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Joseph Gartner is a senior who has conducted high energy physics research with Professors Richard Hughes and Brian Winer. After graduation with a physics degree, he plans to pursue a career in either defense consulting or nuclear engineering. Joseph took some time to speak with us in his office located in the new Physics Research Building.
What specifically do you research? What projects are you currently working on?
I study the area of high energy physics, which involves the fundamental particles of matter. As a freshman, I began by developing firmware technology that would accommodate shifts in proton beams as they collided. This would enable us to look at the decay signature of these collisions to detect top quarks, a fundamental particle that our lab had discovered. Currently, I am involved in the development of the Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST). Specifically, we are trying to fine tune and differentiate gamma ray signals from background signals, with the ultimate goal of being able to detect dark matter.
How did you get involved in undergraduate research?
My uncle studies high energy physics, and I knew coming into college that I wanted to pursue research in this area. My first quarter freshman year, I had Dr. Hughes as one of my professors, and he was doing high energy physics research. I read up on his research and approached him about obtaining a research position. I started winter quarter and have been working in this lab since then.
What were the benefits of working on this project?
The number one advantage of pursuing undergraduate research is giving the material I learn in class relevance and meaning. When I go to class, it is to push forward my understanding of what is happening in the lab that I study. Another benefit of participating in research was working with my two faculty advisors Professor Hughes and Professor Winer. They also understood that for undergraduates, research is second to schoolwork and were accommodating to my schedule. Both Professors Hughes and Winer were extremely kind and were not afraid to give me the hard advice they knew I needed to succeed.
What advice would you give to current undergraduates who want to get involved in research?
For students looking for research opportunities, obtaining a research position is no different from getting a job in the real world. Just as you would research a company to learn about what they do, you should read up on professors' research to see how it fits your interests. It would be great if at the end of your first year, you could identify two fields within your major you are interested in researching and a couple professors you could talk to in those fields.
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