Physics & Astronomy

Summer Research Program 2023

  • Physics & Astronomy Research in the Environment of a Small Liberal Arts College.
    Students will be assigned directly to individual faculty members. Much of the ongoing faculty research is designed with undergraduate participation in mind (see Recent Papers with Student Co-Authors), and students and their research will be the primary focus of the faculty during the summer. Bucknell University has a strong tradition of summer undergraduate research, and the physics program runs in parallel with programs in biology, chemistry, geology, and engineering.

  • Research Areas (see detailed descriptions)
    • Biophysics
    • Pattern Formation, Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos
    • Astronomy
    • Atomic Physics
    • Quantum Optics
    • Nuclear Physics
    • Statistical Physics
    • Computer Simulations
    • Materials Science

  • Stipend: to be determined. Typically around $5000
    Plus free on-campus apartment-style accommodation.

    Some of the positions will be funded by grants obtained by department mentors. Other applicants -- with help from their faculty mentors -- will apply for university funding through the Program for Undergraduate Research (PUR), Emerging Scholars, Clare Booth Luce, STEM Scholars or other sources. Department funding may also be possible for projects not funded by one of these other sources.

  • Dates (tentative): May 30, 2023 - August 4, 2023

  • Location in Central Susquehanna Valley
    Our location in the ridge and valley province of the central Appalachian mountains offers plentiful opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, canoeing and kayaking, and mountain biking. New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore are all within a three-hour drive from Lewisburg.

  • Supplemental Programs:
    • End-of-the-summer presentation of results at campus-wide poster session and in talks to the Physics & Astronomy Department
    • GRE preparation classes
    • Occasional physics colloquia
    • Instructional seminars on scientific computing, library resources, scientific presentations, etc.
    • At least two discussions of scientific ethics
    • On-campus summer film series and summer concerts and recitals

  • Applications:
    Click here for the application (login required). For full consideration, applications must be received by February 17, 2023. Applications received after this date will be considered if openings remain. Women, members of minority groups, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

  • Additional Information
    You are encouraged to talk with whomever you are most interested in working. (See the Project descriptions for more information.) For questions about the program, please feel free to contact Ben Vollmayr-Lee, Olin 154, bvollmay@bucknell.edu
  • Other NSF Sponsored REU Sites