Physics Archives | ��Ͽ�

Engineering Master’s Pathway Agreement with Syracuse University

Gabriella Nowak — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:00:22 +0000

��Ͽ� has established a new engineering master’s pathway agreement with Syracuse University, creating expanded opportunities for students pursuing advanced studies in engineering.

Through this bachelor’s‑to‑master’s pathway, Houghton students majoring in Applied Physics who meet Syracuse’s admission criteria can secure early admission to master’s programs in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, and Engineering Management. Rather than navigating the uncertainty of applying to multiple graduate schools and waiting to learn whether their undergraduate coursework will be accepted, students enter a pre-cleared admissions pathway — saving time, reducing application costs, and eliminating the guesswork.

Moreover, students who have not decided on a specific engineering degree can receive their Bachelor’s in Applied Physics and gain invaluable preparation, coursework, and research experience to better decide on the career path that fits their interests without falling behind in their educational training.

Dr Mark Yuly, Professor of Physics at ��Ͽ�, says:

“This opportunity allows students to keep their options open while they’re undergraduates, and choose their engineering specialty later in graduate school. The Applied Physics degree gives them a broad foundation in science and math – the kind of versatile preparation that opens doors in many directions, not just one.”

Students who maintain a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA are eligible for this streamlined process, which includes simplified application requirements and guaranteed admission for those who meet designated benchmarks. Qualified students can complete their master’s degree in as little as three to four semesters, creating a pathway to facilitate their transition into professional engineering roles.

Jill Jordan, Interim Provost at ��Ͽ�, shared, “This agreement affirms that Houghton students receive an excellent education and are fully prepared for graduate-level work when they leave Houghton. Physics students interested in engineering now have multiple graduate pathways at Syracuse University, all supported by a simplified admissions process that rewards their hard work and academic success.”

This partnership also reflects Houghton’s ongoing commitment to its students. By connecting strong academic preparation with achievable pathways to advanced degrees and purpose-filled careers, Houghton continues to prepare graduates who are ready to fulfill God’s calling for their lives.

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Students Present at National Conference on ��Ͽ� Research

Gabriella Nowak — Thu, 29 May 2025 15:00:06 +0000

Three ��Ͽ� students joined 4,500 students and faculty members from across the country to present their research at the National Conference on ��Ͽ� Research (NCUR) in Pittsburgh, PA in April.

Risa Palmer ’27 presented her poster titled “Effects of Low-Level Light Therapy (LLLT) on Differentiated Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell (dVSMC) Wound Recovery.”
Keiryn Sandahl ’27 shared her paper, “Preserving a Faith in Humanity.”
Riley Van Heukelum ’27 discussed his research on “Reception of Video Games over the Past Forty Years.”

“These three students were nominated from across campus and worked diligently to present their research to a wide audience clearly, concisely, and compelling,” said Laurie Dashnau, Ph.D., professor of English and director of the Writing Center, who accompanied the students to the conference. “Our students attended all kinds of oral and poster presentations, too, including research-informed ones in dance and music and about social advocacy. It was a wonderful time of sharing, learning, and developing professional skills.”

Each student conducted their research under the guidance of esteemed Houghton faculty members, including associate professor of Biology Ransom Poythress, Ph.D., professor of History Chris Esh, Ph.D., professor of Philosophy Benjamin Lipscomb, Ph.D., professor of English Susan Bruxvoort-Lipscomb, Ph.D. and assistant professor of Physics Katrina Koehler, Ph.D..

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Katrina Koehler Published by Springer and Awarded for Contributions to Field

Michael Blankenship — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 18:05:08 +0000

Katrina Koehler, PhD., recently contributed research to three chapters of the second edition of the published by Springer. Koehler also received the from Western Michigan University for her exceptional work and contributions to the field of physics.

“One of my proudest accomplishments has been contributing to the second version of the Nondestructive Assay of Nuclear Materials for Safeguards and Security handbook—known as the PANDA manual,” Koehler said about her contributions. “This key resource is a guide to the methods used in the field, and my contributions span both neutron and gamma methods, which are typically pursued as distinct specialties. Making significant contributions to both areas has been incredibly rewarding.”

She also expressed what made her interested in physics in the first place.

“I got into physics because it was the first subject that truly challenged me. I actually failed my first physics test, but instead of giving up, I made it my mission to ‘beat physics’. That determination set me on a path into the sciences…My own work focuses on ensuring nuclear materials are used for peaceful purposes like nuclear power and nuclear medicine, supporting the goals of the . I develop detectors and algorithms to track and characterize nuclear material, ensuring it stays within a nuclear process and isn’t diverted for a clandestine nuclear weapons program.”

Koehler makes it her mission to help her students understand physics to the best of their abilities. “In the classroom, I thrive on helping students face their physics fears. I want them to discover that they, too, can master difficult material. Physics is everywhere, not just in textbooks. I encourage my students to share ‘science sightings’—ways they notice physics in their daily lives. It makes the subject come alive.”

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Houghton Physics Students Recognized for Poster Presentation

Michael Blankenship — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 13:00:23 +0000

Two ��Ͽ� physics students have been honored for their poster presentation at the 15th Omega Laser Facility Users Group (OLUG) Workshop. Noah Harley ’25 and Chunsun Lei ’24 were recognized among the top 10 posters at the event.

“Congratulations to Noah and Chunsun,” said Mark Yuly, professor of Physics. “Houghton physics students continue to perform in the top of their class, competing and winning the same awards as students from MIT, RIT, SUNY Geneseo and University of Rochester.”

The workshop, held from April 16 to 18, 2024, at the Bloch Alumni Advancement Center and Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), brought together over 170 participants from 39 institutions. Focusing on fostering collaboration and networking, the annual event provided a platform for students and early-career researchers to showcase their work in an interactive and informal setting. During the workshop, 67 poster presentations were delivered, with an impressive 56 presented by students and postdocs.

Harley and Lei’s presentation, “Coated Li Film Targets for TNSA Light-Ion Reaction Experiments with the MTW Laser,” stood out among their peers, earning them well-deserved recognition among the Ten Best Posters, an excellent example of Houghton’s commitment to excellence in science.

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Dr. Koehler Invited to Speak ��Ͽ� the Integration of Faith and Science at Taylor University

Michael Blankenship — Mon, 27 May 2024 13:00:22 +0000

On Monday, April 8, Katrina Koehler ’11, assistant professor of Physics, spoke at Taylor University’s chapel service. Her talk, titled “Stars and the Language of God” integrated science and faith and explored how God uses the physical world to communicate with humanity. Koehler specifically correlated this talk with the solar eclipse as an avenue to discuss how viewing celestial events from a physical perspective limits humanity’s awareness of the ways God communicates with us.

She explained that because we are made of physical matter, God must use the physical world to communicate with us, whether that is by using the five senses, or by manipulating the electrons and circuitry of our brains. When our understanding of the physical world increases, through science, it often cuts off avenues God has historically used to communicate with us, like through a solar eclipse.

During her visit, Koehler also delivered a lecture on the disparities in mission funding, highlighting that 98 percent is allocated to reached people groups, leaving only 2 percent for missions targeting unreached people groups. In her lecture, “A Data-Driven Story of the Great Commission,” Koehler leaned on her experience as a missionary kid to propose six ways to combat this, emphasizing the importance of welcoming unreached people groups into the communities of believers.

Koehler’s interest in this area reflects her passion for integrating physics with her faith. She teaches multiple data science and physics courses and is known for asking students the “big questions” before helping them analyze large sets of data to find answers rooted in Biblical truth.

Outside of the classroom, Koehler’s research focuses on Nuclear Safeguards and Nonproliferation, Nuclear and Atomic Metrology, and Diversity in STEM, with her work appearing in various journals, such as the Journal of Low-Temperature Physics.

Images from top to bottom, left to right: NASA/Getty Images; Partial eclipse; Katrina Koehler with alumni William Slauson ’12 and Ester Slauson ’83, total eclipse, Katrina Koehler and company viewing eclipse on campus lawn.

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Houghton Students Conduct Nuclear Physics Experiment at Laboratory of Laser Energetics

Michael Blankenship — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 13:03:03 +0000

Four students from the Physics and Applied Physics majors had the opportunity to conduct a nuclear physics experiment at the this summer. The experiment, proposed, designed and carried out by the Houghton team with collaborators from SUNY Geneseo, was conducted with the Multi-Terawatt (MTW) Laser, one of the highest power lasers in the world.

During the experiment, Professor of Physics Mark Yuly and his students worked with the research team to use the MTW laser to accelerate particles. A custom-made detector, designed and built by Houghton students, allowed the researchers to use the laser as a particle accelerator to create a beam of deuteron particles. This new technique opens doors for new and interesting applications. The Houghton team studied the nuclear reactions caused by the deuteron beam striking a lithium target.

“This is a really important experience for students,” said Yuly. “They are working with world-class researchers while making contacts and doing important work that will help them in their future careers as scientists and engineers. Most graduate programs and many employers are looking for just this type of experience as a deciding factor in which students to accept.”

The opportunity for students to collaborate with faculty beyond the traditional classroom is a hallmark of Houghton’s Physics programs, in which students work for course credit with a faculty advisor on a long-term research project, starting their sophomore year until they graduate. This particular research project was made possible through a subaward from the Department of Energy. Yuly serves as a co-principal investigator on the grant. In the planning stages of the experiment, students also participated in activities with other faculty-student research teams in the Shannon Summer Research Institute.

Discover Houghton’s Physics programs, where you can learn from faculty making significant contributions to the field, and students have the opportunity for hands-on research and internship opportunities that have led to employment opportunities for recent graduates before graduation.

Explore Physics Major Explore Applied Physics Major

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Houghton Student/Faculty Pair Research at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Michael Blankenship — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 13:37:36 +0000

Timothy Ockrin ’24 joined Dr. Katrina Koehler ’11, assistant professor of Physics, for the second year in a row as a paid intern at (LANL).

Recently featured in the latest Christopher Nolan biopic, , the Los Alamos National Laboratory builds on the legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer to research solutions to national security challenges. “Ensuring that all nuclear material globally remains in peaceful activities like nuclear power and nuclear medicine is a multidisciplinary problem that requires constant innovation,” wrote Koehler in summarizing their research using low temperature detectors for nuclear safeguards. Koehler and Ockrin traveled to Los Alamos, NM to develop the Decay Energy Spectroscopy Analyzer (DESA) data analysis tool for the purpose of more accurately identifying the composition of special nuclear material. This software could allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to determine whether nuclear material has the same composition as what is declared.

Research experiences like these prepare Houghton students, including Ockrin, to pursue employment and graduate school opportunities with significant advantages over peers graduating from other institutions. While conducting their research this summer, Koehler and Ockrin reconnected with Adam Brown ’23, a recent graduate of the Physics program who secured a post-undergraduate position with Los Alamos National Laboratories prior to graduation thanks in part to his rich research background gained as a student at Houghton.

Photos from left to right: Ockrin, Brown and Koehler in lab LA-UR-23-29570 and LA-UR-23-27302; Ockrin with statues of Robert Oppenheimer and General Groves; Ockrin and Koehler by Los Alamos sign; Ockrin, Brown and Koehler in lab LA-UR-23-29570 and LA-UR-23-27302.

“This is Tim’s second summer at Los Alamos National Laboratory. It’s one of the very few places in the world where you have access to certain materials like plutonium. You work with world-class scientists on challenging, interdisciplinary problems and get a taste for what a full-time job doing research might look like.”

Katrina Koehler, Assistant Professor of Physics

Fun Fact:

Los Alamos was a secret city during World War II and a closed city until 1957.

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Houghton Professor Wins R&D 100 Award for Second Year

Michael Blankenship — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 14:10:55 +0000

Dr. Katrina Koehler ’11, assistant professor of Physics, won the for the (HXI) as part of her research at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

The detector overcame barriers to provide detailed analysis of the chemical and elemental composition of material at the nanoscal level. This new development by Koehler and the team of researchers from , the and the University of Colorado allows for a resolution 20 times greater than currently available technology. Koehler’s contributions focused on interpreting early spectra and making theoretical predictions of spectral shape.

“With the spatial resolution of a scanning electron microscope and the energy resolution of microcalorimeters, the HXI detector is able to do science that has only ever been previously possible at beam lines. For example, now on a particle by particle basis, this instrument can distinguish between various oxidation states of uranium, important for determining whether the uranium particles taken from a given mine are in the usual form of yellow cake or in a pre-enrichment or post-enrichment form. Answering this and similar questions is important for international safeguards.”

This is the second time that Koehler has won the R&D 100, previously in the . This ultra-high resolution gamma spectrometer allowed for nondestructive assay of nuclear material.

We are so blessed to have Dr. Koehler working here at Houghton while she maintains her connections with Los Alamos National Laboratory. Through Dr. Koehler, current physics students have the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge summer research projects at LANL, and graduates of the physics program have an inside track on employment opportunities at LANL.

Jill Jordan, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Dean of Natural Sciences & Mathematics

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Sigma Zeta Hosts Lab Saturday Event

Michael Blankenship — Fri, 05 May 2023 13:21:03 +0000

Recently, 41 high school students from homeschool groups and Christian schools attended a Saturday Lab event hosted by Houghton’s Sigma Zeta club. Members of Sigma Zeta helped the students perform labs in the areas of chemistry, biology, and physics where they explored pH using a universal indicator and pH meters, identified bacteria through gram staining, and used Geiger counters to examine materials for radioactivity and exponential decay in M&Ms.

At the end of the day, the high schoolers voted on their favorite lab. Although chemistry came out on top, students said they enjoyed getting to eat the extra M&Ms at the end of the physics lab. Karen Torraca, professor of chemistry and faculty advisor for Sigma Zeta, oversaw the lab.

“The Sigma Zeta Lab Saturday was a great experience for students to learn about pH, bacteria, and radioactivity in fun and hands-on ways. It was exciting to see labs full of high school students on a Saturday afternoon, eager to learn about the beauty and wonder of God’s creation.” -Karen Torraca

The Sigma Zeta club is a national honors society that promotes excellence in the natural sciences, computer science, and mathematics at Houghton. Sigma Zeta hosted its first lab event in 2014 as a way for high school students to experience what a college lab is like, and to give members the opportunity to teach some of the interesting labs they have learned during their time at Houghton. The Sigma Zeta students organize the event by setting the date, planning the labs that they want to do, and teaching the labs to the high school students.

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Sigma Zeta Lab Event

Michael Blankenship — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 18:07:56 +0000

��Ͽ� student club, Sigma Zeta, hosted a Saturday lab event for high school students on November 19th. Students from homeschool groups, Cuba-Rushford, Fillmore and Cornerstone Christian School completed three different labs in the areas of chemistry, biology, and physics. The labs for this semester’s event were examining the triple point of carbon dioxide using dry ice, dissecting a sheep eyeball, and learning about momentum with carts and tracks. The Sigma Zeta Houghton students guided the high school students through each exercise.

One student said, “The teachers were wonderful! They were very helpful and friendly. We were kept engaged throughout the labs, and I would come again.”

“The Sigma Zeta Lab Saturday event enables high school students to get hands-on lab experience in a university setting,” said Karen Torraca, professor of chemistry and faculty advisor for Sigma Zeta. “With the help of ��Ͽ� students who are passionate about science and math, participants are able to connect with science in fun and meaningful ways,”

The Sigma Zeta club is a national honors society to promote excellence in the natural sciences, computer science, and mathematics at Houghton. Sigma Zeta started putting on these lab events in 2014 as a way to allow high school students to experience what a college lab is like. The Sigma Zeta students organize the event by setting the date, planning the labs that they want to do, and teaching the labs to the high school students. These events give the Sigma Zeta members a great opportunity to teach some of the interesting labs that they have learned, and help high school students get a better understanding of some of the different areas of science.

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Plasma Physics Conference

Michael Blankenship — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 13:55:27 +0000

��Ͽ� students traveled to Spokane, Washington to attend the largest Plasma Physics conference in the world with about 2,000 researchers from around the globe. The students, Adam Brown ’23, Chunsun Lei ’24, Andrew Martin ’24 and Andrew Hotchkiss ’24, traveled with 15 other students and faculty from SUNY Geneseo.

During the conference, Houghton students met with their collaborators from the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester who received the Department of Energy award that has funded their research . They also presented findings from their work with Dr. Mark Yuly last summer at the Shannon Summer Research Institute.

The students presented posters on research that is of real interest to the community of scientists doing high-energy density physics – that is, scientists studying how to create a controlled self-sustaining nuclear fusion chain reaction. The students’ poster sessions were well attended, and I think they were surprised at the enthusiasm their audience had for their work. I hope the connections they made will be helpful to them in the future.

Dr. Mark Yuly, Professor of Physics at ��Ͽ�

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Houghton Physics Students Present at Conference

Michael Blankenship — Tue, 31 May 2022 14:18:21 +0000

Three physics seniors, Nathaniel Davie ’22, Joshua Bowman ’22, and Noah Klein ’22 gave talks at the 40^th on April 9^th. They presented their long term, independent research projects they have been working on for five semesters. Each student does their own research on a variety of topics; Davie has spent the last three years working on an x-ray diffractometer for thin film analysis, while Bowman has been working on a small cyclotron for nuclear reaction.

The following week, Dr. Mark Yuly brought some physics students to the meeting to further discuss his cyclotron which he has been working on with students. Dr. Yuly’s cyclotron is only one of two small cyclotrons to work in the world, and undergraduate physics students at Houghton have had the opportunity to do hands-on research with it.

Every physics student at Houghton is required to do a long term research project beginning their sophomore year, and all seniors are required to give talks on their findings before graduation. Sophomore and junior physics students also presented posters on their current research. The physics department has several ongoing projects that students can pick up on after previous students graduate. With so many options, like what Davie and Bowman were just researching, there is always a project to meet the specific interests of each physics student..

Every physics student at Houghton must take on a research project and they all must present at a conference like this one before graduation. They each have the opportunity to take on a subject that is unique to Houghton. -Dr. Mark Yuly, Professor of Physics

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��Ͽ� Faculty and Students Present at National Conferences

Michael Blankenship — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 20:17:59 +0000

Dr. Mark Yuly, associate dean for the natural sciences and mathematics, and Houghton senior Katelyn Cook recently presented at the Fifth Joint Meeting of the American Physical Society Division of Nuclear Physics and the Physical Society of Japan in Waikoloa, Hawaii.

This conference brought nuclear physicists and students from across the United States and Japan to the Hawaiian island. Yuly presented on Department of Energy funded work done in collaboration with scientists from State University of New York (SUNY) Geneseo, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Ohio University, and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester. The project, which also involved a number of Houghton students from 2010-2015, focused on measuring the probability (or “cross section”) of a particular nuclear reaction that is important in developing a diagnostic technique to study inertial confinement fusion (ICF). ICF is a process that utilizes lasers to compress and heat a tiny speck of nuclear fuel until nuclear fusion reactions begin to occur, just like in the core of a star. This technique could be used to generate large amounts of energy without releasing harmful carbon dioxide or producing radioactive waste. The work of Yuly and eight Houghton alumni contributors was published in Physical Review C this past year, and featured findings from two summers at Ohio University’s Edwards Accelerator Lab and three years of research at Houghton.

Cook’s poster presentation focused on ICF research done by the same collaboration since 2015, with the intent of discovering ways to study fundamental nuclear physics using ICF as a tool. Several other Houghton students have participated in this project over the last three years, including Micah Coats ’18 and junior Emma Bruce, who recently presented a poster on the same topic at the American Physical Society’s Division of Plasma Physics meeting in Portland, Oregon.

Such undergraduate research opportunities – which happen as part of the Summer Research Institute – are key features of Houghton’s science programs, and priorities of the college’s multi-year, $70 million comprehensive campaign, “IMPACT: The Campaign for Greater Houghton.” By supporting academic and experiential investment (academic and co-curricular program endowment), Houghton is able to continue to provide the high-quality education and experiences necessary to prepare students to have an impact on the world.

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Physics Archives | ���Ͽ�