New physics lab opens, solving capacity and scheduling concerns

By Michael Lynn •

The Halmos College of Arts and Sciences opened the doors to its newest physics lab this semester.

Reza Razeghifard cut the ribbon to the doors of the new psychics lab.
PHOTO BY MIA ALVARADO

The blue ribbon ceremony was held Jan. 6 in the Parker Building, Room 103, where guests explored the lab’s new equipment while enjoying a charcuterie board and science-themed cupcakes.

The physics lab is the third of its kind, and it will solve student and staff capacity concerns.

“It’s going to help us because we have a lot of students taking physics and two labs were not enough anymore,” said Diego Castano, associate professor for the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences Department of Chemistry and Physics.

The new physics lab will also solve scheduling concerns.

“We were having to do more scheduling in the evenings, which is not always convenient for students,” said Castano. “We can now schedule labs more often during the day.”

Reza Razeghifard, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics, said that the new lab would be used primarily by the undergraduate students, serving Physics I and II classes.

Dr. Castano, Dean Baumgartner and Dr. Razeghifard await to see the new
physics lab.
PHOTO BY MIA ALVARADO

“Students that would be in this lab could be science majors, could be engineering majors, could be public health majors and other majors that utilize physics courses as core classes,” said Razeghifard.

Taliyah Cherubin, junior biomedical engineering major, was able to test the equipment during her Physics II lab about electrical charges.

“The atmosphere in this lab is pretty good! It feels new,” said Cherubin.

Holly Lynn Baumgartner, dean of the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center, said that this lab will ultimately benefit the entire campus.

“Our new physics lab is all about the students and providing the best experiential learning possible to help them in their careers or graduate school,” said Baumgartner. “It serves not just the department or Halmos College but the entire campus for major courses as well as essential education courses.”