave Perry, Ray Celmer), students and postdocs (Noah Frese, Bill
Wortley, Willson London, Jack Conley, Christian McCoy, Tobi Saule, Christian McCoy, Yutong
Geng, Brenna Petrelli) and donors (Karen Greer) ─ provided great support in running a very
successful meeting.

  • Lab tour to CU*iP students
    IMG 8984

UConn Physics Department Hosting January 2025 CU*iP.

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Every year, the American Physical Society (APS) sponsors CU*IP – Conference for Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities in Physics – at several locations around the country. This year, led by Prof. Nora Berrah, UConn Physics applied to host this national conference in Storrs and our proposal was accepted for January 24-26, 2025! The purpose of the conference is to bring together over 120 undergraduates from around the country to learn about many research areas in physics and also to lean many skills for pursuing a career in Physics or Science, such as networking, applying to graduate school, finding role models in academia or industry, learning how to succeed as an underrepresented minority, etc.

While the conference is partially funded by the APS, the host institution needs to raise a substantial amount of funds. So far, we have commitments from UConn, some generous donors, such as the Ed Eyler and Karen Greer foundation, alumnus Mark Miller, and the Del Boca family, as well as the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Mirion Technologies.

The current members of the local organizing committee, composed of faculty, staff and students, are Cara Battersby, Tom Blum, Cameron Brady, Carrie Cichocki, Simone Colombo, Meg Davis, Elena Dormidontova, George Gibson, Matt Guthrie, Adam Kolano, Luchang Jin, Dani Lipman, Jessica Mitlehne, Michael Rozman, Dave Perry, Erin Scanlon, Peter Schweitzer, Juliette Stecenko, Sarah Trallero, Kaley Wilcox, Alan Wuosmaa and Nora Berrah.

The planned events demonstrate the Physics Department’s and UConn’s commitment to helping undergraduate women and gender minorities pursue physics following their undergraduate degree by providing them the opportunity to learn about different career tracks in STEM fields, graduate studies, and various professions in physics.

We will be very grateful to receive any donations to assist the Department in hosting the conference, which will be used to cover students’ meals, accommodation and travel, as well as the invited speakers’ and panelists’ travel and accommodation. Please visit our website at: https://physics.uconn.edu/cuwip/

Solar Eclipse Viewing Event: 2-4:30pm Mon Apr 8 on Horsebarn Hill

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UConn faculty and students will host a community event to view the solar eclipse at 2:00-4:30pm this Monday, April 8, on Horsebarn Hill (behind the Dairy Bar). Here in Storrs we’ll observe a maximum occultation of 92% at 3:28pm. This is a very exciting and special opportunity, since the next time that our location will experience such an eclipse is not until 2079(!).

Details about the event are in the flyer embedded below, and also on the UConn Events Calendar. You can also listen to Prof. Jonathan Trump talk more about the solar eclipse on WILI-AM and on NBC CT.

Physics Department runs Women in Science Outreach at the Connecticut Science Center

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Promoting gender diversity and inclusion in the field of science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM), the Connecticut Science Center’s Women in Science Initiative hosted a captivating
outreach event led by UConn’s Sarah Trallero, Aslı Tandoğan, and Aislinn Daniels. This event took place
on April 15th, 2023 at the Connecticut Science Center.

In the outreach event, Sarah, Aslı, and Aislinn engaged children and adults alike to have “Fun with
Physics” and experience physics hands-on. Multiple interactive stations encouraged enthusiastic
participants to “feel” what principles affect rotation, to learn how lightning works by playing with Van de
Graaff generators, and to even build their own simple DC motor.

The Women in Science Initiative at the Connecticut Science Center encourages girls and young women to
pursue studies and career paths in STEM and celebrates the achievements of women in the sciences. By
breaking down gender barriers and inspiring curiosity, such initiatives play a vital role in shaping the
future of scientific discovery and innovation.

From right: Aslı Tandoğan, Sarah Trallero, Aislinn Daniels.

Goodwin School 3rd grade visits the Physics Learning Labs

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About one mile from the Gant plaza, Goodwin Elementary School teaches some really bright kids. On January 15, 2019, science teacher Nancy Titchen and Goodwin teachers brought the entire 3rd grade class on a field trip to the Physics Learning Labs mock-up studio for some science fun. Students enjoyed a liquid nitrogen show, witnessed quantum effects in superconducting magnetic levitation, experienced mechanics concepts such as angular momentum, and learned about vibrations and the phenomenon mechanical of resonance. The expert hands of a star team of PhD students (Erin Curry and Donal Sheets) and new laboratory technicians (James Jaconetta and Zac Transport) ensured students had a great time and learned some interesting science. Big thanks to the staff and the Goodwin School!